Sprint said the FCC should simplify rules for the 800 MHz transition. Commissioners approved 5-0 in October an order and Further NPRM. “With the Commission’s modifications to the closing process, Sprint and other stakeholders can complete the few remaining retunes and the administrative tasks associated with band reconfiguration more expeditiously,” Sprint said in docket 02-55, posted Tuesday: “The Commission item included a FNPRM to consider elimination of two responsibilities of the 800 MHz Transition Administrator which are no longer necessary at this late stage of the 800 MHz band reconfiguration program.”
ARRL directors met FCC Public Safety Bureau staff, including on an ongoing fight over limitations on the symbol, or baud, rate applicable to data emissions (see 1907160016). "Amateur Radio Service continues to fulfill the need for emergency and disaster communications,” said a filing posted Tuesday in docket 16-239. Amateurs “cannot participate in some of these emergency communications activities because of an outdated rule limiting the permissible ‘symbol rate’ used in digital communications.”
FCC authority to hold an incentive auction of the C band isn’t the biggest question looming as the regulator considers how to open the band for 5G (see 1912130061), New Street's Blair Levin emailed. “The value of the spectrum is directly related to the speed and certainty of the bidders obtaining use of the spectrum,” he said: “If the time is long and the date uncertain, the value goes down dramatically.” There are several approaches “that would pass legal muster,” Levin said.
IRobot CEO Colin Angle sought a compromise on sharing the 6 GHz band with unlicensed devices, in meetings with FCC Chairman Ajit Pai and Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel, said a filing posted Monday in docket 18-295. It's expected to be a big FCC focus in coming months (see 1912130061). “A workable remedy would be to split the band and provide a safe haven for utilities and others, including [ultra-wideband] to operate on 500 MHz of spectrum, leaving 700 MHz to Wi-Fi,” Angle said.
The FCC auction of licenses in the 37, 39 and 47 GHz bands hit $2.4 billion Monday, the highest dollar total for a high-band FCC auction. Three more rounds are scheduled for Tuesday.
That utility and spectrum firm Anterix discussed "Evergy’s need for additional 900 MHz narrowband spectrum and its intent to request a waiver of the 900 MHz temporary filing freeze,” meeting with FCC Wireless Bureau staff, said a filing Friday in docket 17-200. The FCC imposed a freeze since last year (see 1809130064) as it probes future use of the band (see 1708070043).
General Counsel Carri Bennet and others from the Rural Wireless Association met aides to all the FCC commissioners except Brendan Carr on the Mobility Fund. Filing in docket 18-89 posted Friday, the group noted agency staff had drive-tested "portions of the areas RWA members reported were unserved," verifying the data. RWA "noted that the FCC investigation covered paved highways and more easily accessible areas and that the grids that are off road and accessible only by all-terrain vehicles, horseback and foot would show even more dismal coverage.” Pine Belt Cellular, Trilogy Networks, Strata Networks, ClearTalk, Panhandle Telephone Co-op, Cross Wireless, United Wireless and Mavenir were represented.
Hewlett Packard Enterprise met Office of Engineering and Technology Chief Julius Knapp on rules and effective isotropic radiated power (EIRP) for radio local area network devices sharing the 6 GHz band. The company discussed “the possibility of further reducing the risk of harmful interference to [fixed service] licensees through an antenna elevation mask for 6 GHz low-power indoor RLAN devices that would impose special restrictions on the maximum EIRP of an RLAN device in the horizontal direction (i.e., within a certain angular distance above and below zero degrees elevation),” HPE filed, posted Friday in docket 18-295. “Virtually all enterprise RLAN devices already direct most of their energy downwards, with maximum gain generally at or below -30 degrees elevation,” the company said: “However, devices employing an elevation mask in the horizontal plane would further reduce the already small probability that an RLAN device could be designed to radiate more energy than necessary toward the horizon.”
The Federal Emergency Management Agency told the FCC the Integrated Public Alert and Warning System wasn’t ready to support wireless emergency alerts by a Friday deadline, the Public Safety Bureau said. A 2016 FCC order had required carriers be able to transmit longer and Spanish-language alerts, new public safety messages, and other enhancements by May 1. “The Bureau will issue a Public Notice announcing when IPAWS is available to fully support these WEA enhancements and providing further guidance on their use,” the FCC said Friday in docket 15-91: “The waiver granted to carriers to support these WEA enhancements is extended until the Bureau issues this forthcoming announcement.” Last month, the bureau extended the deadline to Friday.
The FCC’s auction of licenses in the 37, 39 and 47 GHz bands had $1.4 billion in gross proceeds after the first three days of bidding, up from $953.8 million after day two (see 1912110076). The FCC plans three more rounds Friday.