*United States President Joe Biden says the pause in 5G deployment 鈥榳ill 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鈥�

Gbenga Kayode | 绿帽献妻

Ahead of the planned rollout of extended services for the Fifth Generation (5G) technology in the country, AT&T (T.N) and Verizon Communications (VZ.N) have agreed to temporarily pause turning on some wireless towers close to major airports in the United States (US).

绿帽献妻 gathered the move is meant to avert significant disruptions to US flights as they roll out 5G services expected to herald faster wireless service to tens of millions of consumers in the advanced economy.

By implication, Verizon will temporarily not turn on about 500 towers near airports, or less than 10 percent of their planned deployment, while the carriers and the administration work on a permanent solution, sources told Reuters.

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Although details of the agreement, including the length of the pause, were not disclosed, both Verizon and AT&T would launch 5G networks elsewhere in the US.

Subsequently, President Joe Biden has applauded the agreement between AT&T, Verizon and the airlines.

President Biden Tuesday, January 18, 2022, said the development “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.”

The country鈥檚 Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) late Tuesday had updated its list of airports that planes with approved radio altimeter equipment could use to include major airports such as New York’s JFK and LaGuardia, Los Angeles, Chicago’s O’Hare and Midway, San Francisco and Seattle, agency report said.

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The FAA was also expected to update its list of Airbus and Boeing planes with the approved equipment Wednesday, January 19, according to report.

The updates should dramatically lessen the impact of the nearly 1,500 notices of 5G restrictions that the FAA had issued.

FAA鈥檚 caution on 5G wireless interference in sensitive airplane instruments

Recall that airlines and the FAA had warned that new restrictions as a result of 5G services, which Verizon and AT&T had planned to activate Wednesday, would still prompt some flight disruptions.

The FAA also warned that 5G wireless interference could affect sensitive airplane instruments, such as radio altimeters and significantly hamper low-visibility operations.

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The US aviation regulatory agency also noted that it anticipated “there will be some impacts due to the limitations of some radio altimeters.”

In its remark on the latest agreement between airlines and the two wireless operators, Delta Airlines 聽said while the wireless moves were a positive development, “some flight restrictions may remain.”

Likewise, United Airlines told travellers on a flight from Denver to Houston, in the US, that a three-hour delay was a result of the new 5G systems, according to a notice on the aviation company鈥檚 Web site.

Airlines for America, a passenger and cargo trade group, also commented on the development and said the “pause provides the opportunity to ensure all stakeholders, consumers and the US economy are served in the long run.”

FAA should resolve any remaining concerns with care and speed 鈹�FCC Chief

Authorities have said the communication firms as well suggested consumers with any concerns should reach out to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).

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FCC鈥檚 Chair Jessica Rosenworcel in a statement said that the FAA “has a process in place to assess altimeter performance in the 5G environment and resolve any remaining concerns.

鈥淚t is essential that the FAA now completes this process with both care and speed.”

绿帽献妻 reports this is the third time that AT&T and Verizon have agreed to delay deployment of the new C-Band 5G wireless services in the country.

The two companies November 2021 postponed deployment by 30 days until January 5, 2022, and then, agreed to delay deployment until Wednesday, January 19, the new date which the companies also deferred to another day.

As the FAA and airlines grapple with how to resolve the concerns permanently, especially in view of the fact that AT&T and Verizon earlier agreed to take some measures to reduce interference for six months.

Meanwhile, despite the new agreement, major foreign carriers including Air India, Japan’s biggest airline, ANA Holdings (9202.T), and British Airways have cancelled some US-bound flights because of possible 5G interference, report said.

According to ANA on its corporate Web site, it had cancelled some Boeing 777 flights after Boeing “announced flight restrictions on all airlines operating the Boeing 777 aircraft.” Boeing did not immediately comment.

It was learnt that more airlines are likely to cancel some additional flights in the coming days as they await formal guidance from the FAA on the announcements from Verizon and AT&T.

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