The Wi-Fi Alliance, NCTA and others opposed an Amateur Radio Emergency Data Network petition (see 2105030042) for stay of the FCC's 5-0 November order opening 45 MHz of the 5.9 GHz band for Wi-Fi, while allocating 30 MHz for cellular vehicle-to-everything (see 2011180043). Most of the order takes effect July 2. “AREDN fails to demonstrate that it will likely prevail on the merits,” the alliance said in a filing posted Tuesday in docket 19-138. “Contrary to AREDN’s assertions, the Commission has broad, exclusive authority to manage spectrum designated for non-federal operations under the Communications Act and therefore was well within its ability to reallocate the 5.9 GHz band,” the group said: AREDN hasn’t demonstrated it would suffer any harm, while other groups would if a stay were granted. “The 5.9 GHz Order is a key component of the Commission’s efforts to deliver immediate and long-term improvements to in-home broadband delivered over Wi-Fi,” said NCTA: “The COVID-19 public health crisis has only intensified reliance on Wi-Fi networks and further underscores the importance of making new unlicensed spectrum available.” AREDN “has it backwards,” said Public Knowledge and New America’s Open Technology Institute. “The authority of the Secretary of Transportation to mandate safety equipment for vehicles does not extend into the subject matter jurisdiction of a sister agency.” Wireless ISPs use the band under special temporary authority, the WISP Association said. “As many STA holders have indicated in their initial STA requests and renewal applications, demand for bandwidth capacity is not expected to subside post-pandemic because more people will continue to work from home and use telehealth, especially in rural areas where medical facilities are not often nearby.” A lawyer for AREDN emailed that the FCC isn’t allowing replies to the oppositions, and declined further comment.

The Aerospace Industries Association asked the FCC to reconsider a decision in its March 3.45 GHz auction order (see 2103170061) to not launch a coordination framework ensuring aerospace contractors have “dependable and reliable access to the band at a limited set of existing facilities currently operating under Part 5 experimental licenses.” Eleven locations “have long been the sites of high-powered outdoor testing activity and include extensive permanent infrastructure required for government contract-related engineering development, systems integration, and sustainment problem resolution,” said a Monday posting in docket 19-348. The sites are “an essential link in the defense industrial supply chain” and contractors should be able to use the band “indefinitely on a co-primary, highest-priority basis.”

Tech companies urged the FCC to act on an order allowing client-to-client operations in the 6 GHz band, the subject of a January notice (see 2101110031), in a call with Office of Engineering and Technology staff. Apple, Broadcom, Facebook, Google, Intel, Microsoft and Qualcomm participated. The companies discussed “how client-to-client operations can enable important new use cases, subject to strict limits to protect incumbents from harmful interference,” said a filing posted Friday in docket 18-295. “When client devices are near one another it’s more spectrally efficient for them to transfer data directly using lower transmit power levels,” they said: “Using lower transmit power conserves power and precious battery resources.”

The FCC conditionally approved Fairspectrum, Nokia and Red Technologies as spectrum access system administrators for the citizens broadband radio service band, said a Friday release. The three passed the first phase of a two-phase approval process. The FCC also cleared CommScope, Google, Federated Wireless and Key Bridge to be environmental sensing capability operators in the 3550-3650 MHz part of the band in Puerto Rico and Guam. Federated was approved as an SAS in American Samoa. “No matter who you are or where you live, you need access to modern communications,” said acting Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel: “This is true, of course, for those living in Puerto Rico, Guam, and American Samoa too.”

The announcement by UScellular, Qualcomm, Ericsson and Inseego Thursday of sustained uplink and downlink speeds over 5G millimeter wave on a commercial network is “a huge milestone in addressing the ‘last mile’ connectivity challenge,” said ABI Research analyst Khin Sandi Lynn. Only 81% of U.S. households are connected to fixed broadband access, she said. Multi-gigabit speeds over mmWave will benefit consumers and businesses, supporting the increased broadband demand since COVID-19, Lynn said: “The solution solves the limited propagation characteristic of mmWave and will accelerate deployments of fixed wireless access services in rural and underserved areas and contribute to achieving broadband for all.” Speeds were reached at 7 kilometers, the farthest U.S. 5G mmWave FWA connection, with sustained average downlinks of about 1 Gbps, sustained average uplink speeds of about 55 Mbps and instantaneous peak downlinks at more than 2 Gbps, said the companies. At 1.75 km with no line of sight, average downlink speeds reached about 730 Mbps, with sustained average uplinks of 38 Mbps on UScellular’s network in Janesville, Wisconsin. Tests were done with Ericsson’s Antenna Integrated Radio 5322 advanced antenna system, with an Inseego Wavemaker 5G outdoor CPE FW2010 powered by Qualcomm.

Qualcomm officials spoke with aides to FCC acting Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel on the company’s proposal for licensed sharing of the entire 600 MHz-wide lower 37 GHz band. “Our proposal offers a state-of-the-art regulatory paradigm optimized for this novel shared licensed millimeter wave band,” said a filing posted Wednesday in docket 14-177.

Google sought FCC certification as a spectrum access system administrator in the citizens broadband radio service band in American Samoa. The company also reported recent growth in the CBRS market. Base stations being served by Google’s SAS continue "to rapidly increase, especially as relaxation of pandemic restrictions begins to allow significant growth in enterprise CBRS deployments,” said a filing posted Wednesday in docket 15-319.

Wi-Fi mesh systems and fixed wireless access services are “the key technologies to bring better broadband to all,” reported ABI Research Wednesday. As demand for broadband connectivity increases, “many mature markets have reached close to 100% household penetration, resulting in higher competition among broadband operators,” it said. “Deployment of solutions and services which support better broadband user experience is becoming critical for broadband operators to achieve business success.” Wi-Fi mesh systems are gaining popularity for complete home Wi-Fi coverage and to support network management tools such as parental control, device-level traffic manipulation and troubleshooting technical issues, said ABI.

12 GHz Alliance members concerned about having enough time to comment on feasibility of sharing the band with 5G have the reply stage and ex parte presentations, the FCC Wireless Bureau ordered in docket 20-443 Tuesday, denying a request for extension of comment and replies. OneWeb, Kepler, SpaceX, Intelsat and SES sought extension until after RS Access submits its technical analysis of sharing the band (see 2104290062). The alliance didn't comment.

T-Mobile continued industry-leading growth in Q1, adding 1.4 million customers, including 773,000 postpaid phone net adds. Both were down from last quarter, in which 1.7 million new customers and 794,000 phones were added. Postpaid churn was 0.98%. Revenue rose 78% over the same quarter last year to $19.8 billion, with $933 million in profit, down slightly. Customers are switching to T-Mobile as it’s increasingly perceived as having the best 5G network, with gains among “prime” and “most discriminating” consumers, CEO Mike Sievert told analysts. “We’re really starting to pull away from the pack like we told you we would,” he said: “Consumers and businesses are taking notice.” Its extended range 5G “covers 295 million people across 1.6 million square miles, 4x more than Verizon and 2x more than AT&T,” T-Mobile said. Its faster 5G offering covers 140 million, with projections of 200 million by Dec. 31. “We’re tracking ahead of schedule,” Sievert said. Half of Sprint customer traffic and 20% of Sprint customers are on the T-Mobile network, the carrier said. T-Mobile said it now expects $2.8-$3.1 billion in 2021 synergies as a result of buying Sprint. T-Mobile executives were together for the call as workers “gradually and safely” are returning in-person, Sievert said.