OMB OK'd information collection requirements in the FCC 6 GHz order, which commissioners approved 5-0 in April (see 2004230059), says Friday's Federal Register. OMB pegged compliance at $72.5 million.

Tech companies sought action on a pending Further NPRM on the 6 GHz band, in meetings with FCC Commissioner Nathan Simington and with an aide to acting Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel. “The order adopted carefully considered rules that will protect incumbents while permitting innovation in fixed unlicensed equipment and operations,” said a filing posted Thursday in docket 18-295. Apple, Broadcom, Cisco, CommScope, Facebook, Google, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Intel, Microsoft and Qualcomm were on the calls. A Hogan spokesperson said the suit "highlights how not only are there real policy problems with the digital ad tax, but also serious legal questions surrounding it as well." The Maryland attorney general's office declined comment on pending litigation.

Analog Devices' communications business generated 18% of Q1 sales, and revenue was down 10% sequentially from Q4 but up 16% year over year, said Chief Financial Officer Prashanth Mahendra-Rajah on a fiscal Q1 investor call Wednesday. Wireless and wireline revenue grew by double digits from the year-earlier quarter, “despite zero revenue from Huawei this quarter” due to the Commerce Department’s export restrictions on the Chinese telecom giant, he said. The chipmaker has said consistently that big U.S. deployment of 5G "is going to be a second-half event,” said Mahendra-Rajah. “Our view on that has not changed. What we have seen is a bit more of a slowdown in China as they’re digesting the 5G that they have deployed and the channel counts are a bit lower.” The company doubts it can grow communications revenue year over year, “given the significant headwind from Huawei going to zero,” said Mahendra-Rajah. “That’s a tough ask."

T-Mobile representatives noted potential problems with a tentative list of areas that could be included in a 2.5 GHz auction. “T-Mobile provided examples in Southern California, New York City and Washington, DC areas where it believes the Public Notice Attachment includes county/blocks that are fully encumbered by incumbent 2.5 GHz licensees and thus, should not be available in the Auction 108 inventory,” T-Mobile told staff from the Office of Economics and Analytics and Wireless Bureau, per a Wednesday posting in docket 20-429. T-Mobile also offered examples from Texas and Georgia where blocks may be available but haven’t been added to the inventory list.

The FCC will adopt an order on the 12 GHz band, after the January notice OK’d 5-0 by commissioners (see 2101130067), New Street’s Blair Levin said in a Tuesday note to investors. The rules will likely include changes sought by Dish Network, with the support of public interest groups, he said. “We just don’t think it will happen quickly,” he said: “We expect a two-stage process that initially focuses on how to achieve coexistence with incumbents, followed up by technically detailed proposed rules. That could take more than a year.”

Dish Network signed contracts with Harmoni Towers, Mobilitie, Parallel Infrastructure, Phoenix Tower, Tillman Infrastructure, Tower Ventures and Vogue Towers as it builds a stand-alone 5G network. They give Dish access to 4,000 towers, the company said Tuesday. Dish agreed to build its own 5G network, and buy assets from T-Mobile, as part of the federal approval of T-Mobile/Sprint last year (see 2004010018).

Rysavy Research's report paid for by CTIA urges the 3.45-3.55 GHz band be made available using a “simple, flexible-use licensing model based on full-power operation and wider license areas.” Being filed at the FCC Tuesday, it said using a citizens broadband radio service sharing model would place the U.S. “at a global competitive disadvantage.” The band is “a critical near-term opportunity to make a significant swath of midband spectrum available for next-generation wireless use, and it is vital to ensure that wireless users have full access to as much of this spectrum as possible,” CTIA said.

The FCC defended its April decision to allow unlicensed use of the 6 GHz band, in a filing posted Tuesday at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit (in Pacer) in docket 20-1190. “The Commission’s decision was made after careful consideration of the evidence presented by both proponents and opponents of unlicensed operations,” the FCC said: “Over the course of a nearly three-year rulemaking, the agency reviewed a voluminous and highly technical record that included roughly 100 studies and thousands of filings from interested parties.” AT&T, APCO, NAB, electric utilities and others challenged the rules (see 2012180057). The FCC said the rules protect incumbents.

The FCC Wireless Bureau sought comment Friday on a proposal by the Virginia Department of State Police to increase the existing limit on its Part 22 transmitter power output for its mobile transmitters from 60 watts to 100 watts, using a maximum effective radiated power of 150 watts. The department “asserts that it has investigated other spectrum and technology options and found no viable alternative for addressing its security and public safety responsibilities,” the bureau said. Comments are due March 15, replies March 30, in docket 20-241.

The Motorola one 5G ace smartphone went on sale Friday at Metro by T-Mobile for $89.99, $19.99 for switchers. With a 6.7-inch display and a 48-megapixel main camera, it has a 5,000 mAh battery that can stay connected for over two days on a charge, said T-Mobile, where it will also be sold soon. Pixelworks predicted OEMs will push this year to embed 5G in inexpensive handsets (see 2102120002).