It's incumbent on airports to take a look at how they can safeguard and protect the integrity of systems that contribute to the operation of the airport. If they don't do that, harmful interference is possible, especially in the 800 megahertz band that transmits most of your public safety frequencies people on the airfield, the police and paramedics. Much of the data side of wireless transmits in the 2.4 gigahertz band a swatch of spectrum unlicensed by the federal government that has spawned the Wild West land rush in the sky. In this frequency, signals can travel only a very short range, about 300 feet just enough to allow intra-airport communications on such things as tracking baggage and cargo or issuing boarding passes. The whiff of unregulated spectrum has sent entrepreneurs into a frenzy and driven alliances between airlines and new technology companies.
Airports have to do something now.
They can't wait. In fact, airports are not waiting. Airports are being inundated and are looking to the association to set up models. The idea was to get carriers and airports together along with those who provide service to establish models in technology and business that promote compatible use among the operational side, customer service and passenger services. There are wonderful things coming, but not if you run into congestion, interference and incompatability.