On Tuesday – Verizon and AT&T announced that; they will postpone the rollout of modern 5G cellular service at selected airports. President Biden’s claim that the wait would avoid potentially catastrophic interruptions that airlines had been talking about for months.
After several delays, the global rollout of 5G — which delivers far faster internet connectivity than existing cellular technology — is planned for Wednesday.
Authorities and airlines have expressed fears that technological innovation may conflict with protective equipment that; determines a plane’s elevation. The telecommunications industry argues that authorities and airlines have had years to develop 5G.
It was unclear if AT&T and Verizon’s afternoon announcements would be enough to minimize catastrophic flight cancellations on Wednesday.
In early January, the Federal Aviation Administration announced that it had struck an agreement with AT&T and Verizon that includes postponing the release of the new 5G service by two weeks and implementing security measures around airports. However, it appeared that this arrangement was inadequate.
Mr. Biden commended the cellphone companies’ postponement in a statement on Tuesday, saying, “This deal will avert potentially disastrous delays to passenger services, commercial activities, and our economic expansion.”
The F.A.A. limitations would have caused more than 1,100 flights to be canceled on Sunday, affecting approximately 100,000 passengers.
“We have yet to see the terms of the accords,” stated Nicholas E. Calio, CEO of Airlines for America, a trade association, in a news release. “But, this delay is a chance to guarantee that all partners, consumers, and the US industry benefit in the long term.”
Numerous foreign flights that route to the United States will be canceled or suspended on Wednesday due to the launch of the 5G service.
Wireless companies have spent a lot of money to gain access to the frequencies for their 5G service, demonstrating how crucial the next-generation infrastructure is to their long-term goals.
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