The Enterprise Wireless Alliance sent members and customers a fact sheet Monday trying to set the record straight on the future of the 700 MHz T band. It was repurposed for commercial use by the 2012 law that created FirstNet, EWA noted. “It is debatable that the Congressional decision to take this heavily used band away from public safety (and collaterally from business entities) in exchange for 700 MHz spectrum for deployment of a national public safety broadband network was prudent policy, but the private land mobile industry is now stuck with the impending consequences,” EWA said: Some "attempt to capitalize on FCC inaction and licensees’ lack of understanding of spectrum policy processes to promote premature system migrations.” Congress requires only that the FCC start an auction of the band by 2021, not clear it of incumbents, the group reminded. EWA said any licensee that leaves the band now won't receive grant money from NTIA to cover its relocation costs. Proponents of rewriting the act face a tough road in Congress, the alliance said.

The FCC asked a court to amend a tribal Lifeline ruling to clarify that several unchallenged portions of a commission order/item weren't vacated by a reversal of challenged parts (see 1902010051). The agency said petitioners challenged two changes to enhanced tribal Lifeline support in a "Fourth Report and Order" and raised certain procedural issues. "The Fourth Report and Order was promulgated as Section II of the Order under review, which also contained sections embodying four different actions taken by the Commission that petitioners did not challenge; yet, the Court appears to have vacated the Order in its entirety," said an FCC motion (in Pacer) Monday to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit in National Lifeline Association v. FCC in docket 18-1026. "The FCC requests that the Court amend the opinion to make clear that its decision vacates only Section II (the Fourth Report and Order section) of the Order, as well as the relevant portions of the Order’s Ordering Clauses." That will keep in effect an unchallenged order on reconsideration, memorandum opinion and order, NPRM and notice of inquiry, said the agency. It said it was authorized to say petitioners don't oppose the motion. A NaLA representative didn't comment.

Local governments gave no “compelling reason” for the 9th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals to proceed with review of the September wireless infrastructure order while reconsideration is pending, the FCC said Thursday. “Any such review would be premature, and could even prove unnecessary.” Localities said abating court review would cause significant hardship (see 1903070059). The FCC noted the 10th Circuit in January denied a stay on local governments not showing irreparable harm (see 1901110018).

Unlicensed use of the 6 GHz band may pose a threat to ultra-wideband devices Germany’s Marquardt manufactures, it said in early reply comments in FCC docket 18-295. Replies are due Monday. “It is very important for us and our customers that UWB with [its] demanding power limitations can continue to operate unhindered,” the company said. “Award only the least amount of spectrum required, and at as low a frequency as possible.” Earlier, the UWB Alliance said the FCC should authorize unlicensed use of only the 5.925-6.1 GHz part of the band, with out-of-band emissions below 61 dBm/MHz.

Complexity of radio components for 5G will lead to higher smartphone prices that could impede 5G, Strategy Analytics reported Thursday. New sub-6 bands for 5G, license shared access, uplink carrier aggregation, MIMO and millimeter wave present “stiff technical challenges” to RF component suppliers Skyworks, Broadcom, Qorvo, Murata, Qualcomm and others, and will require cost-effective solutions to the more complex radio needs of 5G phones and user equipment, said SA. In the past five years, RF systems have transitioned from discrete filters, switches and amplifiers to largely system-in-package RF front-end modules encompassing multiple technologies in a single package, noted analyst Stephen Entwistle. The resulting consolidation among RF front-end component suppliers has benefited Qualcomm as a supplier of the entire radio system, he said. Pressure on suppliers will increase with 5G: Those that can supply more complex and sophisticated modules and SoCs at attractive prices will see a revenue opportunity, he said.

CTIA, Sprint, TracFone and regulators explored a possible application program interface between a Lifeline national verifier and providers that "can both enable efficient verification for eligible low-income consumers and safeguard program integrity." Parties "discussed the benefits of incorporating APIs between the [NV] and Lifeline providers’ websites in order to minimize duplicative burdens on eligible low-income consumers," filed CTIA on a meeting it and members had with FCC and Universal Service Administrative Co. staffers, posted Thursday in docket 17-287. "APIs to Lifeline providers’ websites could also facilitate the application process, reduce burdens on USAC, and enhance program integrity."

Market uncertainty over the “T-Mobile/Sprint conversation” is partly to blame for the “halting nature” of the 5G infrastructure “spend out there, at least as it relates to the contractors and the integrators doing work for those carriers,” said RF Industries CEO Rob Dawson on a Q1 call Tuesday. His company supplies interconnects and other wireless-infrastructure products. That the deal's regulatory review seems to keep “starting and stopping” doesn't “necessarily help any of us get a clear sense of a forecast of real timing” on the 5G buildout, he said. “I'm hoping that gets resolved one way or the other here in the next quarter or so.” Dawson thinks carriers “are clearly committed to deploying 5G in multiple cities” this year, but “I don't think we're close” to any “full-blown spend,” he said. “We're certainly seeing it ramp up,” but nowhere to the point of what it “will be, ultimately,” he said. “I'd be surprised if we get a full-blown spend this calendar year.”

The Milwaukee County Office of Emergency Management asked the FCC Public Safety Bureau for waiver to test wireless emergency alerts April 11, starting at 1:45 p.m. CDT. The county wants to do the test before FCC WEA end-to-end testing rules take effect in May, said a Tuesday filing in docket 15-91.

Verizon will begin its 5G “Ultra Wideband Network” in Chicago and Minneapolis April 11, with a launch in 30 cities by the end of the year, the company said Wednesday. It will start offering the new 5G moto mod, exclusive to the carrier, nationwide Thursday. “Continuing our track record of 5G ‘firsts,’ we are thrilled to bring the first 5G-upgradeable smartphone exclusively to Verizon customers," said Chief Technology Officer Kyle Malady.

Public Knowledge Senior Vice President Harold Feld slammed an FCC draft Further NPRM for not taking privacy into account in rules requiring carriers be able to find callers to 911 with greater accuracy. The FNPRM is to be voted on Friday (see 1902210048). Feld filed on a call he received from an aide to Commissioner Geoffrey Starks asking about that issue. “The failure of the FNPRM to mention privacy or security is inexcusable in light of continued revelations that carriers appear to be unable to protect properly customer real-time geolocation information,” Feld said in docket 07-114, posted Wednesday. “Only last week, Vice ran a third story on the ease with which stalkers, bounty hunters and debt collectors and others can obtain access to [assisted GPS] information.”