US authorities have asked telecom operators AT&T and Verizon to delay the long-delayed 5G network launch by up to two weeks, amid uncertainty over potential interference with vital aviation safety equipment.

Commencement of high-speed mobile broadband technology, tentatively scheduled for December 5It had already been postponed and was scheduled for January 5. But European planemakers Airbus and US Boeing recently expressed “concern” about the potential for 5G networks to interfere with radio altimeters, the devices used by planes to measure altitude.

U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and President of Federal Aviation Administration, Steve Dixon, They made their request in a letter sent Friday to AT&T and Verizon, two of the country’s largest telecom operators.

In the official letter, they asked the companies to “continue to stop providing commercial C-domain service”, The frequency range of the 5G network is used for a short additional period no more than two weeks after the implementation date currently scheduled for January 5.”

They also emphasized that the service could start “as planned in January, with certain exceptions around priority airports”, and they wanted “to find a solution that ensures that the C 5G band can coexist and fly ‘safely’ in the United States.”

“We received the letter from the government just after 6pm on New Year’s Eve. We’re checking it out,” Verizon spokesman Rich Young told AFP in an email.

AT&T also indicated that it has received the letter and is reviewing it.

Last February, Verizon and AT&T received permission to begin using the 3.7 to 3.8 GHz frequency bands on December 5, after obtaining licenses worth tens of billions of dollars. But after Airbus and Boeing’s concerns about potential interference were revealed, the launch date was pushed back to January.

The FAA has requested more information about the tools and issued restrictive guidance The use of altimeters in certain situations, which raises airline concerns about potential costs.

When Verizon and AT&T wrote to federal authorities in November to confirm their intent to begin implementing 5G in January, they said they would take additional precautions beyond those required by US law until July 2022, while the FAA completes its investigation.

conflict between 5G networks and aircraft equipment French authorities urged in February to recommend that passengers turn off their mobile phones with this technology on planes.