NTIA is investigating possible L-band direct-to-device (D2D) service impacts on GPS. In a notice Thursday, it said that given the growing deployments of consumer equipment that could operate on mobile satellite service (MSS) networks near the L-1 GPS signal at 1575.42 MHz, it is requesting public comments on the risk of interference into GPS by those D2D L-band services and potential routes for mitigation. It said the L band's MSS rules contain "substantially more relaxed" out-of-band emission (OOBE) limits than are placed on fixed satellite service operations in the band. "The wide deployment of devices subject to the MSS limit thus presents an unexpected increase in the risk of interference to nearby GPS receivers." It added that it is seeking input from D2D providers about actual OOBE of the devices and the potential for limiting these further, as well as from GPS manufacturers and users about documented instances of harmful interference from MSS L-band devices and ways of mitigating that while minimizing the impact on MSS service. NTIA's notice hasn't yet been published in the Federal Register.

Rather than 5G, most mobile network operators (MNO) offer "4.5G" and call it 5G, consultant William Webb wrote Wednesday. Most MNO use 5G non-stand-alone (NSA) networks, which offer the existing 4G core network instead of a dedicated 5G core network like 5G stand-alone (SA) networks use, he said. There are no signs of widespread moves to SA networks, he said. Most MNOs have deployed 5G radio access networks on existing cells, rather than building much denser networks. And 5G hasn't changed the services networks offer or material aspects of the MNO business, with one exception being the U.S. and fixed wireless access, he said. As such, people working on 6G should consider that the starting point is 4.5G. If some MNOs don't adopt SA, 6G should be able to work with NSA, he said. Base station density won't be higher, so new frequency bands will have to work with the existing grid structure.

NTIA is making up to $450 million in additional funding available through the Public Wireless Supply Chain Innovation Fund (see 2409170061). The third round of funding targets development of open radio access network (ORAN) software, which will help "generate value for industry verticals" and reduce costs through automation, NTIA said Tuesday. Applications are due by March 17.

Gogo Business Aviation asked the FCC to extend to July 21 its deadline for meeting requirements of the FCC’s Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Reimbursement Program. Under the program, which Congress hasn't fully funded, providers must remove, replace and dispose of Huawei and ZTE equipment from their networks. Gogo has already received one extension, through Jan. 21 (see 2403290040). Its replacement process is “predicated on a multi-year timeline due to the unique nature of its aviation operations, the need for custom radio equipment rather than off-the-shelf solutions for both its ground infrastructure and airborne components, Gogo’s limited spectrum holdings, and the operational challenges in removing and replacing equipment on thousands of aircraft nationwide,” said a filing posted Friday in docket 18-89. Gogo uses equipment from Chinese supplier ZTE.

Air Voice Wireless asked the FCC to designate it an eligible telecommunications carrier to provide Lifeline service in Connecticut, Delaware, North Carolina and the District of Columbia. The carrier is an MVNO that uses AT&T’s network. “AIRVOICE has already demonstrated its ability to provide Lifeline services as it has grown to serve over 800,000 households, while maintaining strong processes to protect against waste, fraud, and abuse,” said a filing posted Friday in docket 09-197. The carrier notes it provides Lifeline service in 39 states and Puerto Rico. “AIRVOICE has historically reached and enrolled customers in suburban, exurban, and rural areas outside of high-density urban areas” and some 200,000 of its Lifeline customers are "first-time Lifeline enrollees,” the company said.

U.S. wireless carriers are ending 2024 strongly, with share prices of T-Mobile, AT&T and Verizon up sharply, but tougher times may be coming, MoffettNathanson’s Craig Moffett said Friday in a note to investors. “Industry post-paid net adds remained well above population growth, allowing each of the Big Three to meet or beat their subscriber targets,” the note said: “Handset upgrade rates started the year at an almost implausibly low level … and then moved even lower from there. Low upgrade rates meant low churn, modest competitive intensity, low customer acquisition and retention expense, and high margins.” But one potential threat to net adds is the promise of President-elect Donald Trump's incoming administration's stance on immigration, Moffett said. That's a potential problem because immigration is a major contributor to industry unit growth, he said. Such growth is "likely to change with tighter borders and would be impacted still more by promised deportations.” Yet Apple investors are betting that more consumers will change their handsets, he said. "There is a clear mismatch between the expectations of Telecom investors, who appear to expect no acceleration in upgrade rates, and Apple investors, who appear to expect a dramatic one." Moffett also warned that the big carriers may be emphasizing convergence too much: “AT&T’s fiber footprint today reaches just 12% of households and will likely never reach more than 25%. Verizon’s fiber coverage today is about 9%, and even with Frontier and their own expanded build program, [it] is targeting only about 18% of housing units by 2028. T-Mobile, with Lumos and Metronet combined, covers less than 2% of housing units today with fiber and has no plausible path beyond about 9% by the end of the decade.” Leaning too hard into convergence, carriers “will inevitably raise consumer expectations and demand for converged bundles … that, by and large, they are unable to offer.”

Parts of the FCC’s August order approving a 5G Fund auction are effective Jan. 13 said a notice for Friday’s Federal Register. The auction is potentially in doubt. The order was approved 4-1 with Commissioner Brendan Carr dissenting. Carr was concerned that the FCC should have waited for additional clarity on what NTIA's BEAD program will support before holding a 5G Fund auction (see 2408290041). President-elect Donald Trump has tapped Carr to lead the FCC. “It is never wise to build on top of a faulty foundation,” Carr said in August: “The government’s focus today should be on fixing the fundamental flaws with BEAD and getting that program back on track.” He called for the elimination of BEAD’s diversity, equity and inclusion requirements, “climate change agenda, unlawful price controls, technology preferences, and the wish list of progressive policy goals that have nothing to do with quickly connecting Americans.”

The FCC's November order adopting long-awaited final rules for cellular-vehicle-to-everything technology in the 5.9 GHz band takes effect Feb. 11, said a notice for Friday’s Federal Register. The FCC changed the band's rules in October 2020, reallocating the 5.9 GHz band to sharing between Wi-Fi and C-V2X, with no set-aside for dedicated short-range communications (DSRC), the historical allocation for the spectrum (see 2411210054). The order was adopted 5-0. “Existing licenses for DSRC systems may be renewed as necessary following this effective date but only for a period not to exceed” Dec. 14, 2026, the notice said.

The FCC Wireless Bureau approved on Thursday a request from GeoLinks that it surrender some local multipoint distribution service (LMDS) licenses in return for others from the commission’s inventory. GeoLinks proposes using federal funding to serve some 47,000 locations across Arizona, California and Nevada that now lack high-speed broadband access. The bureau sought comment on the request in May (see 2405170028). “The proposed modifications will enable GeoLinks to rationalize its LMDS spectrum holdings by providing access to more contiguous spectrum, which will allow GeoLinks to improve its network performance and lower its equipment and deployment costs,” the bureau said: “This will benefit rural consumers who would be able to access robust and affordable broadband service more quickly.” The modifications could also “increase the utility of the LMDS band overall, by returning spectrum to the Commission for future reassignment that could create synergies with existing LMDS licenses” in the FCC inventory, the order said.

An order FCC commissioners approved unanimously this month, aligning rules for the 24 GHz band with decisions made at the World Radiocommunication Conference held in 2019, is effective Jan. 13, said a notice for Friday’s Federal Register. Commissioners decided against adopting stricter limits for unwanted out-of-band emissions than were approved at the WRC, which had been a concern of Republican Commissioners Brendan Carr and Nathan Simington (see 2412020061).