US to Maintain 5G Deadline Despite Concerns from Airlines

The US government will not delay the deadline for airlines to retrofit their planes with new sensors to address potential 5G interference. Despite concerns about travel disruptions that the July 1 deadline may cause, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg confirmed the deadline remains in place. The American aviation industry has warned it may be forced to ground some planes as they will not meet this deadline. Telecoms firms have previously delayed 5G rollout to allow airlines to adapt. Concerns about 5G have led to disruptions at US airports and major tech companies like Verizon and AT&T agreed last year to delay the rollout of 5G technology until July 2023 to allow airlines time to retrofit their altimeters. The move came after several other previous delays. The International Air Transport Association (IATA), a trade group representing more than 100 airlines that fly in and out of the US, has said that the decision to not extend the deadline makes summer disruptions more likely. Phone companies have spent tens of billions of dollars on upgrading their networks to deploy 5G technology, which they say brings faster internet services and connectivity.