The FCC Wireless Bureau granted nine 900 MHz broadband segment licenses Monday, all to PDV Spectrum Holding. The licenses cover markets in Illinois, Missouri and Iowa, including St. Louis.
Handsets with 5G functionality are expected to generate more than half of all smartphone industry revenue by 2025, rising to $337 billion from $108 billion in 2021, reported Juniper Research Monday. “Increasing the availability of lower-tier 5G smartphones is crucial to propagate 5G handset adoption in emerging markets,” it said. It’s pegging global Android smartphone pricing to be 65% lower than that of iOS by 2025, but “the enduring popularity of iOS devices in developed markets will make 40% of global 5G smartphone revenue attributable to North America and Europe.” It warned that right-to-repair legislation may impede 5G smartphone industry revenue growth “as more handset users choose to repair older models rather than upgrading.”
NTIA scheduled a virtual spectrum symposium Sept. 21, starting at 9 a.m. EDT, says Tuesday's Federal Register. The focus is “national spectrum policy development and the evolution of new techniques and technologies for federal spectrum management, including spectrum sharing.”
Aviation and aerospace industry representatives raised concerns on interference risks to low-range radar altimeters posed by mobile C-band use, in calls with aides to FCC commissioners. Industry “has been diligently examining the mitigations it or the FAA can initiate without the Commission or the 3.7 GHz Band flexible use licensees assuming an active role,” said filings posted Monday in docket 18-122. “Adding band pass filters to certified aircraft in a timely fashion -- before 3.7 GHz Band deployments start operating in major markets -- is a practical impossibility and fails to offer a comprehensive solution to mitigate the risks of interference to radio altimeters,” the filings said. The Aerospace Industries Association, the Aerospace Vehicle Systems Institute, the Airborne Public Safety Association, Airbus, American Airlines, the Air Line Pilots Association, Boeing, the General Aviation Manufacturers Association, Garmin International, Honeywell International, the International Air Transport Association and Lockheed Martin were among those represented on the calls to aides to acting Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel and Commissioners Geoffrey Starks and Nathan Simington.
Concerns remain on Verizon’s proposed buy of Tracfone, New America’s Open Technology Institute told an aide to acting FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel. Other groups dropped opposition at the FCC last week (see 2108120029). The FCC “must, at a minimum, impose strong conditions to protect low-income consumers from price increases and ensure TracFone remains a supportive Lifeline participant,” OTIS said in a filing posted Monday in docket 21-112: “These conditions should include rigorous, independent enforcement mechanisms, including an ombudsman or compliance officer who is empowered to proactively monitor compliance with any merger conditions.”
An AT&T representative urged the FCC to consider 6 GHz interference concerns raised by Southern Co. (see 2106240075), in a call with an aide to acting FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel. The FCC allowed the use of low-power indoor devices without automated frequency coordination based on “theoretical studies by some proponents for unlicensed use that purported to show that such use would be unlikely to cause harmful interference to microwave incumbents,” said a filing posted Monday in docket 18-295. Southern provided “data from real-world tests of commercial, off-the-shelf 6 GHz unlicensed devices and an actual operating microwave link, and the data show harmful interference to primary, incumbent microwave licensees is inevitable,” AT&T said.
Representatives of Broadcom, Cisco and Facebook spoke with Office of Engineering and Technology acting Chief Ron Repasi and others from OET about launching the Open Automated Frequency Coordination Software Group for the 6 GHz band (see 2108100022), said a filing posted Friday in docket 18-295.
GCI raised concerns in comments on proposed drive test parameters and a model for the tests for some carriers participating in the Alaska Plan. Comments were due Thursday in docket 16-271. “Many of the areas where GCI and other providers committed to improve mobile wireless services are extremely remote,” said a filing posted Friday: “The Proposal would likely require GCI to test a substantial number of grid cells that are very sparsely populated (if actually populated at all), roadless, miles from the nearest road, or all three. The efforts required for these tests will validate a very small percentage of [those] reflected in the commitments but require substantial effort.”
An FCC framework for addressing contraband wireless devices in correctional facilities, approved 4-0 in July (see 2107120057), is effective Sept. 13, says the Friday Federal Register. Comments on an accompanying Further NPRM are due that day, replies Oct. 12, says a second notice. The order “adopts a framework requiring the disabling of contraband wireless devices detected in correctional facilities upon satisfaction of certain criteria, and we address issues involving oversight, wireless provider liability, and treatment of 911 calls,” the notice says.
T-Mobile’s fiber pilot in New York City (see 2108110056) likely won’t be a major growth driver for the already quick growing provider, but it shows the company “looking for different strategies to target broadband markets in different geographies,” New Street’s Jonathan Chaplin told investors Thursday. T-Mobile is working with Pilot Fiber, a small provider serving about 600 buildings, he said. “The economics of wholesaling someone else’s infrastructure won’t be great, but it will help T-Mobile compete against cable and the incumbents where they are integrated, potentially helping retention and lowering churn,” he said: “We don't think this will be a major driver of value for T-Mobile,” but it “may help feed share gains in wireless.”