Verizon, AT&T Reject Government Request for 5G Delay – By Alexandra Kelley (Nextgov) / January 3, 2022
Leaders at Transportation and the FAA raised concerns about 5G C-band’s interference with air travel safety, which private sector CEOs dismiss.
Major telecommunications companies Verizon and AT&T denied government agencies’ request to delay the pending 5G rollout despite concerns over the technology’s impact on airline safety and operations.
In a Dec. 31 letter from the Transportation Department and Federal Aviation Administration, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and FAA Administer Steve Dickson asked leadership from both companies to delay the 5G C-Band slated to take place on Wednesday Jan. 5.
The original rollout date was scheduled to take place on Dec. 5, but was postponed due to concerns voiced by the FAA. Buttigieg and Dickson cited similar concerns over the C-band spectrum’s potential to interfere with radio signals used by airports and pilots to determine where an aircraft is in relation to the ground. They warned that deploying a 5G C-band service too quickly could further disrupt the fragile aviation industry’s operations, and asked for an extension on the rollout.
“Failure to reach a solution by January 5 will force the U.S. aviation sector to take steps to protect the safety of the traveling public, particularly during periods of low visibility or inclement
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