Don't open a window to consider authorizing additional volunteer examiner coordinators (VECs) to prepare and administer amateur radio operator exams, the American Radio Relay League told the FCC in a Monday posting. Replies were due Friday in docket 21-2 on a January Wireless Bureau notice (see 2101050040). “Amateur examination opportunities have been and continue to be plentiful,” ARRL said: “Additional VECs would have no effect on the number of examination opportunities or available examiners.”

Apple led the field of smartphone vendors in Q4 for the first time since 2016, grabbing 20.8% share on strength of the iPhone 12 series, reported Gartner Monday. Apple’s sales grew 14.9% to 79.9 million units. Overall, global sales of smartphones to end users fell 5.4% to 384.6 million in Q4 as consumers largely “remained cautious” in spending and delayed some discretionary purchases, said analyst Anshul Gupta. But 5G smartphones and pro-camera features “encouraged some end users to purchase new smartphones or upgrade their current smartphones.” Samsung quarterly shipments fell 11.8%, for 16.2% share. Samsung held its full-year lead, though it suffered a year-on-year decline of 14.6% in shipments to 253 million as it faced “tough competition” from regional smartphone vendors Xiaomi, Oppo and Vivo, said Gupta. Apple and Xiaomi were the only two of the top five with growth. The ban on use of Google applications on Huawei smartphones hurt the Chinese smartphone maker, which had a 41% plunge in Q4 shipments. Availability of lower end 5G smartphones and innovative features will fuel upgrades in 2021, said the analyst.

CTIA representatives deemed it important to “continu[e] to expand the spectrum pipeline,” in calls with aides to FCC acting Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel and Commissioner Brendan Carr, said a filing posted Monday in docket 19-348. “CTIA identified the 3 GHz band as a 5G priority band, which would enable device, network equipment, and chip manufacturers to build to globally harmonized, international specifications.”

FCC commissioners approved an order 4-0 incorporating 2019's American National Standards Institute standard into its rules and making it the exclusive testing standard for determining hearing aid compatibility after a two-year transition. The FCC sought comment last year (see 2001300041). The agency now extended the volume control deadline, to coincide with the start of the standard, and made technical changes. The order was released Monday in docket 20-3. “We improve accessibility by updating our … rules to ensure that people with hearing loss have access to the newest devices built with the latest technical developments and standards,” said acting Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel: “This action is especially important right now with the deployment of 5G underway. It is imperative that this new service is built for all.”

Aerospace and defense industry representatives, led by the Aerospace Industries Association, told FCC Office of Engineering and Technology and Wireless Bureau staff they will need access to the entire 3.1-3.55 GHz band regardless of a proposed 3.45-3.55 GHz auction (see 2102190046). Industry “has long had access” to the band “on an experimental basis to conduct testing, research, and development for manufacturing and production of radars and other systems used by their customers,” said a Friday posting in docket 19-348. Boeing, L3Harris, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman and Raytheon were on the call.

T-Mobile urged a 2.5 GHz auction this year, using a simultaneous multiple-round bidding approach, in a call with FCC auction staff. “Reject proposals to use a single-round, sealed-bid auction format with pay-as-bid pricing, which will encourage speculation and produce economically inefficient results,” said a filing posted Friday in docket 18-120. “There are no impediments to an auction of the 2.5 GHz band in 2021.”

UScellular may have spent $1.46 billion in the C-band auction, suggested a footnote in its Friday investor presentation accompanying Q4 results. Executives on a quarterly call declined to comment, saying the footnote was intended only to provide “context.” After Dec. 31, “UScellular committed to purchase wireless spectrum licenses for approximately $1,460 million inclusive of associated costs, subject to regulatory approval,” the footnote said. Companies are barred from commenting on auction results until 10 business days after they're announced by the FCC. Winners must make 20% deposits. A UScellular spokesperson didn’t comment.

All comments support CTIA’s petition for reconsideration of 5G Fund rules (see 2102090037), approved 3-2 in October (see 2010270034), and the FCC should make the changes sought, CTIA replied, posted Friday in docket 20-32. The Rural Wireless Association and NTCA defended their petition seeking recon of excluding "areas from eligibility for support in the 5G Fund Phase I auction based upon where new mobile coverage data submitted in the Digital Opportunity Data Collection show the existence of either unsubsidized 4G LTE or unsubsidized 5G broadband service,” they said: “T-Mobile and AT&T fail to show why the Commission’s decision on eligibility should not be reconsidered.” The Coalition of Rural Wireless Carriers (CWRC) fired back against T-Mobile's objections to its petition. “The principal issue is whether the Commission’s decision in the 5G Fund Order disregards guardrails enacted by Congress and therefore must be reconsidered and revised,” it said. The FCC misreads Consolidated 2016 Appropriations Act Section 631, CRWC said: “The statute bars the Commission from using any funds to change rules governing high-cost support provided to competitive eligible telecommunications carriers in any manner that is inconsistent with paragraph (e)(5) or (e)(6) of Section 54.307 of the FCC’s rules, which provide that the phase-down of legacy support must be paused until the Commission has implemented Mobility Fund Phase II.”

The FCC should take “fast action” to launch an auction of the 3.5 GHz band, Free State Foundation Policy Studies Director Seth Cooper blogged Thursday. “Combining 3.35-3.45 GHz spectrum with C-band, [citizens broadband radio service], and other adjacent 3 GHz spectrum could create a contiguous block of 630 MHz for 5G.”

The FCC Wireless Bureau reminded 700 MHz guard band licensees and 220 MHz band managers their annual reports are due March 1. “The information provided should accurately convey the current level of service being offered in each licensed area, including information regarding coverage provided by Licensees’ operations and any spectrum lease agreements,” the bureau said Thursday.