Verizon, AT&T Delay 5G Network Launches After Airlines Threaten Legal Action

In a dramatic turn of events, Verizon and AT&T have now agreed to delay the launch of their 5G networks, following calls from the White House and threats from airlines to sue if they didn’t comply.

Initially, the pair did not agree to halting the rollout, but have changed their minds “to work in good faith with aviation stakeholders,” reported Bloomberg. The date of launch will now be pushed back to January 19, two weeks from the scheduled January 5 date.

The 5G networks are believed to interfere with individual radar altimeter models onboard aircraft and at specific airport locations, as detailed in a letter by Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and Federal Aviation Administration Chief Steve Dickson.

Once the signals have been cleared to be free from “any unforeseen aviation safety issues,” the Biden administration has promised not to seek any further delays. The President himself said the agreement was “a significant step in the right direction.”

According to NBC News, AT&T has reinforced its promise to reduce the power of its networks around airports for at least six months from the launch, allowing the industry more time to look into the possible interferences with aircraft. This method has been used in other countries rolling out 5G networks, including France. 

“This agreement ensures that there will be no disruptions to air operations over the next two weeks and puts us on track to substantially reduce disruptions to air operations with AT&T and Verizon launch 5G on January 19th,” President Biden added.

[via Bloomberg and NBC News, cover image via Thiago B Trevisan / Shutterstock.com]