Verizon and AT&T have backed down from their previous stance, agreeing to a new two-week delay for their C-band 5G rollout.
As we have previously written about extensively, Verizon and AT&T have been at odds with the airline industry over their C-band 5G. The airline industry and the FAA are concerned about possible interference with aircraft altimeters, but the two carriers are eager to use spectrum they spent $68 billion to acquire.
In the last chapter of this saga, both companies refused to delay any further past their January 5 deployment date, which was already a month delay from their initial plans. In response, the aviation industry appealed to the White House.
According to CNET, both wireless carriers have now agreed to a new two-week delay, potentially avoiding a long and costly legal battle.
“We’ve agreed to a two-week delay which promises the certainty of bringing this nation our game-changing 5G network in January delivered over America’s best and most reliable network,” Verizon spokesperson Rich Young said in a statement emailed to CNET.
President Joe Biden voiced his support for the agreement, while also reiterating his administrations commitment to advancing 5G in the US.
My Administration is committed to rapid 5G deployment, while minimizing disruptions to air operations and continuing to maintain the world’s safest airspace. Last night’s agreement is a significant step in the right direction, and we’re grateful to all parties for their cooperation and good faith. 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 when AT&T and Verizon launch 5G on January 19th.