The US plans to delay the transition to 5G due to flight safety concerns

U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg has asked AT&T and Verizon to delay the start date of 5G wireless services, which will be available next week, citing the threat to aircraft. Buttigieg and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Chairman Steve Dickson stated in their letter to wireless network service providers that if action is not taken, there will be major and unacceptable disruptions to the operations of airline companies. Buttigieg and Dicksdon said that "where landings are unsafe, planes may detour when landing at the airport, which could affect the entire air transport system in the United States." The main reason officials are worried is that the altimeter, which measures altitude on airplanes, operates at a frequency level close to that provided for the new 5G services. The FAA said that other devices that ensure the safety of aircraft may also be affected by the inaccurate data transmitted by the altimeter and pose a safety risk to the flight. Telecommunication companies emphasize that the power levels of these frequencies are too low to cause any problems and that the use of 5G in other countries does not cause any harm to the aviation industry. Aviation experts, on the other hand, point out that the frequency power levels in other countries are not at a level that can disrupt the systems on aircraft. Authorities are demanding that telecommunications companies delay the start of new 5G services by two weeks and not provide 5G services near major airports for a while.