Comments on the FCC proposal for the 5.9 GHz band are due March 9, replies April 6, in docket 19-138, said Thursday's Federal Register. Commissioners approved an NPRM in December 5-0 proposing to reallocate the 5.9 GHz band for Wi-Fi and cellular vehicle to everything, while preserving 10 MHz for dedicated short-range communications (see 1912120058).
Federated Wireless raised citizens broadband radio service concerns about the C band, in a filing posted Thursday in docket 18-122. FCC members will consider a proposal for the band at their Feb. 28 meeting (see 2002060057). “The Commission should consider various means to ensure that newly authorized C-Band flexible use operations do not impair the upper CBRS spectrum,” Federated said: “One readily available solution is to use an automated coordination capability, such as a Spectrum Access System.”
The FCC Wireless Bureau sought comment on a request by LV Stadium Events for waiver of the freeze on licensing of new stations in the 800 MHz guard band. The company wants to use three guard band stations for security and public safety at the new Las Vegas Raiders NFL stadium and couldn’t find alternative frequencies, the bureau said Thursday: “LV Stadium Events states that it needs to deploy a five-channel 800 MHz system, that it has already secured two 800 MHz channels, and now needs three additional channels to meet the facility’s requirements.” Comments are due Feb. 26, replies March 10.
Mercatus Center officials met an aide to Commissioner Brendan Carr on proposed changes to FCC rules for over-the-air reception devices, on which the agency took comment last year (see 1906180047). “The prospect of municipal and [homeowner association] restrictions on the placement of FCC-approved antennas on residential property often hamper[s] the deployment of interstate communications services,” Mercatus said in docket 19-71, posted Thursday: “The existing rules account for some of the success of TV competition in the United States” but “the FCC’s Sec. 303 authority over antenna placement should not be limited to video services, as some parties have argued.”
The FCC Public Safety Bureau extended by three days to Feb. 21 the comments deadline and four days to March 20 replies on a Further NPRM on advanced vertical location, mapping, and addressing 911 services. The Industry Council for Emergency Response Technologies, National Association of State 911 Administrators, National Emergency Number Association, Texas 911 Alliance and Texas Commission on State Emergency Communications sought the extension. The order on docket 07-114 was in Wednesday's Daily Digest.
Two years after FCC Chairman Ajit Pai convened a meeting on contraband cellphones in correctional facilities (see 1802050034), CTIA and member carriers told Wireless Bureau staff that work continues. “The wireless industry is working on a range of projects to help achieve those goals, including enabling managed access and cell detection systems, facilitating court orders across multiple jurisdictions, and further improving the stolen phone database to disable wireless service on devices regardless of SIM card or provider,” CTIA said in docket 13-111, posted Wednesday. “We are committed to working with any and all stakeholders committed to combating contraband devices.” AT&T, Sprint, Verizon and T-Mobile representatives attended.
The Wireless ISP Association filed technical comments criticizing a January study by critical infrastructure associations on the risk of harmful interference from unlicensed operations without automatic frequency control in the 6 GHz band (see 2001140057). The study is “based on unreasonable assumptions and, therefore, presents flawed conclusions.” WISPA said in docket 18-295, posted Wednesday: “WISPA has a strong interest in ensuring that its members who hold and intensively use 6 GHz licenses for point-to-point operations are protected from harmful interference, and we are confident that the FCC, with the assistance of a multi-stakeholder group to develop the AFC, can implement an AFC to protect these incumbent services from higher-power outdoor and enable sharing with higher-power unlicensed operations.” The study was filed by the Edison Electric Institute, American Gas Association, American Public Power Association, American Water Works Association, National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, Nuclear Energy Institute and Utilities Technology Council.
The assignment phase of the FCC’s auction of 37, 39 and 47 GHz band spectrum starts Feb. 18, the Office of Economics and Analytics said Wednesday. The auction closed last week (see 2001300026). Bidders winning at least one generic block of spectrum in one partial economic area “are eligible -- but not required -- to participate in the assignment phase, in which they can place bids for specific frequency blocks,” OEA said. “Information necessary to participate in the assignment phase will be sent by overnight delivery to winning clock phase bidders.”
T-Mobile, Sprint and Comcast all are making secure handling of asserted information using tokens (Shaken) and secure telephone identity revisited (Stir) technology available. It will "give customers peace of mind that calls from the Sprint network to the T-Mobile network (and vice versa) are really coming from the number listed on their caller ID display,” the mobile carriers said Tuesday. Comcast and Sprint said the call authentication tech has been implemented in Sprint's mobile network and in Comcast's Xfinity Voice landline phone network for calls between the two companies' customers. FCC Chairman Ajit Pai pressed carriers for adoption of the call authentication technology to help combat illegal robocalls (see 1907110023). The agency on Tuesday said it had written gatgeway service providers to seek their assistance in tracking foreign illegal robocalls' origins (see 2002040069).
Utility concerns about unlicensed operations in the 6 GHz band (see 2001140057) are predicated on incorrect assumptions and errors, CableLabs responded. Antenna gain to number of access points, when corrected, shows that low-power indoor Wi-Fi, operating without automated frequency coordination, is no interference risk to fixed service in the band, said the docket 18-295 posting Tuesday. The R&D group and the cable industry back FCC-unlicensed operations (see 2002030049). The utility interests didn't comment.