By Ian Duncan
and
Lori Aratani
Today at
3:16 p.m. ESTWireless companies AT&T and Verizon said Tuesday they would limit the rollout of 5G networks near airports after airlines warned of major disruptions because of the potential for interference with airplane safety technology.Wireless towers in other locations are set to come online Wednesday as scheduled. The telecom firms have twice delayed activating the towers in recent months — which will deliver higher-speed Internet — to give aviation safety regulators more time to analyze potential interference with devices on planes known as radio altimeters. The devices measure how high planes are flying and are critical for landing in poor visibility.
The two wireless carriers issued statements expressing disappointment that the Federal Aviation Administration had not been able to resolve the safety issues.
“At our sole discretion we have voluntarily agreed to temporarily defer turning on a limited number of towers around certain airport runways as we continue to work with the aviation industry and the FAA to provide further information about our 5G deployment, since they have not utilized the two years they’ve had to responsibly plan for this deployment,” AT&T said.
It was not immediately clear whether the steps taken by the two wireless carriers would alleviate the concerns airlines have expressed.