PSSI Global Services' July docket 20-205 request for a change to the C-band clearing relocation cost catalog came nearly 10 months after the proper deadline, the FCC Wireless Bureau said Wednesday, ordering the petition for reconsideration dismissed as untimely. It noted the processes by which PSSI can still submit a claim for equipment it believes is reasonable and necessary for the transition. PSSI didn't comment.
Fourteen companies or organizations are seeking FCC certification to be an automated frequency coordination (AFC) system operator in the 6 GHz band, per docket 21-352 filings this week. Applications were due Tuesday (see 2109290040). Some applicants touted what they said was pertinent experience. Key Bridge Wireless said it has provided flexible dynamic spectrum access services in the VHF and UHF television bands and worked as a TV band white space administrator. Amdocs cited its 3.5 GHz Citizens Broadband Radio Service spectrum access system, and Plume Design referenced its software-as-a-service experience platform for communications service providers. Citing its work as a spectrum access system administrator for the 3.5 Ghz band, Sony said it has "a comprehensive understanding of the technical and operational requirements for managing wireless spectrum access" and it has sufficient funds and access to capital to develop and operate the proposed AFC system for the anticipated five years. Federated Wireless said its work since 2018 in developing an AFC system to allow Wi-Fi and 5G New Radio Unlicensed deployments in the 6 Ghz band means becoming an AFC system operator would be "a natural extension." Other applicants are Nokia, Qualcomm, the Wi-FI Alliance, CableLabs subsidiary Kyrio, the Wireless Broadband Alliance, Red Technologies, Google, Comsearch and Broadcom.
Energous’ 10W WattUp PowerHub received FCC Part 18 equipment authorization for 10W of conducted wireless power transfer, said the wireless charging company Wednesday. The approval nearly doubles the amount of power that can be transmitted wirelessly in the U.S. and “opens potential new opportunities for the wireless charging of billions of IoT devices across emerging consumer, retail and industrial markets,” said acting CEO Cesar Johnston.
Revenue generated from 5G services will reach $600 billion globally by 2026, representing 77% of global operator-billed volume, says a Juniper Research report being released Tuesday. Adoption of 5G services in consumer and IoT sectors is being driven by a strong uptake of 5G-capable devices, “coupled with attractive 5G subscription pricing models, despite the semiconductor crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic,” it says. Multi-device subscriptions will be key to maximizing 5G revenue growth the next five years, says Juniper: “As geographical 5G coverage expands, operators will capitalise on revenue streams beyond smartphones.” There will emerge an opportunity for “bundling multiple device subscriptions under a single recurring payment to enable operators to benefit from connectivity revenue from other consumer devices,” says the report.
Dish Network wants join the ranks of eligible telecommunications carriers in the 10 states and the District of Columbia that have disclaimed jurisdiction over ETC designations for commercial mobile radio service providers. In an FCC docket 09-197 petition Monday, Dish said it qualifies as a provider of common carrier service that will provide service throughout its designated service area and will remain functional during emergencies. It said being an ETC would let its current emergency broadband benefit subscribers access funds under Lifeline and the EBB successor affordable connectivity program and help Dish in pursuing broadband infrastructure funding under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.
Wi-Fi 6 will reach more than 1.5 billion chipset shipments in 2022, said ABI Research, with Wi-Fi 6E component shipments to nearly triple shipments from this year. Ultra-wideband devices are expected to reach nearly 500,000 units as adoption rises in smartphones, wearables, speakers and personal trackers, said the research firm. Wi-Fi 6 grew in 2021 on adoption in smartphones from Apple, Samsung, Xiaomi, Huawei, Oppo and Vivo, while growing availability of mobile Wi-Fi 6E chipsets and platforms from chipset vendors Qualcomm, Broadcom and MediaTek will accelerate the transition to 6-GHz capable devices, it said. Tablets and PCs are also transitioning to Wi-Fi 6 and 6E technology, it said.
Global revenue from SMS firewalls is projected to reach $4.1 billion in 2026, rising from $911 million in 2021 and representing “absolute growth” of roughly 350%, reported Juniper Research. It defines this as third-party solutions that reside within wireless networks, enabling real-time monitoring of network traffic to enhance capabilities of blocking fraud. Failure to adopt SMS firewalls can leave service operators vulnerable to diminished revenue from business messaging, “as fraudsters mask business messaging traffic to avoid termination fees,” it said Tuesday. Juniper projects that the volume of business messaging traffic monitored by SMS firewalls will increase from 3.1 trillion transactions in 2021 to 4.4 trillion in 2026.
The National Air Carrier Association is pleased with Verizon and AT&T delaying aspects of deployment of their respective 5G wireless broadband networks in the C band (see 2111240062), Vice President-Government Affairs Chris Brown said in a statement late Wednesday. "We look forward to continuing ongoing deliberations with the telecommunications industry, the White House [National Economic Council], FCC, and FAA on mitigations to ensure that new communications networks do not compromise aviation safety, specifically interference with radio altimeters on commercial and general aviation aircraft." Aerospace Industries Association Vice President-Civil Aviation David Silver in a statement said the organization "will be looking to our regulator to evaluate the operational environment that the telecoms are proposing. We look forward to working with the FAA and all other stakeholders to find a long-term solution that will protect the flying public by ensuring radio altimeters operate accurately while allowing 5G to roll out safely.” The Air Line Pilots Association emailed that it has been urging regulators and aviation and telecom industry stakeholders since May 2018 "to collaboratively work towards mitigations that will not jeopardize aviation safety and ensure that crucial safety devices such as radio altimeters are protected by any potential harmful interference from 5G. ALPA is confident that by working together we will be able to uphold our nation’s stellar aviation safety record while expanding 5G across the country.”
Getting to "plug-and-play" for 5G and its open radio access network ecosystem requires multi-vendor interoperability, which the U.S. government can help accelerate by encouraging industry-led interoperability organizations or agreements, Samsung representatives told FCC Wireless Bureau, Office of Economics and Analytics and Office of Engineering and Technology staffers, per a docket 21-63 ex parte post Wednesday.
T-Mobile plans to appeal Better Business Bureau's National Advertising Division rulings about ads for its 5G network, NAD said Tuesday. It said Verizon and AT&T challenged the ads' reliability claims. NAD said while T-Mobile's reliability claims were based on an audit of data collected from mobile phones, that audit looked at speed and coverage and those traits alone can't support a reliability claim. A T-Mobile spokesperson emailed us that the company "is America’s 5G Leader with the nation’s largest 5G network delivering the fastest average and overall combined 5G speeds. It is also the nation’s most reliable 5G network according to neutral criteria internationally recognized expert umlaut uses to evaluate network performance around the world. NAD’s decision not to recognize umlaut’s assessment is disappointing and we strongly disagree with its recommendation to not advertise this independent award."