The wireless charging market’s valuation will top $30 billion by 2026, driven by electric vehicles and growing high-end smartphone demand, reported Global Market Insights Tuesday. The RF-based segment -- including near-field and far-field charging -- is expected to gain ground as it eliminates the need for proper alignment in small devices including medical implants and wearables. In automotive, users will be able to charge their vehicles via charging bases embedded in parking spaces, it said.

Comments are due March 13, replies March 28 on a Wireless Bureau plan to improve FCC forms 620 and 621 to notify state and tribal historic preservation and other tribal officials about wireless infrastructure projects, said a public notice Wednesday for docket 20-39. Form 620 is used for proposed new towers, and form 621 to notify on proposed collocations on existing structures.

Samsung fans expecting Tuesday’s event in San Francisco to reveal a smattering of 5G phones with supercharged cameras, a new and improved foldable model, and stepped-up earbuds weren’t disappointed. The company leapfrogged to the S20 model instead of a sequential follow-on to the current S10 family. Samsung played up partnerships. It highlighted Google Duo integration for video chats; a Spotify association with the streaming music service preinstalled on phones and accessible by the new Galaxy Buds Plus earphones; Bixby integration with Netflix; built-in YouTube Premium; and a gaming partnership with Xbox. The company mentioned its $149 Buds Plus “work seamlessly with iOS” from Apple. The foldables appear to be more durable, after a debacle with Samsung’s initial foray into the form factor. The hinge clicks when it locks in at certain angles in “flex mode.” The Galaxy Z Flip, with a 6.7-inch screen, will be in stores Friday, starting at $1,380. Qualcomm jumped on the S20 reveal, announcing its flagship Snapdragon 865 5G mobile platform is the engine powering the trio of Samsung phones. Snapdragon 865’s image signal processor operates at up to 2 gigapixels per second and enables the phones’ 4K HDR capture and 8K video capture. “Galaxy users will also be able to take advantage of gigapixel speeds to slow things down and capture every millisecond of detail with high-definition slow-motion video capture at 960 fps,” said Qualcomm.

The FCC Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau is taking comments through March 11 on implementation of diameter protocol security best practices to help mitigate network reliability and security risks (see 1712120036), said a public notice Monday for docket 18-99.

"Require full disclosure of relevant financial and operational data necessary" to assess whether Liberty Latin America can ensure a smooth transition of service if it takes control of AT&T Mobility Puerto Rico and AT&T Mobility USVI, the Communications Workers of American told the FCC in reply comments posted Monday in docket 19-384. "Deny this transaction as currently structured absent firm long-term employment commitments to ensure adequate staffing and quality service" for customers, it said (see 2001220038). Because the Puerto Rico Telecommunications Regulatory Board isn't evaluating the transaction, CWA said, "it is even more important" the FCC conducts "a full financial analysis of the transaction." The Hedge Clippers economic justice advocacy group in Puerto Rico said the FCC should take into account Puerto Rico's "economic and financial context." A major population decline doesn't bode well for LLA's creditors, customers or workers, it said.

With 24 nations globally doing midband auctions to support 5G deployments, the U.S. needs to look beyond the C-band and citizens broadband radio service auctions to other means of freeing up midband for 5G, CTIA President Meredith Baker told FCC Commissioners Brendan Carr and Jessica Rosenworcel, according to docket 18-122 ex parte postings (see here and here) Monday. The steps should include issuing a further notice on licensing the upper portion of the 6 GHz band and a notice proposing to remove existing nonfederal allocations in the 3300-3550 MHz band, it said.

Tech and utilities interests continue to lock horns over Wi-Fi operations in the 6 GHz band. Utilities in a docket 18-295 ex parte posting Monday said their analysis of potential of harmful interference to their microwave links in the band (see 2001140057) is "based on conservative and realistic assumptions and inputs." CableLabs said otherwise (see 2002040066). The utilities in the filing -- Edison Electric Institute, the American Gas Association, the American Public Power Association, the American Water Works Association, the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, the Nuclear Energy Institute and the Utilities Technology Council -- defended the study's methodology and calculations. But Apple, Broadcom, Cisco Systems, Facebook, Google, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Intel Microsoft, NXP Semiconductors and Qualcomm said the study -- after "suitable adjustments to correct certain obvious errors" in assumptions and methodology -- shows radio local area networks aren't a harmful interference risk.

The Hearing Aid Compatibility Task Force plans its first “formal meeting” this month to begin developing a “consensus-based” standard for recommendation to the FCC that will achieve “100 percent HAC for wireless handsets,” ATIS filed, posted Friday in docket 15-285. The Competitive Carriers Association, CTIA, Hearing Loss Association of America, National Association of the Deaf, Telecommunications for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing and Telecommunications Industry Association as “joint consensus proposal signatories” picked ATIS to administer the task force last year, it said. Task force members at the first meeting will discuss “leadership structure,” adopt operating procedures and establish groups, said ATIS. Members will “develop a work plan to complete the initial research projects and discuss other projects that are necessary throughout 2020,” it said: “Based on research and technical analysis conducted in 2020, the group will meet throughout 2021" to develop the recommended standard.

Hewlett Packard Enterprise executives lobbied FCC Chairman Ajit Pai on OK'ing 6 GHz unlicensed operations. HPE CEO Antonio Neri, HPE's Aruba Networks President Keerti Melkote and others asked the agency "to make these rules expeditiously to ensure that products and services based on unlicensed 6 GHz connectivity can be brought to market in the near term." That could help "the next wave of connectivity innovation," an HPE lawyer wrote in docket 18-295: Wi-Fi and unlicensed spectrum have made "transformational contributions" to the U.S. economy. The commission is expected to move this year to allow Wi-Fi in the band, amid utility and others' concerns (see 1911180050). Meanwhile, Southern Co. "urges" any such rules "include sufficient protections to ensure the integrity and reliability of licensed 6 GHz operations," the company said, also posted Friday. Radio local area network low-power indoor units in the band not using automated frequency coordination "will significantly impact Southern’s microwave links, even in a rural, non-urban setting," the utility said. It filed telecom engineer Lockard & White's analysis that Southern requested.

APCO filed a petition for clarification Friday in response to FCC rules requiring national wireless carriers to meet a vertical location accuracy metric of plus or minus 3 meters for 80 percent of indoor wireless E-911 calls for z-axis capable handsets. The rules are to take effect March 16 (see 2001150011). The filing was expected to have been posted after our deadline. APCO wants to “clarify the rules … so that wireless carriers provide the 9-1-1 location expected.” Emergency communications centers “will be in the best position to know if carriers are providing z-axis information that complies with the metric, but clarification is needed so that, in the event of non-compliance, ECCs can raise appropriate concerns," APCO said. The group asked “which phones should consumers expect to provide vertical location information with 9-1-1 calls? How do carriers ensure that they have deployed z-axis technology in a manner that will achieve the accuracy demonstrated in the test bed? What additional z-axis technology testing is required, given that testing described in CTIA’s Stage Z Test Report was not sufficient to demonstrate compliance with the z-axis metric? When must carriers provide floor level information in addition to the altitude of a 9-1-1 caller?”