Transportation Secretary Predicts 5G Near Airport Issue to Linger Over Summer

By Leslie Stimson, Inside Towers Washington Bureau Chief

The dispute over the safety of 5G C-band signals near airports will linger past the summer deadline for reaching a solution. That’s according to Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. He told the Senate Appropriations Committee last Thursday that dialogue between all parties is encouraging, and AT&T and Verizon agreed. Buttigieg said a possible technological fix to concerns about potential interference to airplane radio altimeters from 5G operations by Verizon and AT&T remains “a top concern,” reported CNET. He told lawmakers he’ll continue to keep a close eye on interference concerns. The inter-agency dispute pitted the FAA, the airline industry, and the Transportation Department against the FCC and wireless carriers. The White House got involved as well at the last minute. It resulted in flight cancellations in January and twice delayed 5G rollouts for the carriers, Inside Towers reported. Continue Reading