AT&T and Verizon said Monday that they will defer actuating new 5G wireless service for two weeks following a request by Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, who refered to the airline industry’s concern that the service could interfere with systems on planes.
The declaration turned around the organizations’ decision simply a day sooner to dismiss any deferment in new 5G service.
In a statement Monday night, AT&T additionally repeated its guarantee to additionally lessen power of the networks around airports — a methodology used in France — for six months to give regulators more time to study likely interference with aviation.
“We know aviation safety and 5G can co-exist and we are confident further collaboration and technical assessment will allay any issues,” AT&T representative said in a statement.
A Verizon representative said the two-week postponement would guarantee “the certainty” of carrying out the new service later in January.
AT&T and Verizon had intended to launch the new 5G service on Wednesday in numerous U.S. cities.
On Friday, Buttigieg and Stephen Dickson, head of the Federal Aviation Administration, requested that the organizations defer their C-band 5G rollout for up to two weeks. They warned that without a delay, there would be “unacceptable disruption” to aviation since flights would be canceled or diverted to other cities to keep away from expected dangers to air security.
