AT&T and Verizon, two of America’s largest telecom firms, have agreed to a temporary delay for their C-band 5G networks as talks continue with government officials and airlines, who say the tech could affect aircraft instruments.
The companies confirmed the pause in separate statements on Monday, with Verizon stating it had agreed to a two-week delay, “which promises the certainty of bringing this nation our game-changing 5G network in January.”
AT&T, meanwhile, said it accepted the same two-week pause at the request of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, adding “We know aviation safety and 5G can co-exist and we are confident further collaboration and technical assessment will allay any issues.”
The decision comes in stark contrast to statements issued by AT&T and Verizon less than 24 hours prior, in which the firms insisted they would stick to a previously set rollout date of January 5. They argued that any delay would amount to “an irresponsible abdication of the operating control required to deploy world-class and globally competitive communications networks.”