The Aerospace Industries Association said the FCC shouldn’t make a quick decision on a request for waiver for drones of 450 MHz general aviation air-ground radiotelephone service rules by Aura Network Systems and A2G Communications (see 2006240023). Other commenters said drones need more spectrum for command and control (C2) and the request should be approved. Several reminded of a pending rulemaking on use of the 960-1164 MHz and 5030-5091 MHz bands by drones (see 1912270039), posted through Monday in docket 20-185. AIA raised air safety concerns. “Given that the waiver is seeking a change in the use of spectrum from the Land-Mobile service … to an aviation safety use, AURA should be required to consult with" FAA, the group said. Boeing also raised safety issues: “Issuing an expedited waiver to a single provider, in a frequency band that has not been demonstrated to be safe for UAS [unmanned aircraft system] C2 operations, is not the best path.” The 5030-5091 MHz band is allocated for drone control “pursuant to international consensus,” Boeing noted. The National Public Safety Telecommunications Council endorsed waiver, warning “additional spectrum for payload and possibly for command and control will be needed for effective UAS operations, given the expanding demand for UAS.” The Enterprise Wireless Alliance “supports whatever waiver relief the FCC considers necessary,” EWA said: “This is a logical response to technology advances that often exceed the pace of regulatory changes.” EWA agreed drones need spectrum beyond 450 MHz. The Edison Electric Institute said drones are increasingly important to electric utilities and the waiver should be approved. The band’s “propagation characteristics, bandwidth and lack of other incumbents makes it well suited for command and control and non-payload communications at low altitudes and a cost-effective nationwide coverage for low-altitude, Beyond Visual Line of Sight and other expanded operations,” EEI said. Federated Wireless said dynamic sharing can prevent harmful interference.

The citizens broadband radio service hit $486.5 million after five rounds Monday. Bids were at $357 million at the end of the first day Thursday (see [2007230074). New Street’s Blair Levin cautioned against judging based on how much money it brings in, the usual auction measure. “The CBRS auction is not about how much the spectrum is worth,” Levin told investors: “The importance here will be determined by other, more subtle metrics. Such metrics would include the extent to which incumbents can use shared spectrum to reduce their cost structure, cable can use CBRS to provide their own wireless services, and new providers who control specific areas, such as universities and office park owners, can use the spectrum to offer niche services.”

Despite Apple’s “hit” with the $399 SE, the company’s quarter will be "suppressed” due to smartphone weakness in the U.S., said eMarketer Friday, before the company's Thursday earnings report for the period ended June 30. Most analysts expect Apple revenue to struggle to match last year's numbers as a result, but services will likely remain a growth area, with people spending more time on their smartphones during the pandemic, said Yoram Wurmser. The research firm expects Apple’s share of U.S. smartphone users to remain flat, at a 45.6% share by year-end; Android’s share will be 53.8%, dominating smartphone usage through 2022.

MEI Telecom and Avangrid Networks payments to participate in the auction of priority access licenses in the citizens broadband radio service, late, respectively, by one business day and two business days, won't be treated as on time, the FCC Office of Economics and Analytics said. The orders (see here and here) in Friday's Daily Digest denied the companies' requests for waiver of the upfront payment deadline. Waving the deadline for MEI raises fairness questions for others that met the deadline, staff said. Timely submission of an upfront payment helps establish that an applicant is financially qualified to take part in an auction, said the Avangrid order.

The FCC fined HobbyKing $2.86 million for marketing noncompliant drone transmitters. The devices link the unit's transmitters by video with users flying the drones, the commission said in an item in Friday's Daily Digest (see related items here). After getting complaints, the Enforcement Bureau investigated, finding 65 models that operated in unauthorized RF bands and sometimes at excessive transmission power. After warning the company to follow the rules, the commission received more complaints and ordered HobbyKing to provide information on its marketing of the transmitters, the agency said. "Yet HobbyKing provided no further response, as required by law." If the retailer doesn't pay in a month, the FCC said it will refer the debt to DOJ for collection. "Continued failure to comply with the equipment marketing requirements is likely to be met with additional sanctions," warned a forfeiture order. "The Company’s pledge to use 'best efforts' not to market additional noncompliant products identified by the Bureau is not sufficient." Commissioner Mike O'Rielly noted the company's actions aren't "analogous to the equipment authorization rule changes I have proposed" that would allow presale of devices before his agency's OK (see 2006020069). That reflects "today’s world where people are used to Kickstarter campaigns and ordering handsets weeks before they are delivered into consumers’ eager hands." These rule changes "can be effectively implemented without causing any harm," he added, but "the same cannot be said of HobbyKing’s actions." Repeated attempts to reach a company representative were unsuccessful.

