Airline companies in the USA are demanding that the transition to be postponed on Wednesday, on the grounds that the transition to 5G technology will cause disruptions in flights.
White House Spokesperson Jen Psaki said on Tuesday that they wanted a solution that would ensure airline safety and prevent flight disruptions during the deployment of 5G technology.
The heads of leading US passenger and cargo airliners reported on Monday they were concerned that 5G service would render large planes unusable. It is feared that this will disrupt thousands of international flights and cause chaos in air transport.
Finally, American Airlines Chief of Operations David Seymour, in his statement to his employees, stated that the transition to 5G wireless internet technology will cause major disruptions in the activities of the aviation industry.
“As long as there is no long-term technical solution, implemented and 5G is implemented, we anticipate that we will experience delays, diversions and cancellations beyond our control,” Seymour said in a message to employees.
Delay from AT&T
Telecommunications company AT&T reported that it has decided to delay the transition to 5G, which was scheduled for Wednesday, but Verizon has yet to comment on the matter.
AT&T said it would agree to temporarily delay opening some cell towers near key airport runways to avoid a possible aviation crisis. The White House is pressing telecommunications company Verizon to do the same.
Sources told Reuters news agency that discussions are focused on this proposal, which will allow about 90 percent of the base station installation to be completed, but that it will affect 5G deployment near many populated areas.
Two of the sources noted that under this plan, the activation of more than 500 base stations around airports should be delayed, most of which are Verizon’s base stations.
“We regret that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has not been able to ensure the safe transition to 5G technology as 40 countries have done,” AT&T said in a statement.
It can hinder the flight of large planes
Airlines are preparing to cancel a significant number of passenger and cargo flights ahead of the 5G wireless internet service to be launched on Wednesday, if the postponement does not materialize. Airlines warned on Monday that there could be catastrophic disruptions to the transition to the new technology. Airlines are concerned that 5G issues will hinder the flight of Boeing 777 aircraft and other large-bodied jets.
The Federal Aviation Administration has warned that 5G could affect aircraft altimeters and significantly hamper low-visibility operations.
Airlines had requested on Sunday that 5G implementation be launched at least 2 miles outside the runways at some major airports.
AT&T and Verizon, which won significant C-Band spectrum in a $80 billion tender last year, agreed on January 3 to create buffer zones around 50 airports to reduce interference risks and take further steps to cut potential interference for six months. The two companies also agreed to delay the launch of 5G base stations by two weeks until Wednesday.
Verizon CEO Hans Vestberg told employees on January 4 that the company does not see any aviation security issues with 5G, but has agreed to a mandatory two-week delay that ends Wednesday. Verizon declined to comment on Tuesday if it was about the new postponement request.