AT&T, Verizon Delay The Launch Of 5G Towers That Are Too Close To Airports Due To FAA Concerns
Phone carrier companies AT&T and Verizon said on Tuesday that they will delay the launch of 5G service towers that are too close to airports after airline companies showed major concern over possible interruptions.
“At our sole discretion we have voluntarily agreed to temporarily defer turning on a limited number of towers around certain airport runways as we continue to work with the aviation industry and the FAA to provide further information about our 5G deployment, since they have not utilized the two years they’ve had to responsibly plan for this deployment,” AT&T said in a statement.
Verizon responded similarly in their own statement that “As the nation’s leading wireless provider, we have voluntarily decided to limit our 5G network around airport.”
The 5G tower delay announcement comes one day after some of the nation’s largest airline companies asked federal authorities to immediately intervene in the launch of 5G towers near airports on Monday. "We are writing with urgency to request that 5G be implemented everywhere in the country except within the approximate 2 miles of airport runways at affected airports," a letter said.
AT&T and Verizon have both expressed similar frustration with the FAA and its inability to keep up with their advancements, considering the amount of time the companies gave airlines to work around it. The companies have been set to roll out their 5G towers on Wednesday, and still will for approved areas.
“We’re frustrated by the FAA’s inability to do what nearly 40 countries have done, which is to safely deploy 5G technology without disrupting aviation services, and we urge it do so in a timely manner. We are launching our advanced 5G services everywhere else as planned with the temporary exception of this limited number of towers,” the AT&T spokesperson said.
President Joe Biden thanked the companies in an official statement on Tuesday for their decisions to voluntarily limit the phone service after the airlines’ requests.
"I want to thank Verizon and AT&T for agreeing to delay 5G deployment around key airports and to continue working with the Department of Transportation on safe 5G deployment at this limited set of locations. This agreement will avoid potentially devastating disruptions to passenger travel, cargo operations, and our economic recovery, while allowing more than 90 percent of wireless tower deployment to occur as scheduled," Biden said.
"This agreement protects flight safety and allows aviation operations to continue without significant disruption and will bring more high-speed internet options to millions of Americans,” he added.
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