T-Mobile said Monday it now has 5G coverage in all 50 states, after inking a deal with GCI allowing subscribers with 5G phones to roam in Anchorage. GCI customers can roam on T-Mobile’s network nationwide.

Adopt standards by the IEEE rather than the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP), the IEEE International Committee on Electromagnetic Safety said in RF comments posted Monday in docket 19-226. The FCC proposed to adopt limits "similar to the ICNIRP 2010 guidelines at frequencies between 3 kHz and 10 MHz,” the committee said. “Such a proposal lacks clear and compelling scientific justification,” it said: “Unlike the ICNIRP guidelines, the IEEE standard provides correspondence between external exposure limits and internal dose limits, such that compliance can be conducted accurately with a straightforward environmental measurement. The Commission’s proposed approach, lacking this correspondence, may likely impose restrictions that could unnecessarily burden operators in this spectrum.” The committee also recommended a “more conservative curve for localized exposure limits” above 6 GHz. The comments respond to a December NPRM (see 1912040036).

Mobile broadband propagation maps should reflect standards in the March broadband data law (see 2003240049), CTIA and member companies said in a call with staff from the FCC Wireless and Wireline bureaus, Office of Engineering and Technology and Office of Economics and Analytics. CTIA supports coverage requirements of “not less than 5/1 Mbps at the cell edge with 90% probability and 50% cell loading factor,” said a filing posted Monday in docket 19-195. AT&T, T-Mobile, US Cellular and Verizon participated in the call. Use of the standards will lead to maps that “reflect markedly more granular and precise data, and more closely reflect consumers’ experience,” the filing said.

The effectiveness date of a December RF order (see 1912040036) is pending and not Monday, as previously announced, the FCC says in Tuesday's Federal Register: Rule changes still need OMB OK under the Paperwork Reduction Act.

The FCC Wireless Bureau granted an emergency special temporary authority request by the Makah Tribe Friday to use unassigned spectrum in the 2.5 GHz band to offer wireless broadband service at its reservation as part of an emergency COVID-19 pandemic response. The reservation is in Washington state and the stay expires in 60 days.

The FCC likely needs to seek comment before starting to collect data in compliance with the March broadband data law (see 2003240049) to “improve the reliability of maps,” said the Competitive Carriers Association. Consider signal strength, face margin and cell-edge speed among other issues, CCA said. Its representatives had a call with staff from the Wireless and Wireline bureaus and Office of Economics and Analytics, said a filing posted Friday in docket 19-195.

Qualcomm launched a flagship portfolio of mobile connectivity systems Thursday designed to make use of fast connection speeds made possible by Wi-Fi 6 and audio advances in Bluetooth 5.2. The SoCs could be in the market by year-end or early 2021, Rahul Patel, senior vice president-connectivity and networking, told us. When the FCC opened the 5.9-7.1 GHz band in the U.S. for unlicensed wireless communication, “Wi-Fi became a big beneficiary,” Patel said, saying wireless speeds will now approach those of wired networks. That will enable low latency experiences not possible before for virtual reality head-mounted displays and 4K video streaming. The 1200 MHz of additional spectrum more than doubles the number of pathways available for sending and receiving data, Qualcomm said. Patel attributed VR’s slow start to the inability to connect to far distances with low latency: That’s being addressed with 5G on the phone side and Wi-Fi 6 in homes, "allowing you to experience the kind of low latency that makes these experiences worthwhile.” Reacting to the announcement, Commissioner Mike O'Rielly tweeted that "6 GHz innovation is going to be revolutionary." It's "great news for future of wireless connectivity!"

The Platforms for Advanced Wireless Research (PAWR) Project Office awarded $2.7 million to DOD for 5G research at a Salt Lake City testbed. The tests will demonstrate how two carriers can use spectrum in the same citizens broadband radio service channel “autonomously with the help of a decision engine designed to coordinate spectrum usage at a highly granular level,” PAWR said Wednesday.

Comments are due June 29, replies July 27 in response to the FCC's Further NPRM on 6 GHz rules approved by commissioners 5-0 in April (see 2004230059), says Thursday's Federal Register.

An order FCC commissioners approved 5-0 in April (see 2004230059), allocating 1,200 MHz for sharing with Wi-Fi and other unlicensed use in 6 GHz, takes effect July 27, said Tuesday's Federal Register.