The NSA and Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency recommended ways to prevent a malicious 5G cyberattack from compromising an entire network. Three more white papers are to come. “After the initial compromise of a network, attackers commonly pivot laterally by exploiting the availability of internal services, particularly looking for services that are unauthenticated,” Thursday's report said: “An attacker might use an initial position on a compromised virtual machine (VM) or container to access an application programming interface (API) or service endpoint that is not exposed externally. 5G cloud deployments will introduce more opportunities to move laterally.” Networks should assign unique, authenticated identities to all elements that communicate with other elements, the paper urged. Credential management is important, said NSA and CISA, which is part of the Department of Homeland Security. “Analytics for detecting potentially malicious resource access attempts should be deployed and run regularly,” they said: 5G cloud software should be kept “up-to-date and free from known vulnerabilities.”
Samsung Electronics and Ciena agreed to partner on a “combined 5G solution set” for rendering faster, “pre-validated” network deployments, they said Wednesday. The companies will collaborate on hardware and software for network operators “to support the increasing volume of 5G data traffic at the edge and within an increasingly distributed 5G architecture,” they said. It's an “end-to-end solution set” that includes Ciena’s xHaul routing and switching portfolio and its next-generation manage, control and plan domain controller, plus Samsung’s Core and radio access network portfolio, including virtualized RAN solutions, baseband units and radios.
The Rural Wireless Association disputed arguments by the Competitive Carriers Association that “hexagon 8 resolution is sufficient to accurately map rural areas” as part of the challenge process for mobile coverage maps (see 2109290045), in a filing posted Wednesday in FCC docket 19-195. “Imposing a high-resolution-everywhere approach in rural areas with few or no roads shifts the burden to those who have the least means to challenge bad service, in favor of those with the best means to rebut challenges,” RWA said. CCA didn’t comment.
T-Mobile agreed to pull TV advertisements with singer Gwen Stefani and NFL quarterback Tom Brady based on the recommendations of the Better Business Bureau’s National Advertising Division. Both ads for its 5G network premiered during the Super Bowl and made fun of the problems of communicating on subpar networks. AT&T complained. “Both parties submitted consumer perception surveys in support of their respective positions: T-Mobile in support of its arguments that the Stefani and Brady commercials do not convey a disparaging message about AT&T’s service or network (or any other T-Mobile competitors generally) or a message that T-Mobile’s service is superior with respect to video calls, but instead use humor to emphasize the benefits of its 5G network; and AT&T to demonstrate that the challenged advertisements communicate a comparative and disparaging superior performance claim,” NAD said Tuesday. T-Mobile said it’s “disappointed with NAD’s decision but will comply with its recommendations.”
The wireless industry is “betting big” on the U.S. 5G future, CTIA President Meredith Baker told the start of the Mobile World Congress Los Angeles, livestreamed Tuesday. Baker recalled the CTIA conference 10 years ago: “The LTE versus WiMax debate was still alive, and we were awed by the new devices that 4G was offering." The big story was a phone that offered 12 Mbps: “We were bragging about how quickly 4G was deployed. It was the fastest transition ever. It pales in comparison to what is happening with 5G.” Baker said carriers need access to the C band starting in December for 5G to take off: “We need to replicate the expedited process that made the 3.45 [GHz] auction a reality this year. We need to know when the next licensed auction will be, and the one after that.” Wireless will make needed investments to “tackle climate change head on,” she said: “We will help reduce waste, reduce consumption and reduce costs.”
Rural Wireless Association officials told an FCC Public Safety Bureau staffer that smaller carriers are reluctant to install open radio access network technology as part of the agency’s rip-and-replace program. “RWA’s carrier members were optimistic about Open RAN’s potential for lower costs, increased security, and network visibility, but expressed reservations toward adopting Open RAN for the Reimbursement Program when none of the three nationwide providers -- AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon -- have adopted,” said a filing posted Monday in docket 21-63: “Absent major carrier adoption (and FCC support for Open RAN via a rulemaking), small and rural carriers cannot afford to expend human and capital resources to learn how to fully integrate Open RAN.” RWA warned carriers will need to shut parts of their Huawei and ZTE-equipped networks during testing. Jerry Tilley, Nemont chief operations officer, and John Nettles, Pine Belt Communications president, were on the call.
OMB OK'd for three years new information collection requirements in the FCC order reallocating the 5.9 GHz band (see 2011180043), says Monday's Federal Register. The requirement is effective Monday.
GCI representatives explained its concerns on drive test parameters (see 2108130071) and a model for the tests for some carriers participating in the Alaska Plan, in a call with an aide to FCC acting Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel. It needs "adequate time after the final requirements are released for GCI to conduct drive testing and analyze the results,” said a filing posted Friday in docket 16-271. “Keep the burdens of testing reasonable by not requiring testing in many grid cells that have little or possibly no population," it recommended, seeking "a testing methodology focused on speed, rather than middle mile and last mile technology."
The Coast Guard believes 160.900 MHz, used by railroads, can be safely shared by maritime devices that mark fishing equipment, NTIA said in a letter posted Friday in FCC docket 21-230. The Association of American Railroads had raised concerns (see 2109080043). “With adequate care, it is possible for low power [automatic identification system] devices to operate on 160.9 MHz without causing harmful interference to railroad systems,” the Coast Guard said. “NTIA also understands that the land mobile radios the railroads operate generally have authorization to utilize multiple channels such that, if their mobile operations experience harmful interference on a particular channel, they should be able to continue to communicate on other channels,” the NTIA said.
The FCC 3.45 GHz auction bidding closed the week at $19.17 billion. Bidding picks up again Monday with five rounds.