5G rollout change of course

AT&T and Verizon said Tuesday they would alter their planned rollout of 5G service to avoid airports after US airline CEOs warned the deployment could have “catastrophic” consequences for travel.

The companies changed their plans for the 5G deployment, which was set to take place Wednesday, after the airline executives demanded the Biden administration intervene in the dispute.

An AT&T spokesperson said the firm would continue with the 5G rollout but has “voluntarily agreed to temporarily defer turning on a limited number of towers around certain airport runways” while working with airlines and the Federal Aviation Administration to address safety concerns.

“We are frustrated by the FAA’s inability to do what nearly 40 countries have done, which is to safely deploy 5G technology without disrupting aviation services, and we urge it do so in a timely manner,” the AT&T spokesperson said in a statement.