Airlines warn of dangerous disruption from 5G rollout – National & International News – TUE 18Jan2022

Airlines warn of dangerous disruption from 5G rollout. Dems move forward with doomed voting rights bill. Tonga tsunami ‘unprecedented disaster’.

NATIONAL NEWS

US airlines warn of dangerous disruption from 5G rollout

With thousands of 5G communications towers set to go live tomorrow, major U.S. airlines are again warning of potentially hazardous disruptions to their operations. The airlines fear that the high-power frequency at which these transmitters will operate could interfere with various onboard aircraft systems, including navigational equipment. The industry warned that tomorrow’s rollout could potentially ground thousands of flights across the country. In light of this, AT&T and Verizon have agreed to delay the activation of 5G towers near some airports.

The U.S. 5G rollout has already been delayed multiple times due to objections from the airlines industry. Telecoms firms have accused the airlines of “fearmongering” on the issue. They point out that previous 5G rollouts in other countries have had no effect on air traffic. But 5G networks in Europe and Asia have instituted special safeguards to ensure minimal disruption to aircraft. These include creating “buffer” bands between frequencies used by 5G and those used by aircraft altimeters. European and Asian telecoms firms have also taken care to position their towers further away from sensitive airports or to tilt arrays toward the ground to prevent interaction with airborne equipment.

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Dems move forward with doomed voting rights bill

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) says he will bring voting rights legislation to the floor, “win, lose or draw”. The bill to ensure access to mail-in voting and early voting has no Republican support. Since the bill is subject to filibuster rules and thus requires a two-thirds majority to pass the Senate, there’s virtually no chance of the vote succeeding.

Observers say Schumer’s decision to bring the bill to a vote anyway is a token effort to force Republicans to go on record as opposing federal guarantees for voter access. Any hope of carving out an exception in Senate filibuster rules to allow the bill to pass with a simple majority has evaporated. This is because Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ) and Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) have ruled out the necessary changes to the filibuster. Sinema and Manchin have both taken considerable criticism from their Democratic colleagues. But both Manchin and Sinema have also reaped considerable financial rewards from conservative groups for their opposition to key segments of President Biden’s agenda.

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INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Tonga tsunami “unprecedented disaster”

In the first official communication since the weekend tsunami, a Tongan government minister says his country is facing an “unprecedented disaster”. The eruption of an undersea volcano destroyed the underwater cable that connected Tonga to the internet. Some have been able to get communications out using satellite phones.

The volcano is still actively erupting and blanketing the area with ash. This has complicated clean-up and relief efforts. So far, Tonga has confirmed three deaths resulting from the tsunami, two Tongans and British national. Some islands in the archipelago have been worse affected than others, and communication with them is proving difficult.

Deliveries of necessary supplies like water by air have been hampered by the ash cloud and ash-covered runways. Volunteers are working to keep runways clear of ash to allow planes to land. There are fears that incoming aid workers could spread COVID in Tonga, which has largely been COVID-free.

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