FAA Orders Replacement of 58,500 Radio Altimeters in Landmark 5G Safety Rule
- New regulation creates permanent solution to aviation–5G interference concerns
AeroMorning – July 30, 2026
The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has taken a major step toward permanently resolving one of the most significant aviation technology challenges of recent years: the potential interference between 5G wireless networks and aircraft radio altimeters.
On 24 July 2026, the FAA published its final rule entitled “Requirements for Interference-Tolerant Radio Altimeter Systems”, requiring aircraft equipped with radio altimeters to meet new minimum performance standards designed to ensure reliable operation in the presence of wireless signals in neighbouring spectrum bands.
The regulation will require the replacement or upgrade of approximately 58,500 radio altimeters across the U.S. aviation fleet, creating one of the largest avionics retrofit programmes ever mandated by the FAA.
The objective is clear: ensure that aircraft continue to receive accurate altitude information during all phases of flight, particularly during low-visibility approaches and landings, as new generations of 5G networks expand their use of adjacent frequency bands.
Source: AeroMorning
