Administration of Joseph R. Biden, Jr., 2022

January 18, 2022

I want to thank Verizon and AT&T for agreeing to delay 5G deployment around key airports and to continue working with the Department of Transportation on safe 5G deployment at this limited set of locations. This agreement will avoid potentially devastating disruptions to passenger travel, cargo operations, and our economic recovery, while allowing more than 90 percent of wireless tower deployment to occur as scheduled. This agreement protects flight safety and allows aviation operations to continue without significant disruption and will bring more high-speed internet options to millions of Americans. Expanding 5G and promoting competition in internet service are critical priorities of mine, and tomorrow will be a massive step in the right direction. My team has been engaging nonstop with the wireless carriers, airlines, and aviation equipment manufacturers to chart a path forward for 5G deployment and aviation to safely coexist, and at my direction, they will continue to do so until we close the remaining gap and reach a permanent, workable solution around these key airports.

Categories: Statements by the President : 5G cellular communications technology, agreement on deployment.

Subjects: Aviation : Air traffic control, improvement efforts; Business and industry : Global competitiveness; Communications : Broadband and wireless technologies.

DCPD Number: DCPD202200022.

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