Representatives of technology company Zebra and the NFL met with aides to all five commissioners on technology the company provides for real-time player and ball tracking used by all NFL teams. The ultra-wide band technology uses the 6 GHz band, which the FCC is considering for unlicensed use. Zebra said widespread use of the spectrum could case harmful interference to the technology. “A single Mobile Access Point on site could render a UWB solution inoperative,” Zebra said. "Even fixed 6 GHz infrastructure … would introduce unpredictability” and “proposed power levels would adversely impact UWB at significant distances.” The filings were posted Friday in docket 18-295.

Smartcomm filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy, said petitions by the Smartcomm LLC and Smartcomm License Services (in Pacer) March 25 at the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Phoenix. In 2013, Arizona State Superior Court in Maricopa County dismissed with prejudice a lawsuit filed by Smartcomm LLC against Warren Communications News, charging Warren and its Communications Daily with libel and disclosing trade secrets. The dismissal resulted from Smartcomm’s decision to drop the suit, in a settlement in which Warren neither admitted any inaccuracies nor paid any damages (see 1308050035). Smartcomm sued over a March 5, 2012, article in which Communications Daily reported that Smartcomm was selling license preparation services for 800 MHz spectrum that wasn’t then available from the FCC (see 1203050051).

Verizon and AT&T raised concerns about the coordination process with DOD outlined in a draft order on the 37 GHz band, set for an FCC commissioner vote Friday. Verizon met with aides to all five commissioners, Wireless Bureau Chief Donald Stockdale and other staff, said a filing posted Friday in docket 14-177. The process outlined “lacks the much-needed clarity” to promote investment, Verizon said: “We urged the Commission to make clear that licensees are under no obligation to agree to a federal entity’s request for spectrum access and -- when a licensee grants access -- that the federal entity must operate on a non-interference basis to existing and future commercial deployment within the licensed area.” AT&T cited similar concerns in a filing. The “unknown potential for new, post-auction preclusion zones could create harmful pre-auction uncertainty, the bane of maximizing the possibility of auction success and value,” AT&T said.

The 5G Automotive Association urged the FCC to solicit comment on rule changes to allow cellular vehicle-to-everything (C-V2X) operations in the 5.9 GHz band. In a filing posted Thursday in docket 18-357, 5GAA said allowing such use would “pave the way for automobile manufacturers and other stakeholders to make American roadway travel safer, smarter, and more efficient through the use of 5G technology.” Noting Ford has committed to deploying C-V2X in new vehicle models sold in the U.S., and that the “Third Generation Partnership Project (‘3GPP’) adopted a work item description to ensure that C-V2X features are included in the next 5G standard,” the group asked the FCC to grant its waiver request to enable initial deployments (see 1902270041)

CTIA President Meredith Baker met FCC Chairman Ajit Pai to seek spectrum for 5G, said a filing posted Thursday in docket 18-122. CTIA discussed its reports urging more mid-band spectrum and arguing the U.S. is catching up with China on 5G (see 1904020004). Pai spoke at a CTIA 5G summit Thursday (see 1904040048). “CTIA commended the Commission in particular on its progress toward making spectrum available to support next-generation wireless use, and for its efforts to modernize infrastructure siting policies,” the group said.

Verizon Wednesday turned on its 5G ultra wideband network in parts of Minneapolis and Chicago, a week ahead of schedule, the carrier said. Customers can use the 5G network with the world’s first commercially available 5G-enabled smartphone, the moto z3 combined with 5G moto mod, Verizon said.

A recent report from British cybersecurity officials “sharply critical” of Huawei could bolster U.S. arguments against the Chinese equipment maker, American Enterprise Institute Resident Scholar Claude Barfield blogged Wednesday. The UK’s National Cybersecurity Center "pointed to ‘significant’ problems with Huawei’s equipment and software, and stated that it could provide ‘only limited assurance that the long-term security risks can be managed,’” Barfield said. He said that "should buttress the Trump administration’s increasingly strong warnings and admonitions to close allies. It gives US intelligence officials a plausible explanation of why -- even though there is no smoking gun for Huawei -- intrinsic technological 5G vulnerabilities (with continuous software updates) render true security against Chinese espionage impossible to attain.” The company didn't comment.

Comments on a Further NPRM proposing vertical accuracy standards for wireless calls indoors to 911 are due May 20 in docket 07-114, replies June 18. The FNPRM is slated for Federal Register publication Thursday. The FCC approved the rulemaking in March; Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel dissented and Commissioner Geoffrey Starks partially dissented (see 1903150067).

Sprint CEO Michel Combes wrote FCC Commissioner Geoffrey Starks to make his case for its takeover by T-Mobile, after their recent meeting. “Despite working hard in the past five years to transform Sprint, significant challenges continue to prevent us from thriving as a stand-alone company,” Combes said in docket 18-197, posted Tuesday. “We lack the spectrum assets, scale and financial resources needed to compete aggressively against the larger wireless companies.”

Comments are due May 3, replies June 3 on a March NPRM proposing reconfiguring the 900 MHz band, creating a paired 3/3 MHz broadband segment while reserving two segments for continued narrowband operations. FCC commissioners approved the NPRM 5-0 before the March meeting (see 1903130062). It's set for Wednesday Federal Register publication, docket 17-200.