Aviation experts have called for a deeper collaboration between the National Communications Authority (NCA), an agency of the Ministry of Communications, and the aviation sector regulator, the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) in the roll out of the 5G network in Ghana.

The deployment of the 5G spectrum services could create enormous disruption to aviation, owing to the potential risk of interference with radio altimeters that are critical to aircraft landing and safety systems, if mitigating measure are not put in place before the rollout.

A recent rollout of C-band spectrum 5G services in the United States created enormous disruption. The technology has, however, been successfully rolled out in Brazil, Canada, France and Thailand with all the necessary mitigations to preserve aviation safety and uninterrupted services.

The primary concern is when 5G C-Band antennas are transmitting near airports or approach flightpaths.

The interference impact is roughly a function of the power of the 5G transmitters; proximity of the 5G transmitters to aircraft; and the spectrum separation to radio altimeters spectrum (how close in MHz).

This interference could affect numerous critical on-board safety-related systems as well as aircraft precision landing & auto-land capabilities.

The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) both have recognized and reminded their Member States and Administrations of the importance of ensuring that existing aviation systems and services are free from harmful interference.

Responding to concerns about the rollout of the 5G network in Ghana during a GCAA Aeronautical Information Services (AIS) stakeholder workshop held at the new GCAA head office at the Kotoka International Airport, the panelists said: “The 5G network operates in a spectrum of the electromagnetic waves and initially this may affect the CNS infrastructure.

"We communicate using signals, navigation equipment also uses the same signal or a similar spectrum, initially, depending on how it is deployed, it may affect this infrastructure and what we will do as AIS is that we will rely on CNS to give us information concerning any interference to these CNS infrastructures and we of course will publish such information. If it calls for a NOTAM, we will publish that, if it calls for changes they (CNS) will do that and inform us so we publish that.”

They further called for a closer collaboration between the NCA and the GCAA to ensure a safe rollout of the technology.

“Definitely the CAA has a say when these networks are lodged. They (GCAA) would like to do their safety assessment to see if it (5G) won’t affect their existing infrastructure in the first place. So the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority will have a say, of course the National Communications Authority also has a say in that.”

Ghana to roll-out 5G broadband services by September

Ghana’s government has granted 5G license to Next-Gen Infrastructure Company (NGIC) to deliver affordable 5G mobile broadband services across the country.

The GNA reports that the 5G services would be rolled-out by the third quarter of this year to usher mobile phone users to a new era of digital connectivity. The initiative is to propel Ghana towards a fully digitised society by 2030.