According to the association, there will be no risk of interference with 5G networks than with any other existing transmissions occurring in frequencies close to those used by radio-altimeters.

It said in a statement, “The context in Nigeria is different. The guard band that exists between the spectrum frequencies allocated by the NCC for 5G services and those allocated to the aviation industry remains in the region of 400MHz, in line with the guidelines instituted by the National Frequency Management Council, the government agency responsible for sectoral allocation of spectrum and the NCC.

“This means that there is no greater risk of interference with 5G networks than there is with any of the existing transmissions taking place in the frequencies adjacent to those used by radio-altimeters.”

ALTON stated that it understood the concerns expressed by industry stakeholders and consumers in respect to the ongoing debate in the United States of America over the risk of interference between 5G networks and aviation equipment.

It was highlighted that mobile networks, like radio, television, and other broadcast services, use bands of the spectrum (frequency ranges) allotted by the government to facilitate the transmission of various services.

According to the organization, these spectrum bands are designed in such a way that interference between them is avoided by guaranteeing that a guard band exists between the frequencies.

It said, “The simplest way of understanding this is to use the radio station example. When trying to tune in to a specific station, you will find that you may pick up some of the transmission on either side of the exact frequency for that radio station.

“This is because radio transmissions are particularly likely to ‘overspill’ into space on either side of the transmission frequency that is being used. This same concept applies to all transmissions and is why guard bands are put in place. They are unused spectrum frequencies on either side of the allocated frequency for transmission, which ‘guard’ against the overspill.

“With the advancement in wireless technologies evidenced by the introduction of 4G and 5G wireless technologies, the extent of the potential ‘overspill’ of the transmission has reduced, lowering the risk of interference.”

ALTON said because of this, the guard band was reduced to 220MHz in the USA, creating more space for allocation of frequencies for 5G services.

“This is the core reason for concern in the American aviation industry. They believe that in a worst-case scenario, the outdated radio-altimeters, which ‘overspill’ significantly could pick up 5G network signals spectrum, which may impact the accuracy of the altitude calculation,” it added.

According to the association, media reports indicate that the American communications sector has disclosed, after thorough testing, that there is no evidence to imply that 5G would jeopardize aviation safety.