Reuters reject US request for delay in 5G deployment, CEO of Verizon

By David Shepardson

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – AT & T CEO (NYSE 🙂 and Verizon Communications (NYSE 🙂 rejected a request to delay the introduction of the new 5G wireless service scheduled for January 5 due to concerns about aviation safety, but offered to take up new temporary protections.

U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and Federal Aviation Administration chief Steve Dickson asked AT&T CEO John Stankey and Verizon CEO Hans Vestberg for a two-week commercial delay.

Wireless companies said in a joint letter on Sunday that they would not deploy at 5G airports for six months, but ruled out a broader restriction on the use of the C-Band spectrum. The Department of Transportation’s proposal said it would be “irresponsible to give up the operational control needed to deploy globally competitive and globally competitive communications networks.”

The FAA and the Department of Transportation did not immediately comment.

The aircraft industry and the FAA have expressed concern about the potential interference of 5G with sensitive aircraft electronics such as radio altimeters that can disrupt flights.

Carriers say the exclusion zone proposed by AT&T and Verizon is being used in France, reflecting “with a slight adjustment” the “modest technical differences in the spread of the C-band.”

“The laws of physics are the same in the United States

and France, “wrote the CEOs.

Officials said the areas of exclusion proposed by wireless carriers were not as large as required by the FAA.

The FAA and Buttigeg proposed on Friday to identify priority airports “where a buffer zone would allow aviation operations to continue safely while the FAA conducts assessments of potential interference.”

The government would work to identify “restrictions on all priority airports” so that “most large commercial aircraft can operate safely under all conditions.” Airline unions have expressed support for Buttigieg’s proposal.

The wireless carriers, who won the C-Band spectrum in a $ 80 billion government auction, had previously agreed to a six-month precautionary measure to limit interference.

The trade group asked representatives for Airlines for America, American Airlines (NASDAQ :), Fedex Corp and other carriers on Thursday to ask the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to stop the deployment around many airports, warning that thousands of flights could be disrupted every day.

The airline team said it could go to court on Monday if the FCC does not act.

The CTIA wireless industry group said 5G is secure and that the spectrum is being used in about 40 other countries.