Revised rules for the $1.9 billion program for removing Huawei and ZTE equipment from carrier networks, approved 4-0 in July (see 2107130058), take effect Oct. 22, said a Monday Federal Register notice. The FCC has an Oct. 29 target date for opening the reimbursement application window.

The FCC Public Safety Bureau OK’d a waiver Monday for the Minnesota Department of Public Safety to do a wireless emergency alert test in Ranier, Minnesota, 10-11 p.m. CDT Thursday. The department “seeks to simulate a day-long hazardous material incident … during which U.S. federal, state, and county personnel, plus some Canadian representatives, will practice assessing and remediating a simulated incident of a derailed train carrying hazardous materials” on the Canadian border, the bureau said Monday: “Ranier wireless subscribers may be on a Canadian wireless network in one location and a United States network in another location across the street in close proximity. … This alerting exercise would help emergency personnel collect data and determine the extent to which a WEA issued on the U.S. networks only would reach those in the Ranier area or would reach only some residents sporadically depending on their location.”

The FCC Office of Economics and Analytics and Wireless Bureau released a protective order providing industry access to controlled unclassified information on DOD systems and operations in the 3.45-3.55 GHz band, before an October auction. DOD is working with the Department of Homeland Security’s National Coordinating Center for Communications to “share sensitive information regarding DoD’s incumbent operations, and NCC distributed this information to its industry members,” said a notice in Monday’s Daily Digest, in docket 21-62. The protective order “will allow appropriate representatives of auction applicants to view this sensitive information subject to certain safeguards even if the auction applicant is not an NCC member,” the notice said.

The FCC Wireless Bureau is seeking to refresh the record on use of the 5030-5091 MHz band by drones, after taking comment in 2019 (see 1912270039). Last month, Commissioner Geoffrey Starks urged the FCC to focus on the band (see 2108050056). The Aerospace Industries Association (AIA) asked the FCC to develop rules for using the spectrum for unmanned aircraft system controls (see 1909120073). The bureau seeks to “update the record to reflect operational, technical, and regulatory developments that have occurred over the last three years in the rapidly growing and evolving area of UAS operations and that are relevant to this proceeding,” said a notice in Monday’s Daily Digest: “We also seek to explore certain aspects of the AIA proposal in greater detail than is reflected in the current record.” The focus has been on direct radio-line-of-sight communications between controller and drones, but “we seek comment on whether the Commission should consider licensing alternatives in this band to support the growing interest in beyond radio-line-of-sight … operations,” the bureau said. Comment deadlines are to come in a Federal Register notice. “While the issues are complex and will require careful work with our federal partners at the FAA and NTIA, I’m hopeful that the new round of comments will allow the Commission to address the full spectrum needs of UAS and enable this important industry to fulfill its full potential,” Starks said.

The National Safety Council, the Institute of Transportation Engineers and Mothers Against Drunk Driving told the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit they plan to file briefs in support of ITS America and the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials in their challenge of the FCC’s reallocation of the 5.9 GHz band (see 2106020076), in a notice posted Friday, (see here, here and here, in case 21-1130 in Pacer). The FCC moved away from dedicated short-range communications, the former allocation for the entire 75 MHz, dividing the band with 45 MHz for Wi-Fi and 30 MHz for cellular vehicle-to-everything technology.

Shure fired back at Microsoft for urging the FCC to reject Shure's petition for reconsideration of amended white spaces rules (see 2108100054). Shure sought recon of the 16-watt effective isotropic radiated power level for mobile white spaces devices and the nationwide scope of the authorization for narrowband devices. “Microsoft opposes Shure’s request on procedural and substantive grounds but fails to present sufficient reasons for the Commission to disregard Shure’s reasonable request for reconsideration,” said a filing posted Friday in docket 20-36. “Shure is concerned that the mitigation and protective measures chosen by the Commission are inappropriate for mobile services because they are designed to address interference from fixed-devices -- a fact that is not in dispute,” Shure said: “The portable and dynamic nature of mobile [white space devices] makes them vastly more difficult to anticipate and plan for compared to fixed devices.”

Comments are due Sept. 20, replies Oct. 18, on an NPRM proposing revised rules for short-range radars in the 60 GHz band (see 2107130066), said a Thursday Federal Register notice. The proposal “recognizes the increasing practicality of using mobile radar devices in the 60 GHz band to perform innovative and lifesaving functions, including gesture control, detection of unattended children in vehicles, and monitoring of vulnerable medical patients, and it is designed to stimulate the development of new products and services in a wide variety of areas,” the notice said. The docket is 21-264.

General Motors said Thursday it will add 5G connectivity from AT&T to its vehicles starting with some models in 2023. “This rollout is part of GM and AT&T’s broad strategy to launch the world’s largest fleet of 5G-enabled vehicles and the culmination of a two-year collaboration,” GM said. Vehicles with 4G connections will migrate to the new network infrastructure “when available,” the automaker said.

MoffettNathanson’s Craig Moffett sees potentially tough times ahead for the wireless industry, despite continuing rapid growth in postpaid subscriptions, tracking five times faster than annual population growth. “The industry’s super-normal growth informs every industry metric,” Moffett said in a Thursday analysis of Q2 results: “It has flattered every operator. Like the storied children of Lake Wobegon, everyone is above average.” But Moffett questioned how long that trend will continue. “Strong subscriber growth has been a welcome offset for what has otherwise been rather anemic growth in revenues and EBITDA, particularly for Verizon and AT&T,” he said. If industry subscriber growth returns to normal “the backdrop won’t be nearly so flattering,” he said. Moffett warned that customers gained through aggressive promotions, cheap lines and free phones “inevitably promote low quality phone net additions.” To keep those customers from going elsewhere “the companies now dependent on promotions to bolster growth will need them even more to maintain it,” he said. Moffett has a sell rating on AT&T, neutral on Verizon and buy on T-Mobile.

Launching automated frequency control (AFC) in the 6 GHz band will likely be complicated and could take years to roll out, members of the Wireless Innovation Forum’s 6 GHz Committee Steering Group warned FCC Office of Engineering and Technology staff. Experiences with the citizens broadband radio service and TV white spaces suggest the process could take three years or longer, said a filing posted Thursday in docket 18-295. The process “could also be lengthy if required to wait for the FCC to perform AFC system testing, or select (and possibly accredit) third-party labs,” the filing said. The group asked about ways to streamline testing, whether some steps can be done in parallel and about AFC system operators testing their own systems.