WASHINGTON: AT&T said it will temporarily shut down some wireless towers near major airport runways to avert a looming aviation crisis. white House still pushing Verizon Communications to follow suit.
Discussions centered around a proposal that would allow around 90% of wireless tower deployments going forward, sources told Reuters, although it would affect 5G deployments near many large population centers.
Two sources said this would require delays in just 500 towers from being operational near airports. the vast majority are Verizon tower
“We are disappointed by the FAA’s inability to do what nearly 40 countries have done, which is to safely deploy 5G technology without disrupting aviation services,” AT&T said.
A senior official said the announcement came as the White House is working to prevent large-scale disruption of flights ahead of Wednesday’s scheduled 5G deployment and is actively engaged in the issue.
Airlines are preparing to cancel a large number of passenger and cargo flights in the coming hours to prepare for new 5G C-band service starting Wednesday, after warning of “disastrous” effects on Monday. Airlines are concerned that the issue could prevent them from flying Boeing 777s and other widebody jets to several major airports.
CEOs of major US passenger and cargo carriers said on Monday that the new 5G service could render large numbers of widebody aircraft unusable, “potentially trap thousands of Americans overseas” and cause chaos for US flights. can become.
Airlines have urged wireless carriers not to operate some wireless towers near airport runways to avoid most flight disruptions.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has warned that potential interference could affect sensitive airplane instruments such as altimeters and significantly hinder low-visibility operations.
Airlines said on Sunday that “5G should be implemented everywhere in the country except for about 2 miles (3.2 km) of airport runways at some major airports”.
Verizon’s rollout plan is a lot more aggressive than AT&T’s. It has been heavily influenced by the Biden administration’s request to delay using some of the towers near the airport’s runway.
Chief Executive of Alaska Airlines ben minicuchi “Our passenger and cargo flights are at serious risk of cancellations, delays and diversions if immediate action is not taken,” it said in a statement on Tuesday.
AT&T and Verizon, which won crucial C-band spectrum in an $80 billion auction last year, on January 3 to reduce the risk of interference and take other steps to reduce potential interference for six months Agreed to buffer around 50 airports. They also agreed to delay the deployment for two weeks until Wednesday.
Verizon chief executive Hans Vestberg told employees on January 4 that the carrier saw no aviation safety issues with 5G, but reluctantly agreed to a two-week delay that expires Wednesday. Verizon did not comment on Tuesday.
“Unless our major hubs are approved to fly, the vast majority of the travel and shipping public will inevitably be grounded,” wrote the chief executive officers of American Airlines, Delta Air Lines. United Airlines, Southwest Airlines and others.
Discussions centered around a proposal that would allow around 90% of wireless tower deployments going forward, sources told Reuters, although it would affect 5G deployments near many large population centers.
Two sources said this would require delays in just 500 towers from being operational near airports. the vast majority are Verizon tower
“We are disappointed by the FAA’s inability to do what nearly 40 countries have done, which is to safely deploy 5G technology without disrupting aviation services,” AT&T said.
A senior official said the announcement came as the White House is working to prevent large-scale disruption of flights ahead of Wednesday’s scheduled 5G deployment and is actively engaged in the issue.
Airlines are preparing to cancel a large number of passenger and cargo flights in the coming hours to prepare for new 5G C-band service starting Wednesday, after warning of “disastrous” effects on Monday. Airlines are concerned that the issue could prevent them from flying Boeing 777s and other widebody jets to several major airports.
CEOs of major US passenger and cargo carriers said on Monday that the new 5G service could render large numbers of widebody aircraft unusable, “potentially trap thousands of Americans overseas” and cause chaos for US flights. can become.
Airlines have urged wireless carriers not to operate some wireless towers near airport runways to avoid most flight disruptions.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has warned that potential interference could affect sensitive airplane instruments such as altimeters and significantly hinder low-visibility operations.
Airlines said on Sunday that “5G should be implemented everywhere in the country except for about 2 miles (3.2 km) of airport runways at some major airports”.
Verizon’s rollout plan is a lot more aggressive than AT&T’s. It has been heavily influenced by the Biden administration’s request to delay using some of the towers near the airport’s runway.
Chief Executive of Alaska Airlines ben minicuchi “Our passenger and cargo flights are at serious risk of cancellations, delays and diversions if immediate action is not taken,” it said in a statement on Tuesday.
AT&T and Verizon, which won crucial C-band spectrum in an $80 billion auction last year, on January 3 to reduce the risk of interference and take other steps to reduce potential interference for six months Agreed to buffer around 50 airports. They also agreed to delay the deployment for two weeks until Wednesday.
Verizon chief executive Hans Vestberg told employees on January 4 that the carrier saw no aviation safety issues with 5G, but reluctantly agreed to a two-week delay that expires Wednesday. Verizon did not comment on Tuesday.
“Unless our major hubs are approved to fly, the vast majority of the travel and shipping public will inevitably be grounded,” wrote the chief executive officers of American Airlines, Delta Air Lines. United Airlines, Southwest Airlines and others.
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