U.S. FAA okays deployment of more 5G towers near key airports

FILE PHOTO: A contract crew from Verizon installs 5G telecommunications equipment on a tower in Orem, Utah, U.S. December 3, 2019. Picture taken December 3, 2019. REUTERS/George Frey//File Photo

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said Friday it has agreed that Verizon Communications and AT&T can safely turn on more towers for C-Band 5G deployment.

The FAA said it and the wireless carriers “have agreed on steps that will enable more aircraft to safely use key airports while also enabling more towers to deploy 5G service.”

The FAA said more precise data about the exact location of wireless transmitters allowed it “to determine that it is possible to safely and more precisely map the size and shape of the areas around airports where 5G signals are mitigated, shrinking the areas where wireless operators are deferring their antenna activations.”

AT&T and Verizon on agreed on Jan. 18 to temporarily not turn on about 510 towers near airports over the FAA’s concerns about interference with airplane radio altimeters.