The US Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) said AT&T and Verizon agreed to allow airlines more time to mitigate fears of interference between C-Band 5G and aircraft equipment by delaying the full rollout of their 5G networks to July 2023.

The operators had offered to keep limitations on network deployments at certain airports in place until 5 July 2022, but agreed to extend this by another year following further negotiations. Acting FAA administrator Billy Nolen said a path has been identified that should “continue to enable aviation and 5G C-band wireless to safely co-exist”.

The two operators will turn on their equipment in “carefully considered phases” as airlines work to retrofit their planes, the FAA added.

The phased approach requires operators of regional aircraft with radio altimeters most susceptible to interference to retrofit them with radio frequency filters by the end of 2022.

In a statement, Verizon EVP and chief administrative officer Craig Silliman said the operator “will lift the voluntary limitations on our 5G network deployment around airports in a staged approach over the coming months”.

Silliman added that the latest agreement “is the result of months of close collaboration with the FAA, FCC and aviation industry, and sets the stage for continued, robust 5G deployment”.