AT&T and Verizon cracked under pressure and agreed to delay their respective 5G networks riding on C-band spectrum for another two weeks. The about face came shortly after the carriers dismissed the last-minute plea from aviation regulators and less than two days before the networks were set to launch.

Airlines threatened legal action over the matter and aviation groups continue to request more time to address potential interference issues that could impact aircraft altimeters, which measure how close an aircraft is to the ground.

The carriers in early November 2021 begrudgingly volunteered to delay the use of spectrum they licensed for a combined $68.9 billion until this week, but little changed during that pause. 

It’s unclear what the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) accomplished during the first month-long delay, but it requested an additional two weeks to identify airports that will require buffer zones and to notify pilots of aircraft that might require alternate means of flight safety compliance. 

AT&T CEO John Stankey and Verizon CEO Hans Vestberg strongly rejected the request for further delay in a joint response to the FAA and the Department of Transportation, but that position waivered amid potential legal challenges and broader federal government intervention. 

The C-band debacle highlights a lack of urgency on the part of federal agencies, a lack of communication between multiple agencies involved and other parties impacted, and a breakdown of the Federal Communications Commission’s oversight of the nation’s airwaves.

There’s no guarantee anything will be resolved by mid January, and the continued delay affords T-Mobile US a sustaining lead as the only U.S. carrier with an expansive mid-band 5G network.