Telecom giants reject calls to halt 5G rollout

AT&T and Verizon Communications have rejected calls by the US aviation authority to delay the introduction of 5G networks amid concerns they could interfere with aircraft electronics.

The 5G networks will be put in operation in America on January 5, as originally planned, the CEOs of the two major telecom companies announced in a joint letter on Sunday. They dismissed requests made earlier by US Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) chief Steve Dickson to halt the rollout, stating it would be “an irresponsible abdication of the operating control required to deploy world-class and globally competitive communications networks.”

AT&T and Verizon Communications did agree not to deploy 5G networks in the immediate vicinity of airports for six months. However, the FAA and the aviation industry insist the exclusion zones the telecom companies have proposed are smaller than the ones initially requested.

Read More (...)