Matt Daneman

Broadband providers and allies are heavily lobbying the 10th floor regarding the pending digital discrimination order on the FCC's November agenda (see 2310240008), raising red flags and pushing for changes, per docket 22-69 filings Monday. Fans of the draft order are also calling for changes.

When trying to gauge how fully utilized nonfederal spectrum is, no commercial-use band should be off limits, multiple trade groups said Friday in FCC docket 23-232 reply comments. Numerous comments argued that the fact that a band is licensed for exclusive use doesn't mean it's automatically being used to maximum efficiency. Commissioners unanimously approved the spectrum usage notice of inquiry at their August meeting (see 2308030075).

6G poses a variety of practical engineering challenges that need addressing, from aggregation of numerous spectrum bands to integration of satellite coverage into terrestrial wireless networks, Mingxi Fan, communications systems design general manager at Taiwanese semiconductor maker MediaTek, said Thursday at the Brooklyn 6G Summit. Also a question mark is timing of 3rd Generation Partnership Project work on 6G, said Wanshi Chen, 3GPP Technical Specification Group RAN1 chairman.

Mobile networks face the danger of "running out of steam by the end of the decade" in terms of available capacity, given skyrocketing data demand, Peter Vetter, Nokia Bell Labs Core Research president, said Wednesday at the 2023 Brooklyn 6G Summit. Even absent new use cases, 6G will require access to more spectrum to fill that capacity hole, he said. One potential hurdle is possible skepticism among regulators globally about the need for spectrum for 6G due to a perception that 5G spectrum hasn't been used and 5G's potential hasn't panned out as expected, GSMA senior spectrum adviser Veena Rawat said. Every World Radiocommunication Conference sees calls "for spectrum for a G -- 3G, 4G, 5G," Rawat said. Fabiano Chaves, Nokia's head-spectrum standardization, North America, said most administrations understand the need for study of some bands for terrestrial mobile, with the hang-up being which bands and how much spectrum is needed.

The citizens broadband radio service spectrum-sharing model is easily adoptable by other nations, but there needs to be more work proselytizing about it internationally, spectrum experts said Tuesday at a CBRS seminar by New America's Open Technology Institute about spectrum sharing in private wireless networks. CBRS is a route for regulators and agencies like NTIA to work with overseas counterparts on pushing sharing models, said Scott Harris, NTIA senior spectrum adviser. He said the U.S. needs to boost such international engagement and the private sector needs to encourage regulators overseas to have those conversations.

Charter Communications is warning some states that it won't be interested in broadband equity, access and deployment (BEAD) program opportunities there. States that closely follow NTIA proposed guidelines regarding internet tiers, pricing and labor practices "just won't be attractive states for us to bid in," CEO Chris Winfrey said Friday as the company announced Q3 financial results. He said Charter "will focus our investments in the states that allow us to retain flexibility to run the business, properly respond to market demand and ultimately earn a healthy return."

States are holding off on putting numbers on paper as to what their extremely high-cost per location thresholds are in the broadband equity, access and deployment program, with many states saying their threshold numbers won't come until after they see subgrantee bids. That per interviews and our analysis of BEAD draft initial proposals filed thus far with NTIA. Those threshold numbers likely will differ substantially from state to state, some deployment experts tell us. The threshold number will serve as the tipping point where states can consider non-fiber bids, as beyond that threshold amount fiber is too expensive.

Comcast's Peacock streaming service ended Q3 with 28 million paying subscribers, up from 16 million the same quarter a year earlier, the company said Thursday as it announced Q3 2023 financial results. President Mike Cavanagh said losses for the streaming service should peak this year, with "meaningful" earnings improvements in 2024.

Draft digital discrimination rules to be voted on at the FCC's November meeting address both intentionally discriminatory conduct and conduct that produces discriminatory effects, FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel said Tuesday at the annual United Church of Christ (UCC) Parker Lecture in Washington. The agency has seen disagreements among interested parties about using discriminatory intent vs. discriminatory impact when defining digital discrimination (see 2302220045). Rosenworcel said Tuesday the draft rules create a specific path for lodging digital discrimination complaints. She said the item also seeks comment on reporting requirements regarding new deployments, upgrades and maintenance projects, with the aim being the removal of what could lead to impediments to equal broadband access.

States' broadband equity, access and deployment (BEAD) program initial proposals before NTIA show varied levels of openness to satellite broadband and fixed wireless. Some states specifically say they will entertain satellite or FW as broadband delivery options in extremely high-cost areas, but others say satellite and FW won't be eligible under any circumstances, according to BEAD initial proposal second volumes filed with NTIA. That volume covers states' selection processes for deciding what ISPs will be subgrantees of BEAD funding.