Two major U.S. telecommunications companies said Tuesday they will delay the launching of new 5G wireless services around key airports in the country, as concerns grew among airlines that the rollout could affect planes' navigation systems.
The 5G deployment by AT&T Inc. and Verizon Communications Inc. was scheduled to begin near some airports Wednesday, but it has been delayed after an industry trade body for leading U.S. airlines called on the government for "immediate intervention" to address possible disruptions to transportation, supply chains and delivery of medical supplies due to the introduction of the high-speed wireless service.
American aerospace giant Boeing Co. has informed airlines that 5G will potentially interfere with its B-777 aircraft's radio altimeters, which are used by pilots to land in low-visibility conditions.
Earlier, Japan's two major carriers All Nippon Airways Co. and Japan Airlines Co. announced cancellations of some flights bound to the United States.
ANA said it could cancel up to 10 U.S. passenger and 10 cargo flights to and from Haneda and Narita airports in Japan through Thursday, while JAL decided to cancel three passenger and five cargo flights on Wednesday.
ANA is hoping to use B-787s or other planes for flights on routes currently flown by B-777s, but an inability to cover all such flights with substitutes could affect up to around 650 passengers.
Nearly 40 countries including Japan, South Korea and Australia have so far deployed 5G in the type of radio spectrum AT&T and Verizon are using without reports of harmful interference with air traffic, according to a U.S-based wireless industry trade group.
A Japanese government official said there is "no problem" in using 5G in Japan as the signals transmitted from Japan's base stations are weaker than those in the United States and do not affect airplanes.
The U.S. decision to delay the 5G service around airports came after airlines urged the White House to step in over the standoff between air carriers and the telecom companies.
"Unless our major hubs are cleared to fly, the vast majority of the traveling and shipping public will essentially be grounded," Airlines for America, the industry trade organization, said in a letter submitted to the government on Monday, adding that more than 1,100 flights and 100,000 passengers could be subjected to cancellations, diversions or delays in a day.
It also demanded that 5G implementation across the country exclude areas within "the approximate 2 miles of airport runways."
President Joe Biden said in a statement it thanked the two telecommunications companies for agreeing to delay the 5G deployment and to continue working with the Transportation Department on a safe rollout of the service.
"This agreement protects flight safety and allows aviation operations to continue without significant disruption," Biden said.
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Japanese airlines ANA, JAL warn 5G launch could disrupt U.S. flights
