AT&T and Verizon agree to renew 5G service delay | 01/04/22

Written by Andrew Tangle and Drew Fitzgerald

NEW YORK (Dow Jones) — US technology groups AT&T and Verizon have now agreed to delay the introduction of new 5G service for another two weeks. The reason for this is the continuing concerns of the US aviation authority that the technology could disrupt important safety systems in the cockpit of the aircraft.

AT&T announced Monday evening that, at the request of US Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, the company has voluntarily agreed to another postponement until January 19. Verizon also said that the company has agreed to another delay for these two weeks, but that it will ensure that the new service starts in January.

The two carriers initially rejected a government request in Washington on Sunday to delay the start of a new 5G signal due to potential risks to aviation. After all, they had postponed the submission by a month until January 5th.

According to people familiar with the matter, the US aviation authority had already prepared to issue flight restrictions due to safety concerns. People familiar with the matter said the Airlines Association of America Industrial, which represents the major passenger and cargo airlines, planned to appear in court to block the rollout of 5G networks scheduled for Wednesday. However, after the two groups agreed to a further postponement, the association backed down.

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(end) Dow Jones Newswires

January 04, 2022 01:07 ET (06:07 GMT)