Public safety groups and carriers continue to clash on what actions, if any, the FCC should take to ensure use of location-based routing (LBR) to 911 call centers. The disagreement surfaced in replies to a June public notice, approved by commissioners 4-0 (see 2206080040). T-Mobile warned that no consensus is emerging as a result of the record refresh.
Key FCC decisions on the 5.9 GHz band appear to be on hold, pending a U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit ruling on a case challenging the commission's 2020 order reallocating the spectrum. Judges heard oral arguments six months ago and appeared to be sympathetic to the FCC (see 2201250066).
The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency is focused on border gateway protocol (BGP) security and resilience and welcomes the FCC’s recent focus on gateway issues (see 2204110057), said CISA Executive Director Brandon Wales during an NTCA webinar Monday. The webinar was sponsored by the Competitive Carriers Association, the Rural Wireless Association, the Wireless ISP Association and other groups, and targeted small carriers.
Verizon took a hit on Wall Street Friday, much as AT&T did the previous day (see 2207210059), after Verizon trimmed its financial forecast for the year and reported lower than expected phone adds. Verizon shares were down 6.74%, to close at $44.45 Friday.
Eighteen wireless carriers and stakeholders are urging Congress to fully fund the Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Reimbursement Program amid ongoing concerns about the FCC’s final estimate that lawmakers will need to appropriate an additional $3.08 billion to pay the costs of replacing the unsecure equipment (see 2207150067). Industry experts told us the outlook on whether Congress will act on the Spectrum Innovation Act (HR-7624) or other proposals to provide additional funding is unclear, but the risk for industry and negative implications for closing the digital divide are real.
AT&T shares closed 7.7% lower Thursday at $18.91 after the company released Q2 earnings and reported a decrease in free cash flow. The carrier lowered full-year free cash flow guidance to the $14 billion range, $2 billion less than expected, “to reflect heavy investment in growth and working capital impacts related to timing of collections.” AT&T had $1.4 billion in cash flow Q2, versus analysts’ estimate of $4.7 billion. Overall, AT&T posted adjusted earnings of 65 cents a share on $29.64 billion revenue.
Experts told the FCC’s Precision Ag Connectivity Task Force Thursday the agriculture industry has lots to gain from the $48 billion in connectivity money that will be awarded through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), but rural interests must ensure rural areas get their share of the funding. The working groups are still working on various papers, to be finalized at a December meeting.
Deep fakes, and sorting through what is real and fake on the internet, are a growing problem, unlikely to get better without a concerted focus by industry and the government, said speakers during a Software & Information Industry Association and Center for Democracy and Technology conference Wednesday.
The record is clear that performance measurements proposed in a Further NPRM on wireless emergency alerts are “incompatible with the existing WEA system and could raise privacy concerns,” CTIA said in reply comments. Comments were posted Wednesday in docket 15-91 on the April FNPRM (see 2204190053). In initial comments, APCO and the National Weather Service asked the agency to impose reporting requirements on carriers (see 2206220033).
Commenters raised concerns on a proposal by the University of Utah for an FCC waiver of citizens broadband radio service rules for its POWDER (Platform for Open Wireless Data-driven Experimental Research) platform, used for wireless research. Comments were due Monday in docket 22-257. The university asked for a waiver to use software-defined radio equipment to interact with the spectrum access system operator “within the POWDER Platform Innovation Zone” and for other exceptions to rules for the band. The university said it uses the platform as a “living laboratory that allows research in a real-world, spectrum realistic environment.”