Less than 24 hours before their expected commercial launch of 5G in mid-band spectrum, Verizon and AT&T agreed to delay deployment around key airports. An AT&T spokesman, who expressed frustration at FAA’s certification process, said the concession would delay rollout to a “limited number of towers” around certain airport runways.
In a statement, President Biden said his team “has been engaging non-stop with the wireless carriers, airlines, and aviation equipment manufacturers to chart a path forward for 5G deployment and aviation to safely co-exist – and, at my direction, they will continue to do so until we close the remaining gap and reach a permanent, workable solution around these key airports.”
Federal Communications Commission Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel stated “The FAA has a process in place to assess altimeter performance in the 5G environment and resolve any remaining concerns. It is essential that the FAA now complete this process with both care and speed.”
Japan Airlines, All Nippon Airlines, Air India and Emirates cancelled flights to the United States scheduled for January 19th due to expected delays at U.S. airports due to the 5G situation.
