Providers worldwide are starting to move to direct-to-device (D2D) satellite communications, said Mark Giles, director of industry research and analysis at Ookla, during the company's webinar Thursday. Industry has moved past the “science project phase” into commercialization, he added.
While aviation safety and protection for radio altimeters were possibly the hottest topics in comments on the future of the upper C band (see 2601210067), other major issues emerged as well in FCC filings this week (docket 25-50). Small carriers warned that the proposed auction rules benefit large providers, while tribes and public interest groups decried the lack of a tribal licensing window. Upper C-band incumbents also defended their use of the band.
Wireline and wireless associations and providers agreed in FCC filings this week about the importance of moving to all-IP technology and completing the technology transition, but they also acknowledged that getting rid of time-division multiplexing (TDM) interconnection won’t be easy. As USTelecom noted in early comments (see 2601160057), the transition is “a daunting task.”
CTIA and the wireless industry emphasized the importance of the upper C-band auction to the future of wireless communications in comments on an NPRM that commissioners approved in November (see 2511200046). Aviation safety and protection for radio altimeters were among major themes in the filings, most of which were posted Wednesday in docket 25-59. The upper C-band auction is expected to be the biggest spectrum auction under FCC Chairman Brendan Carr (see 2512260002).
The National Institute of Standards and Technology's review and approval of final BEAD plans is hindering deployment, state broadband directors warned Wednesday during a Broadband Breakfast webinar. Issues with slow NIST approvals come on top of concerns that the Trump administration's changes to the program have delayed deployment in general (see 2601140044). Officials also asked at the webinar whether all states are being treated the same.
Wi-Fi 8 is coming, with expectations that it will hit the market in 2028, industry experts said Tuesday during an RCR Wireless virtual conference. They noted that in comparison to earlier generations, Wi-Fi 8 is focused on better-performing networks and more consistent connections, rather than just wider pipes.
The FCC closed out the comment cycle last week for an NPRM on proposed changes to wireless infrastructure rules, with support from industry and continuing opposition from RF safety advocates and many local government groups (see 2601150043). Reply comments were due Thursday (docket 25-276) in response to the item, which commissioners approved 3-0 in September (see 2511250075), and there were still no signs of agreement among the different sides.
The administration’s pro-5G, pro-business agenda may be about to clash with the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) agenda of some of President Donald Trump's loyalists. As the FCC wraps up an NPRM on proposed changes to wireless infrastructure rules to make 5G deployments faster (see 2601160045), reports are emerging that Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is ramping up a study of the risks from cellphone radiation. The Food and Drug Administration has also taken down webpages saying that cellphones aren’t dangerous. The FCC didn't remove similar declarations on its website.
A Verizon representative apologized to subscribers Thursday after an outage cut service to tens of thousands of its wireless customers across the country Wednesday (see 2601140050). It's also offering a $20 credit to customers who lost service. In an email Wednesday night, a spokesperson said the outage had been resolved and customers still having problems should restart their devices to reconnect to the network.
Questions remain about the future of the FCC’s voluntary cyber trust mark program, which commissioners approved 5-0 in March 2024 (see 2403140034), because of concerns that progress has stalled after UL Solutions dropped out as lead administrator. FCC Chairman Brendan Carr earlier raised concerns about UL’s purported ties to China. Last week, the agency asked for applications from companies willing to replace UL Solutions, which are due Jan. 28.