Tower companies Crown Castle and American Tower were among industry commenters supporting an FCC proposal for further changes to wireless infrastructure rules for collocations. Commissioners approved an NPRM 3-2 in June (see 2006090060). Local and state government groups oppose the changes (see 2007220079). Comments were posted Thursday in docket 19-250. Consumers want 5G, Crown Castle said. “The ability to make minor increases to the physical footprint of existing tower sites is vital to keeping up with this demand and providing the back-up power that is increasingly required to ensure resilient services,” it said. “Failure to allow for such expansion in a manner consistent with industry and municipal practices will significantly hinder the use of existing infrastructure for collocation and continued growth, placing unnecessary barriers in the path to deployment.” The change would address an inconsistency between current rules implementing Section 6409 of the 2012 Spectrum Act and the 2004 nationwide programmatic agreement, American Tower said. The NPA permits “construction and excavation within 30 feet in any direction of the leased or owned property previously surrounding a tower… without the need for further Section 106 National Historic Preservation Act review,” the company said: “However, in collocation situations, which are less disruptive than tower replacements, an expansion of a tower compound is subject to more significant government scrutiny.” The record “demonstrates a widespread recognition by the wireless industry and infrastructure providers that the definition of ‘compound expansion’ used for determining whether a proposal is eligible for treatment under Section 6409(a) is inhibiting wireless deployment and is logically inconsistent with the treatment of replacement towers,” said the Wireless Infrastructure Association, which sought the change. Even basic customer equipment and backup power require some additional space at cellsites, CTIA said. “More than one generation of equipment may be located at a site as providers phase out older equipment.” 5G networks also use multi-access edge computing, which will be installed at current facilities, the group said. Reject the proposal as “inconsistent with Congressional intent, the Commission’s prior orders, and public policy,” said local governments. “There is no evidence that the proposed change is necessary, nor that any economic analysis has been conducted to justify the disruption the proposed rule will cause in the marketplace,” they said. “Failure to adopt the compound expansion proposal will not be fatal to the site expansions.” Signers included Boston; Portland, Oregon; Clarke County, Nevada; Rockville and Gaithersburg, Maryland; and municipal groups in Michigan and Texas.

The Wireless Infrastructure Association released a paper Wednesday on “best practices” on fiber deployment for 5G and the IoT. “Municipalities can adopt practices that promote transparency, foster trust among stakeholders, and allow efficiencies that save time, money, and promote connectivity,” WIA said.

5G will deliver more security than earlier generations, 5G Americas said Wednesday. Threats are greater because of the “pervasive nature of 5G,” the paper said. “The entire wireless cellular network has been re-architected to use new capabilities such as software-defined networking, network function virtualization for new services, and cloud-native architectures for scalability,” 5G Americas said: “The implementation of these elements requires additional encryption, extra defense in edge networks, and sophisticated new protocols.”

Local and state government groups slammed an FCC proposal for further changes to wireless infrastructure rules proposed in a wireless infrastructure NPRM, approved 3-2 in June (see 2006090060). The NPRM seeks comment on a Wireless Infrastructure Association request for amended rules saying a modification doesn’t cause a “substantial change” if it entails excavation or deployments at up to 30 feet outside macro tower compound boundaries and was expected to face opposition (see 2006120051). “Though the text of the proposal to allow modifications up to thirty feet outside the existing tower site also is not set out in the NPRM, it is evident this proposal cannot meet basic principle of Section 6409(a)” of the 2012 Spectrum Act, the groups said: “The rule would, by its very terms, apply the statute to modifications that are not on the ‘existing wireless tower’ nor even within the existing tower site, with no regard for whether or not such deployments ‘substantially change the physical dimensions of such tower.’” NATOA, the U.S. Conference of Mayors, National League of Cities, National Association of Counties and National Association of Towns and Townships filed Wednesday in docket 19-250. “There is no reasonable reading of the law that would extend its reach to locations where wireless deployments literally do not exist,” emailed Nancy Werner, NATOA general counsel: “With clarifications that ensure adherence to the law, we support the conclusion that the ‘site’ is limited to the area specifically reviewed and approved for a wireless tower through a discretionary permit process.”

LG’s Velvet 5G smartphone debuts Wednesday in the U.S. at $599 through AT&T, said the manufacturer Tuesday: T-Mobile and Verizon follow later this summer. It has a 6.8-inch OLED display with 20.5:9 widescreen aspect ratio. There are stereo speakers and 3D sound engine. Its main camera has 48 megapixels. LG bills the Velvet as its first “mobile platform” embedded with an application processor and 5G modem in a smaller package requiring less power.