Despite concerns emerging in 2015 about 5G technology interfering with airplanesafety gear, the head of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) told members of the House Transportation Committee his agency only received detailed data to determine the precise risks in late December 2021. The testimony by FAA Administrator Steve Dickson on February 3 underscored how the government scrambled to ensure flights could still land safely as Verizon and AT&T prepared to turn on the new wireless service. The companies twice delayed their plans, giving the FAA more time to prepare for a rollout that brought minimal aviation disruptions in January 2022. Dickson said government agencies, aviation companies and the wireless industry are working together, but the collaboration only advanced after a months-long battle that pitted airlines against the telecom giants. When the companies were ready to flip the switch in January 2022, the White House stepped in to secure limits on the deployment after airlines warned of chaos. According to Dickson, because the FAA doesn’t regulate wireless companies it couldn’t easily compel them to share data that could affect aviation safety. The information the agency’s experts needed was not something the companies had shared with the government in the past, he said.
