U.S. 5G awareness is up to mass scale, but fewer than one in five consumers understand differences among 5G network band types, reported NPD Monday. It canvassed 5,100 adult cellphone users last month, finding 90% were aware of 5G network deployments; only18% understood differences between mid-band and millimeter-wave. Awareness of the different network options was higher among Android users (45%) than iOS subscribers (40%). Two-thirds are interested in buying 5G smartphones, with purchase intent higher among iPhone users (40%) than Android owners (33%). “The current premature state of 5G networks in terms of speed and coverage will continue to be a barrier in the mass adoption of 5G smartphones,” said NPD.
Comments are due Sept. 29, replies Oct. 9 on an April petition for reconsideration by the National Spectrum Managers Association on December's RF order (see 1912040036), said a Monday Federal Register FCC notice. NSMA sought reconsideration of the two-year timetable for implementing site-by-site RF exposure evaluation as “not realistically practical” and for other parts of the order. “The evaluation calls for the aggregation of radiation from multiple highly directive fixed antennas that do not, by design and as operated, radiate in the same direction so as to present a risk to nearby humans,” the group complained: “Aggregating these signals is therefore unnecessary to serve the protective function of the required evaluation.”
The FCC Wireless Bureau approved a waiver for CommScope to use a single label to designate its PSR 700/800 signal booster as a “Class A and Class B” industrial signal booster. “Granting this request will advance the Commission’s goals of ensuring that providers have access to a wide array of signal boosters necessary to address coverage issues, while maximizing proper operation of these devices,” said Friday's letter-order.
Texas Instruments supported Tesla's request to market a sensing device for the 60-64 GHz band at higher power than specified in FCC rules. The carmaker said the technology is intended for applications including child safety systems and seat belt reminders (see 2008200027). A waiver “will create substantial benefits to the public by enabling the inclusion of technology that will enhance passenger safety and vehicle security” and “will not cause harmful interference in the band,” TI said in a filing posted Friday in docket 20-264. Comments are due Sept. 21.
The FCC Public Safety Bureau denied waiver of wireless emergency alert rules to Irvine, California. The locale asked to permit commercial mobile service providers to participate in an end-to-end WEA test Oct. 15 using the public safety alert category. Instead, it should “move forward with the scheduled test using the available State/Local WEA Test category,” said the bureau Friday, arguing the city failed to explain why it couldn’t do that.
The FCC granted licenses in the 37, 39 and 47 GHz band auction won by Pine Cellular Phones and Horry Telephone Co-op. The auction ended in January with gross proceeds of $7.56 billion (see 2001300026).
Emerging markets will have surprising parity long term with the rest of the world in 5G adoption, despite their limited 4G penetration, reported ABI Research Thursday. It’s forecasting developing countries will have a faster than expected 5G subscriber adoption with a 26% compound annual growth rate in subscriptions through 2030, versus 28% global CAGR. “Broader use cases” will speed adoption in emerging markets, as will wide availability of open radio access network technologies, said ABI. “As the COVID-19 pandemic impacts the social fabric and economic activities of our countries, emerging markets are constantly reminded of the importance of a connected world. 5G will address the issue of supply chain resiliency and provide new business models in enterprises.”
The best course for the 5.9 GHz band would be reallocating it for cellular vehicle to everything technology (C-V2X), the 5G Automotive Association said in a call with staff from the FCC Office of Engineering and Technology and Office of Economics and Analytics. 5GAA proposed two plans but preferred the one to allocate the band's upper portion for basic C-V2X direct services and the lower portion for advanced C-V2X. “Should the Commission choose to reallocate the lower portion of the band for unlicensed operations, the 5GAA representatives stressed the importance of adopting rules that allow for robust C-V2X Direct operations in the upper portion,” the group said. If the FCC opens the band for Wi-Fi, “identify 40 MHz of dedicated, mid-band spectrum elsewhere for Advanced C-V2X Direct,” the association asked. Representatives of major automakers and tech companies including Qualcomm, Nokia and Panasonic participated, said a filing posted Thursday in docket 19-138.
Verizon Media is introducing a free “Watch Together” feature enabling NFL fans to video chat on their phones while watching live games in the Yahoo Sports app, said the carrier. Yahoo Sports is launching an augmented reality enhancement, “Yahoo Sports PlayAR,” that will allow fans to view “graphical replays of key plays across all games in near real-time.” It will layer NFL “proprietary tracking data” on screen with “enhanced games stats for players."
CommScope and Google are working together to launch Orion Wifi, which targets carrier offload. “Carrier Wi-Fi offload in public venues can be frustrating for consumers and even more so for venue managers and owners as they negotiate rates and try to solve roaming,” said Pramod Badjate, senior vice president-CommScope’s Ruckus Tuesday.