AT&T, Verizon agree 5G deployment delay for two weeks

• AT&T said it has voluntarily agreed to another two-week postponement at the request of US Transportation Secretary

• CTIA, a wireless industry association said 5G is safe, and spectrum is being utilized in around 40 additional nations

AT&T Inc. and Verizon Communications Inc. announced a two-week delay in the launch of a new 5G service, after earlier denying a request from US transportation regulators.

AT&T said late Monday that it has voluntarily agreed to another two-week postponement at the request of US Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. Verizon also stated that it had agreed to a two-week delay to assure that the new service will be available in January, WSJ reported. 

Buttigieg and FAA Administrator Steve Dickson addressed a letter to the two wireless network firms last week, requesting that they delay the implementation of their 5G services owing to fears that planes might be affected.

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On Sunday, the two firms rejected Buttigieg's and FAA Administrator Steve Dickson's request to delay the introduction of a new 5G signal for up to two weeks to allow aviation authorities to resolve safety issues at airports on a rolling basis. 

The corporations claimed they had previously agreed to push out the implementation to January 5 by a month.

In a joint statement sent on Sunday, AT&T CEO John Stankey and Verizon CEO Hans Vestberg stated that they would not install 5G around airports for six months but would not impose any broader restrictions on the use of the C-Band spectrum.

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However, the two corporations appeared to have agreed to the federal government's request on Monday.

"We've agreed to a two-week delay which promises the certainty of bringing this nation our game-changing 5G network in January," Verizon told Reuters. 

The FAA thanked AT&T and Verizon for agreeing to the voluntary delay and for their ideas to address airport safety concerns. “We look forward to using the additional time and space to reduce flight disruptions associated with this 5G deployment,” the agency told WSJ. 

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Airlines industry concerns 

Airlines for America, a trade organization representing American Airlines, FedEx, and other airlines, requested the FCC to block deployment around several airports, citing worries that it could interrupt thousands of flights every day, and urged the telecom sector to collaborate with the FAA.

On Friday, Transportation Secretary recommended identifying priority airports “where a buffer zone would permit aviation operations to continue safely while the FAA completes its assessments of the interference potential."

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According to the wireless industry association CTIA, 5G is safe, and spectrum is being utilized in around 40 additional nations.

Picture Credits: TechRadar