The citizens broadband radio service auction will likely close at between the $2 billion raised in the 24 GHz auction and the $4.5 billion from the 37, 39 and 47 GHz band sale, New Street’s Jonathan Chaplin told investors. Wednesday's prices indicate an average of 4 cents MHz/POP, Chaplin said. “There is still lots of excess demand, suggesting that prices have a ways to run before we have a clear sense of where they will land.” The two previous auctions “saw prices start to stabilize around the 20th round,” he said: “We would expect the same here.” The FCC is now running three rounds a day and round 20 will come Tuesday, he noted. The auction hit $831.8 million Thursday after 13 rounds as bidding heated up. That's a jump from $775.2 million in the previous round.
Comments are due Aug. 31, replies Sept. 29 on an FCC NPRM to “take the next statutorily required step to implement” the 2012 spectrum law's mandate for public safety to move off the 470-512 MHz T band by 2021 (see 2005150053), says Friday's Federal Register. “The Commission seeks comment on transition mechanisms and costs for relocating public safety eligibles from the T-Band, including whether to transition these licensees only where auction revenues exceed anticipated transition costs,” the notice says: “The Commission also proposes an auction framework and licensing, operating, and technical rules for the reallocated spectrum that would preserve the current environment for incumbents remaining.”
T-Mobile doesn’t oppose a 90-day extension of Monday’s 2.5 GHz rural tribal priority application window, but the FCC should remember it's already actively deploying services in the band, said a filing posted Thursday in docket 18-120. “It is important that grant of the pending requests not delay action necessary to auction the remaining 2.5 GHz spectrum for commercial use,” the carrier said: “While T-Mobile has begun to deploy 2.5 GHz spectrum for 5G services, currently unlicensed spectrum should be available to provide broadband services and not continue to lie fallow.” Some support a six-month extension (see 2007230040).
The importance of 5G is underscored by how 4G “powered remarkable economic growth and transformed the way Americans live and work,” Recon Analytics and CTIA reported Wednesday. “Nearly 10% of the GDP increase of the entire U.S. economy from 2011 to 2019 was due to the growth of the U.S. wireless industry.”
The Small Unmanned Aerial Vehicles Coalition asked the Department of Transportation and FAA to extend the integration pilot program for drones established in a 2017 presidential memorandum. The memo expires Oct. 25, the coalition said Wednesday: It can be extended by the transportation secretary but “we have been informed that the Department has decided not to seek an extension.” Coalition members participating “have gained valuable experience,” the group said. Drone companies used the program to explore delivery of medical supplies (see 2006150056).
T-Mobile disputed claims by US Electrodynamics about needed protections for telemetry, tracking and command (TT&C) gateway sites in the C band. The proposal “unnecessarily constrains potential future terrestrial use of the band,” the carrier said in a filing posted Tuesday in docket 18-122: T-Mobile “has supported efforts to protect” TT&C/Gateway operations, but “the protections that [the company] seeks were not only considered and rejected by the Commission, they also go beyond what is necessary to protect TT&C/Gateway sites.” US Electrodynamics didn't comment Wednesday.
Nokia supported a Verizon reconsideration petition seeking higher power levels for some unlicensed operations in the 6 GHz band (see 2006260066). “Nokia supports more robust technical parameters that facilitate 5G services, subject to” automated frequency coordination, said a Wednesday filing coming in docket 18-295. “Nokia has been extremely active in this proceeding, submitting several technical studies and advocating to reach a result that will support new robust unlicensed operations while protecting critical incumbent Fixed Service use."
As the U.S. moves toward 5G, it should focus on modular architecture with open interfaces, which would make networks less reliant on equipment vendors Huawei, Nokia, Ericsson and Samsung, the Center for a New American Security said Tuesday. The U.S. “has the opportunity to regain momentum by taking a fresh approach to 5G” in the aftermath of COVID-19, CNAS said. It warned the pandemic will likely slow deployments. It said: “A modular architecture allows an operator to choose multiple vendors for a range of offerings, rather than being locked in with a single large integrated vendor. Open interfaces -- the ability of equipment from any vendor to work with that of another -- make that possible. Such a shift means upending the industry status quo.”
The FCC published its June wireless infrastructure declaratory ruling (see 2006090060) in the Federal Register Monday. The 3-2 order, which seeks to speed the collocation of wireless infrastructure on existing cell towers, took effect June 10.
The wireless industry is making “significant progress” in addressing security risks of the diameter protocol, FCC Chairman Ajit Pai said Monday. The protocol was a Communications Security, Reliability and Interoperability Council focus, and carriers earlier say they are working with the agency and following best practices (see 2003120030). “We found widespread adoption across the industry, with implementation of these measures either completed or underway by most providers,” said Public Safety Bureau Chief Lisa Fowlkes.