FirstNet has “confirmed and validated” completion of the initial five-year build of the public safety network, AT&T and FirstNet said in a joint release Wednesday. “The initial build of the FirstNet network was done on time, on budget and on task,” FirstNet Authority Chair Richard Carrizzo said. “Through our public-private partnership -- and close collaboration with the public safety community across the country -- we have achieved many milestones, with completion of the initial phase of buildout of FirstNet representing a defining accomplishment,” the release said. The network includes more than 1,000 “purpose-built” cellsites where state and public safety stakeholders identified a coverage need, they said. The network covers more than 2.91 million square miles, which is 250,000 square miles more than any commercial network, the release said.

Petitioners Maurine and Matthew Molak are seeking 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals review of the FCC’s Oct. 25 declaratory ruling authorizing funding for Wi-Fi service and equipment on school buses under the commission’s E-rate program, according to their petition Wednesday (docket 23-60641). The Molaks are “aggrieved” by the ruling because it will increase E-rate program “outlays” and “thereby directly increase" the amount of the federal universal service charge they pay each month as a line-item on their phone bill to fund the program's costs, their petition said. In addition, the Molaks have “a special interest in this matter” as co-founders of David’s Legacy Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to the memory of their son “and committed to ending cyberbullying through education, legislation, and legal action,” it said. The ruling “undermines that crucial mission by enabling unsupervised social-media access by children and teenagers” on school buses, it said. The ruling exceeds the FCC’s statutory authority and “is contrary to law,” it added. The Molaks are asking the 5th Circuit to vacate the ruling “and grant such other relief as it may deem appropriate,” said the petition.

Members of the recently formed Coalition for Emergency Response and Critical Infrastructure (CERCI) slammed a recent filing by the Public Safety Spectrum Alliance (PSSA) on the future of the 4.9 GHz band. “By claiming that CERCI is ‘a thinly veiled attempt by commercial interests to hijack the 4.9 GHz band,’ PSSA devalues the role of our law enforcement organizations as members actively engaged with CERCI and seeks to undercut our support of continued local-public safety use and control of the 4.9 GHz band, including control over the decision of whether to lease access to non-interfering, compatible, critical-infrastructure industry users,” said a filing posted Wednesday in docket 07-100. The Major Cities Chiefs Association, the National Sheriffs’ Association and the National Association of Women Law Enforcement Executives signed the filing. “In contrast to CERCI’s substantial public-safety support, PSSA has not identified any current public-safety officials or associations as members or any members at all,” the groups said. CERCI launched in November (see 2311160052).

The FCC Office of Engineering Tuesday approved a request by Continental Automotive for a waiver of agency rules to allow authorization of a tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) operating in the 315 MHz and 433 MHz bands. OET sought comment last year (see 2210310064). “As designed, Continental’s new TPMS would have limited proliferation and would not have a high potential for causing harmful interference to the authorized services in the bands,” OET said in docket 22-382: “The narrow relief we are providing will permit the deployment of innovative unlicensed applications that offer significant benefits to the public without increasing significant potential interference to authorized users in the band.”

5G Automotive Association representatives met with staff for FCC Commissioners Brendan Carr and Anna Gomez on a 2021 petition for partial reconsideration of an order reallocating the 5.9 GHz band (see 2107230033). The group noted that it raised one issue in the petition, protection for cellular vehicle-to-everything technologies against unwanted emissions from unlicensed services that share the band. 5GAA has “demonstrated in the record that with the emissions levels the Order adopted, C-V2X range would be significantly reduced (by more than 50%), delaying safety messages and unnecessarily undermining C-V2X effectiveness,” it said in a filing posted Tuesday in docket 19-138. The group also met with Office of Engineering and Technology staff.

Dish Network “reiterated the urgent need” for the FCC to issue an NPRM updating its mobile spectrum holding policies, the company said in meetings with agency staff. “DISH described how the majority of spectrum is controlled by nationwide incumbents, leaving new competitors and regional carriers constrained in their ability to provide wireless services,” a filing posted Tuesday in docket 23-319 said. “This excessive concentration hampers innovation, raises prices, raises costs for non-incumbent competitors, including DISH, and harms consumers,” Dish said. The FCC recently took comment on whether to reexamine aggregation limits (see 2311090051). In addition, Dish raised questions about T-Mobile’s proposed buy of Mint Mobile (see 2303150032). “While this transaction does not involve spectrum accumulation, T-Mobile’s network is an important input for virtually every [mobile virtual network operator] in the nation, including DISH, just as spectrum is for any facilities-based carrier,” Dish said: “The acquisition of another MVNO by T-Mobile increases T-Mobile’s incentive to discriminate against the remaining independent MVNOs.”

The U.S. and other nations Monday called on the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) to develop common rules for civil aviation operations occurring in higher airspace. “Activity in higher airspace is poised to soar, with demand for applications as diverse as bringing 5G and 6G telecommunications to underserved communities, improving current Earth Observation capabilities, and enabling innovation in transportation of people and goods,” the nations' joint statement said: “Systems that ensure safety and security for the millions of flights occurring at lower altitudes are simply not in place for activity in higher airspace. Aircraft operating in higher airspace have vastly different performance characteristics and unconventional operational needs.” The statement urged ICAO to “prioritize and expedite higher airspace operations in its work program and to accelerate the development and implementation of solutions for manned and unmanned aviation traffic in higher airspace.” Canada, the EU and its member states, Japan and the U.K. signed the statement.

The continuing growth of 5G shows the need for policymakers to provide more spectrum for operators, 5G Americas said Monday. Worldwide 5G connections reached 1.6 billion in Q3, 71% growth over the past year, 5G Americas said. Omdia projects 1.8 billion by the end of 2023 and 7.9 billion by 2028, 5G Americas said. “The global 5G landscape shows positive momentum as innovation and collaboration continue to be the mainstays for long term progress,” said Chris Pearson, president of 5G Americas. With the World Radiocommunication Conference finished, “it is important that international cooperation and efforts continue to ensure that spectrum and technology standards continue to propel this growth,” he said.

The Wireless Broadband Alliance filed a report at the FCC on public tests of its 6 GHz automated frequency coordination (AFC) system. “This report demonstrates that WBA successfully completed the public testing of its AFC system,” said a Friday filing in docket 21-352: “Only one challenge was a valid concern and WBA has since corrected that in its AFC.” WBA said other challenges were tied to differences in testing methodologies.

For marketing 33 wireless microphones that didn't receive FCC authorization, Sound Around is facing a possible $1.2 million penalty, the Enforcement Bureau said Friday. The action follows a 2022 fine of $685,338 for marketing 32 models of wireless mics that failed to comply with the agency’s equipment marketing rules (see 2208010065). Pointing to that and to the Brooklyn company -- which operates as Pyle Audio -- as providing incomplete responses to bureau inquiries during the commission investigation, "we propose a significant fine," the FCC said. Pyle didn't comment.