The U.S. and Korea Use Different 5G Frequency Bands
The Ministry of Science and ICT said that 5G services in South Korea do not affect aviation safety.
Earlier, it was reported in the United States that C-band 5G services to be launched soon may cause aircraft altimeter malfunction. Regarding this point, the ministry explained that the United States and South Korea use different 5G frequency bands and that of South Korea is far from the radio altimeter frequency related to aviation safety.
“In the United States, the 3.7 GHz to 3.98 GHz band is used for 5G services, the radio altimeter frequency is 4.2 GHz to 4.4 GHz, and it is this proximity that is causing concerns over interference,” it said, adding, “On the other hand, in South Korea, the respective bands are 3.42 to 3.7 and 4.2 to 4.4, the separation between the two is at least 500 MHz, and there has been no interference report at all since the 5G commercialization in April 2019.”
It also said that 5G wireless stations are already in operation near domestic airports and yet no problem has been reported. “Still, we are going to keep monitoring the situation in the United States,” it said.