A cellular tower stands as a United Airlines Boeing 787 Dreamliner airplane lands at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). (Photo by Patrick T.
Fallon/AFP via Getty Images) Airlines for America, a trade group for the largest U.S. carriers, said the FAA hasn't approved necessary upgrades and manufacturers have not yet produced the parts."It is not at all clear that carriers can meet what appears to be an arbitrary deadline," trade group CEO Nicholas Calio said in a letter to Nolen.
He said safety is jeopardized "by the rushed approach to avionics modifications amid pressure from the telecommunications companies," and warned that if replacement parts aren't ready in time, airline service could be disrupted.Verizon said the agreement will let the company lift voluntary limits on its 5G rollout around airports "in a staged approach over the coming months." AT&T said it agreed to take "a more tailored approach" to controlling the strength of signals near runways so airlines have more time to retrofit equipment.Friday's developments were the latest in a long-running dispute between airlines and wireless companies and their respective regulators, the FAA and the Federal Communications Commission, which determined that C-Band service posed no risk to planes.Verizon and AT&T spent $68 billion between them at an FCC auction of 5G spectrum last year.
The companies began activating new 5G networks in January but agreed to delay powering up some towers for six months, until July 5, because of concerns raised by the FAA and airlines..