In a literal late-night reversal of course on Monday, telecommunications giants AT&T and Verizon agreed to postpone the rollout of new 5G wireless service after concerns by airlines that it could interfere with operational systems on planes.
The companies were scheduled to implement the new service on Wednesday, January 5. But in the last week, industry lobby group Airlines for America, Department of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and Federal Aviation Administration Administrator Scott Dickson all made appeals to delay 5G.
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Late Monday night, the companies agreed to hold off activation of 5G near airports – including such heavily trafficked airports in Chicago, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, New York, Boston and Seattle – for two weeks until January 19.
“At Secretary Buttigieg’s request,…