Macro towers, not just small cells, remain critical to wireless deployment, American Tower executives said in a meeting with an aide to Commissioner Mike O’Rielly. The American Tower officials said the FCC should add language on the importance of macro towers to the wireless infrastructure item slated for a commissioner vote Sept. 26 (see 1809110030). “Some local governments have a mistaken belief that existing macro towers may no longer be necessary in light of the coming deployment of small cells,” the two company officials said Thursday in docket 17-79. “This viewpoint might inadvertently be bolstered by the Draft Order’s emphasis on the anticipated extent of small cell deployments without also indicating the important role that macro towers play in increasingly heterogeneous network configurations.”
Mobile shopping will dominate the upcoming holiday season, delivering 68 percent of all e-commerce traffic, Salesforce reported. For the first time, more orders and visits to e-commerce sites will be made on phones -- 46 percent -- than on any other device. Mobile traffic will peak on Christmas Eve, the software maker said Wednesday. Eighty-three percent of shoppers ages 18-44 say they use phones to shop while in a store, said analyst Rick Kenney.
Sprint said Wednesday it's launching a new version of its plug-and-play “small cell,” the Sprint Magic Box Generation 3. Sprint first launched its Magic Box last year for homes and small businesses (see 1705030046). The new version offers speeds “up to 25 percent faster than the previous model, with an even quicker start-up process,” Sprint said. “The smaller footprint and improved antenna provides customers more location flexibility without the need to place the device directly in a window." It will be available by year-end, Sprint said.
The Federal Railroad Administration is making available at least $46 million for positive train control systems grants, said a notice in Wednesday's Federal Register. This is the balance of the $250 million PTC Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements Program that remained after selections were announced in August. “This expedited solicitation will provide commuter and intercity railroads an additional opportunity to request grant funds for positive train control,” FRA Administrator Ronald Batory said. “By reissuing these funds, FRA is showing our continued commitment to work with railroads and suppliers in fully implementing PTC.” Applications are due 5 p.m. EDT on Oct. 12
Wireless Infrastructure Association CEO Jonathan Adelstein met with FCC Chairman Ajit Pai and Commissioner Michael O’Rielly to urge approval of the infrastructure item scheduled for a vote at the Sept. 26 commissioners’ meeting. “Continue streamlining the wireless broadband siting process to enhance capacity on 4G networks and spur the deployment of next-generation 5G,” the group said in docket 17-79. WIA members face problems applying for eligible facilities requests (EFRs) under Section 6409 of the Spectrum Act, the group said. “Such hurdles include jurisdictions refusing to issue permits (such as building and highway permits for right-of-way work) to construct EFRs that have been ‘deemed granted,’ abusing the exception for concealment modifications, denying the applicability of Section 6409 to their siting process, placing improper conditions on permits, forcing providers to agree to contractual prohibitions against use of EFRs, and using ‘amortization’ requirements to evade EFRs." American Tower officials supported the order, meeting Wireless Bureau staff. It “welcomed the Draft Order’s provisions preserving local governments’ ability to address aesthetic concerns, its adoption of shorter shot clocks for small wireless facilities and its codification and clarification of Section 332 shot clocks applicable to small cells and macro sites,” the company said.
Amdocs, CommScope, Federated Wireless, Google, Key Bridge Wireless and Sony filed in docket 15-319 proposals at the FCC to serve as the first spectrum access system (SAS) administrators in the 3.5 GHz citizens broadband radio service band. Ruckus and Fairspectrum earlier filed (see 1809100051). Federated said Monday it filed its proposal to make initial commercial deployment (ICD) in the band and to unveil a training program for certified professional installers of CBRS devices. “We have not only submitted our proposal to the FCC, we’ve done so on an astonishingly large scale, which underscores the scope of shared spectrum adoption in the wireless industry and signals true commercialization of the band right out of the gate,” blogged Federated CEO Iyad Tarazi. “It’s taken us five years to get here, and we’re not stopping now.” Google said its SAS can support service anywhere in the U.S. “For ICD, however, Google anticipates discrete deployments in various locations around the country,” the tech player said. “Locations will be selected based on the participants’ joint business interests, as well as on the need to protect Tier 1 incumbent systems.” Google said its different deployments will be used to test various conditions: “Deployment at one site may demonstrate protection of nearby [grandfathered wireless protection zones]. Deployment at another site may demonstrate protection of [fixed satellite service operators]. Yet another site may involve overlapping coverage with another SAS.”
The National Puerto Rican Chamber of Commerce supports T-Mobile’s proposed takeover of Sprint “because it will expedite restoration of fast, reliable broadband service in Puerto Rico, which in turn will help encourage the continued recovery of Puerto Rico’s economy and communities after Hurricane Maria.” The filing was posted Monday in docket 18-197.
The National Taxpayers Union Monday called on the FCC to move forward with proposed changes to wireless infrastructure rules. Chairman Ajit Pai last week circulated a draft declaratory ruling and order, crafted by Commissioner Brendan Carr (see 1809050029), for a vote Sept. 26. “Local government bureaucrats have been abusing their authority to drag out permitting processes and charge exorbitant fees to wireless companies rolling out networks,” the group said. “Carr’s proposal addresses these problems.”
The FTC finalized 5-0 a settlement with Blu Products over allegations (see 1804300045) the mobile phone manufacturer allowed a third-party service provider from China to collect personal information about consumers without consent, despite privacy agreements, the agency said Monday. There was no financial penalty. The manufacturer is prohibited from misrepresenting the extent to which it protects privacy and security of personal information. The company didn’t comment.
The FCC Public Safety Bureau Monday sought comment on an August report by CTIA and the national wireless carriers on vertical accuracy (z-axis) for wireless calls to 911. The report by Location Technologies Test Bed, the test bed administrator, “describes the testing process used to assess vertical location solutions … and provides the results of the testing,” the bureau said. The report notes that two vendors, NextNav and Polaris, took part in tests. The technologies they offer “rely on barometric pressure sensor information from mobile wireless handsets to determine an estimated altitude of an indoor wireless 9-1-1 call,” the bureau said. Comments are due Oct. 1 in docket 07-114, replies Oct. 11.