Members of the 4.9 GHz Coalition fired back Friday against the Public Safety Spectrum Alliance (PSSA) after asked the FCC to change course on the 4.9 GHz band and issue a single national license to FirstNet (see 2307140036). “There are a number of major licensees and organizations on the record that oppose the PSSA’s approach on the grounds that integrating the 4.9 GHz band within AT&T’s broadband network would be incompatible with current and future non-broadband public safety operations,” said an Enterprise Wireless Alliance news release. The issue was debated in comments to the FCC earlier this year (see 2305160065). “Awarding FirstNet and by association AT&T such monumental responsibilities and spectrum assets would be an epic spectrum management debacle,” said Mark Crosby, EWA spokesperson: “PSSA has repeatedly claimed that they are attempting to save the 4.9 GHz band for public safety. From whom, we ask. The public safety industry doesn’t need to be saved -- except perhaps from PSSA.” The coalition's other members are the American Petroleum Institute, the Forestry Conservation Communications Association, the International Municipal Signal Association, the National Sheriffs’ Association and the Utilities Technology Council.

First responders are making increasing use of IoT sensors, drones and other capabilities public safety agencies didn’t use in the past, Azhar Khan, Verizon Frontline solutions specialist national lead, said on a Verizon Frontline webcast Thursday. Most U.S. police departments have fewer than 25 employees, he said, and their "No. 1 goal is to reduce crime and protect the people” and they don’t have staff to keep up with advanced technology, Khan said. Verizon listens to the “pain points” and other feedback from first responders “regarding the technology, the capabilities that they’re looking for and the support that they’re looking for from service providers,” Khan said. Verizon needs to offer a product to first responders that’s “in line” with what they want “and what works for them,” said Anthony Isla, Verizon Frontline executive program manager-public safety and a former police officer. “We don’t want to build a widget just because,” he said. “This is an evolving landscape, because the vectors are growing immensely,” said Justin St Arnauld, Verizon Wireless associate director-solutions architect. The places where cyber criminals can attack a network are also growing, he said. Attackers “can be anyone, anywhere around the world” and attacks are becoming “more complex, more sophisticated,” he said. Combine that with limited resources and public safety agencies can face “the perfect storm,” he said.

HWG’s Paul Margie, who represents tech companies on 6 GHz issues, urged Office of Engineering and Technology Chief Ron Repasi to further liberalize rules for the band. Margie noted the importance of very-low power operations and “the consideration of 6 GHz matters at the upcoming World Radiocommunication Conference,” said a filing posted Thursday in docket 18-295. Margie represents Apple, Broadcom, Google and Meta Platforms.

Michael Calabrese, director of the Wireless Future Program at New America, told an aide to FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel the 42 GHz band “could be a valuable complement to the Lower 37 GHz band for open, shared and coordinated … deployments,” said a filing posted Thursday in docket 23-158. Calabrese was an early advocate of sharing in the band, a topic the FCC is exploring in a June NPRM (see 2305300055). “Common technical rules for those two band segments would provide as much as 1,100 megahertz in highly-localized areas, supporting multiple uses and users,” Calabrese said: The FCC “should include conditions for use of the combined band that avoids warehousing, facilitates more intensive use, and encourages competition. For example, coordination could be by sector (e.g., 30-degree sectors), since directional antennas can accommodate multiple deployments in an area.”

The FCC Office of Engineering and Technology sought comment by Aug. 21, replies by Sept. 20, on a Liberty Defense request for three waivers of Part 15 rules so the company can obtain FCC equipment authorization to upgrade full-body screening scanners at U.S. airports. The current generation of scanners operates under a waiver approved in 2006, OET said Thursday. “The new High-Definition Advanced Imaging Technology by Liberty will be deployed via upgrade kits to these legacy systems and is designed to transmit across spectrum bands ranging from 10–40 GHz,” OET said: “Liberty states that this upgrade will improve transportation security by enhancing threat detection capability and improving the speed at which airline passengers are screened. Liberty suggests that because this waiver request is so substantially similar to two previous waiver requests granted by OET, it merits approval.”

Supplemental coverage from space of terrestrial wireless networks requires FCC spectrum regulation, and additions to 5G non-terrestrial network standards in 3rd Generation Partnership Project Releases 17 and 18 will help manage the complexity and performance of low earth orbit satellites, 5G Americas said in an NTN briefing paper update Thursday. Satellite systems' global coverage will allow dedicated providers to get into narrowband IoT service and provide limited capabilities to smartphones, it said. Roaming agreements with mobile network operators "can help realize this vision for global connectivity while remaining cost-efficient -- thanks to the reduced cost of launching into orbit," it said.

DLA Piper’s Smitty Smith is leaving the law firm to replace Kathleen Ham as T-Mobile senior vice president-government affairs, when Ham retires Oct. 2, T-Mobile said Thursday. Smith’s title will be senior vice president-public policy and government affairs. Smith is a former FCC and NTIA staffer, who was once seen as a contender to chair the FCC under President Joe Biden (see 2101010001). Smith was also a member of the Biden FCC transition team. At the FCC, he was an aide to former Chairman Tom Wheeler and led the Incentive Auction Task Force. Ham is a longtime T-Mobile official and an FCC veteran where she was deputy chief of the Wireless Bureau and the first chief of the spectrum auctions program, working on some of the first FCC auctions. “Kathleen’s contributions to T-Mobile are numerous,” a spokesperson emailed: “Over nearly 20 years at T-Mobile, she has played a critical role in driving key policy and regulatory efforts, including the completion of the transformational T-Mobile/Sprint merger and obtaining critical spectrum assets that have secured the company’s 5G leadership position.”

Midland Radio officials urged FCC staff to OK the company’s request for a waiver of FCC rules for general mobile radio service devices in the 462 MHz band (see 2110120061), said a filing posted Tuesday in docket 21-388. “Midland discussed proposed conditions to their pending waiver request, and the impact those conditions would have on the user experience in rural areas,” the company said: “Midland proposed that the FCC consider permitting faster transmission rates in census tracts with population densities of 100 or fewer persons per square mile.”

Metro by T-Mobile announced a new rate plan for customers in Southern California, offering free calling and texts to Mexico, Peru, Columbia and Brazil, with more limited free calls to other Latin American countries. Customers must choose or switch to a qualifying unlimited plan starting at $40/month. “Calling and texting family and friends just got easier ... and cheaper,” T-Mobile said Wednesday.

Representatives from the ATIS Hearing Aid Compatibility Task Force asked FCC staff to act on a waiver sought by the group (see 2304060053). The representatives “highlighted the unanimous record support for the Waiver Request and discussed various technical details related to the consensus interim testing standard,” said a filing posted Wednesday in docket 15-285. The representatives said they remain committed to “achieving 100% hearing aid compatibility for wireless handsets.” They had a videoconference with staff from the FCC Consumer and Governmental Affairs and Wireless bureaus and Office of Engineering and Technology.