AT&T and Verizon said Monday they would delay activating the new 5G wireless service for two weeks following a request from Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, who cited airline industry concerns that systems on service planes interfere with can do
The announcement reversed the companies’ decision a day earlier. reject No postponement in new 5G service.
In a statement Monday night, AT&T reiterated its promise to further reduce network power around airports — an approach used in France — for six months to allow regulators to study possible interference with aviation. To devote more time to.
“We know aviation security and 5G can coexist and we are confident that further collaboration and technical evaluation will address any issues,” an AT&T spokesperson said in a statement.
A Verizon spokesperson said the two-week delay would ensure “certainty” of rolling out the new service later in January.
AT&T and Verizon on Wednesday planned to roll out new 5G service in several US cities.
On Friday, Buttigieg and Federal Aviation Administration chief Stephen Dixon asked companies to delay their C-band 5G rollouts by up to two weeks. He warned that without any delay, there would be “unacceptable disruption” to aviation as flights would be canceled or diverted to other cities to avoid potential risks to air security.