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Verizon and AT&T said late Monday that they have agreed to delay their new wireless technology deployments by two weeks, complying with requests from federal aviation regulators. voicing their concerns He said the signals could pose an airline safety hazard.

The companies made the decision after initially rejecting a delay request made last week by Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and Federal Aviation Administration chief Steve Dickson.

“At Minister Buttigieg’s request, we have voluntarily agreed to an additional two-week delay in the delivery of C-Band 5G services,” AT&T spokesperson Kim Hart Jonson said. Verizon spokesperson Rich Young said the company also acknowledged the delay.

Ms Jonson said AT&T still has “commitment” to its proposal for the two companies to operate the new segment of 5G wireless network at lower power than normal at startup and other measures to alleviate aviation regulators’ concerns.

The decision to pause deployment of the new 5G service avoids a collision for now between carriers that plan to enable superfast wireless networks on Wednesday and the FAA, which reports it may effectively ground some flights for safety reasons. concerns about technology. It is unclear whether either side will reach a permanent solution.

The dispute between aviation interests and the wireless industry has simmered for years, but has culminated in recent months as the launch of the new 5G service approaches. Verizon and AT&T had agreed to delay the start of their new services by one month from December to January.

Wireless carriers have built their latest 5G services using radio signals that regulators worry will conflict with the devices pilots use to land planes in bad weather. Devices known as radio altimeters measure how high an aircraft is above the ground as it descends. As pilots descend into low visibility, they rely on the equipment to guide them safely to the runway.

The FAA has threatened to restrict pilots from using the equipment if wireless carriers roll out new 5G services. The agency and aviation groups said holiday travel could ground or reroute some commercial planes after flight delays and cancellations caused by bad weather and a lack of staff.

Verizon and AT&T have offered to run their 5G equipment at lower-than-normal power for six months to address concerns that aircraft may be affected by their signals. They also said they would further reduce the strength of 5G signals at airports, similar to what carriers are doing to address concerns in France.

“The FAA thanks AT&T and Verizon for voluntarily agreeing to a delay and their proposed mitigation,” an agency spokesman, Matthew Lehner, said in a statement. “We look forward to using the additional time and space to reduce flight disruptions associated with this 5G deployment.”