New deadline for 5G usage in US

U.S. officials have asked telephone operators AT&T and Verizon for a new two-week deadline to deploy their new 5G frequency bands.

The order, originally scheduled for December 5, has already been postponed to January 5. But European aircraft manufacturers Airbus and American Boeing have recently expressed “concern” about 5G interference in aircraft radio altimeters.

US Transport Secretary Pete Boutique and US Air Traffic Controller (FAA) President Steve Dixon have proposed the new deadline. Country.

Therefore, they request that “the suspension of the introduction of the C-Band business service be continued for a short period of time and not exceed two weeks beyond the current deployment date scheduled for January 5th”.

With some exceptions around priority airports, they promise “service will begin in January as planned” and “we want to find a solution that guarantees full integration with C-Band 5G and aviation.” Security in the United States. United “.

“We received a letter from the government just after 6:00 pm on New Year’s Eve. We are reviewing it,” Verizon spokesman Rich Young said in an email to AFP.

AT&T also indicated that it had received the letter and would review it.

The 3.7-3.8 GHz bands were offered to AT&T and Verizon after a multi-billion dollar auction in February.

However, amid FAA concerns about possible interference issues with the altitude measurement devices on the planes, they agreed to postpone the release to early November and requested more information about these tools. Used for 5G.

The FAA has also issued new guidelines restricting the use of these aircraft in certain circumstances. American airlines have expressed their concern about possible costs and called on the authorities to find a solution as soon as possible.

In a joint letter to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) overseeing the 5G deployment in the country at the end of November, AT&T and Verizon stated that they would like to continue the deployment in January, but that action should be taken by July. 2022. Precautionary measures in addition to those already provided by law when the FAA conducts its analyzes.