Huawei assured the FCC its products pose no cybersecurity risks. The FCC is looking at a proposal to bar USF subsidy support for products from companies seen as posing a national security threat (see 1804170038). Some commenters question “whether a testing and certification regime would be sufficient to guard against potential threats to national security from particular manufacturers,” the company said Thursday in docket 18-89. “Huawei has been one of the most advanced practitioners in the telecom industry when it comes to cybersecurity testing and certification.” Huawei noted the U.K. has worked with Huawei to open the Huawei Cyber Security Evaluation Centre in the U.K., “which is monitored by a public-private Oversight Board to ensure its independency and efficacy.”

The U.S. mobile app industry is worth more than $568 billion in economic contributions, Deloitte reported recently. ACT|The App Association said Thursday its own report supports the estimate.

Global semiconductor industry revenue in Q2 grew 4.4 percent sequentially to a record $120.8 billion, reported IHS Markit. “This growth contributed to record application revenue in data processing and wired communication markets.” Samsung continued to lead with 15.9 percent share, followed by Intel at 13.9 percent and SK Hynix at 7.9 percent, the researcher said Wednesday.

Near-field communications “tapping behavior” on Android smartphones for digital wallet payment and other services far outpaces even iPhones, said Davor Sutija, CEO of NFC components supplier Thin Film Electronics. On an earnings call last week, he estimated 80 percent of the NFC tapping activity comes from Android phones. He blames the lag in iPhone NFC engagement partially on iOS users needing to download an app and open it: “Many in the industry believe this usability will become better as apps get deployed among users more widely and potentially with improvements." Thursday, Apple didn't comment.

The Citizens Broadband Radio Service Alliance met with FCC Commissioner Mike O’Rielly and staff from the Wireless Bureau and Office of Engineering and Technology, with a CBRS update. “We detailed the Alliance’s continued membership growth, the launch of our OnGo brand and certification program, the formation of our new Deployment & Operations Working Group, the growth in our Authorized Test Labs (ATLs), the number of [devices] that have been submitted for certification, and our upcoming Interoperability Event,” the alliance said Wednesday in docket 15-319. Nine ATLs have been approved and 12 devices submitted for OnGo certification, the alliance said.

With their deal in the works, T-Mobile and Sprint are likely to be cautious in the upcoming 28 and 24 GHz auctions, Macquarie’s Amy Yong wrote investors Thursday. “Both will look to participate,” the analyst forecast. “T-Mobile has confirmed its interest and filed a letter asking the FCC to allow it to enter the auctions, while Sprint views mmWave as complementary to its [approximately] 150 MHz of 2.5 GHz spectrum. But, despite protections in place against sharing sensitive competitive info, there could be hesitation to participate at a large scale given the deal’s pending regulatory review. We continue to see the potential for a new class of 5G winners, including New T-Mobile.” Verizon has lots of millimeter-wave spectrum and is likely to participate “opportunistically,” Yong said. While AT&T has more than 375 MHz of 39 GHz in the top 100 markets from its FiberTower, “it will participate in the auctions,” she thinks. Non-carriers also could jump in, she said: “Comcast/Charter’s participation could mean a larger commitment to wireless, while tech could bring new 5G players. We note that Google met with the FCC regarding the C-Band initiative.” Yong said all of the spectrum set for auction by the FCC, including the C-band, has negative implications for Dish Network stockpile of frequency-use rights.

The Competitive Carriers Association asked the FCC to seek comment on a request for clarification made by the Colorado Public Safety Broadband Governing Body on interoperability of the FirstNet network (see 1807060034). “CCA has been at the forefront of helping to ensure interoperability,” the group said in a filing posted Tuesday in docket 16-269. “CCA previously submitted comments on ... FirstNet’s interoperability with state opt-out plans. As such, CCA hereby asks the Commission to seek input on whether certain interoperable standards are being met with respect to the FirstNet network.”

Edward Farscht, CEO of Diamond Communications, met with Commissioner Mike O’Rielly on wireless infrastructure changes, said a filing posted Wednesday in docket 17-79. The tower company CEO also met with aides to the other commissioners and with Wireless and Wireline bureau staff. Diamond backs "5G deployment, particularly small deployment in the rights-of-way and [discussed[ how such deployment shall compliment the macro tower model,” the filing said: It's important to work with communities to ensure streamlining small cell deployment in rights-of-way is "balancing the concerns of such communities.”

The American Trucking Associations said the FCC should preserve the 5.9 GHz band for dedicated short-range communications. ATA weighed in on one of the unresolved spectrum fights at the FCC -- whether to allow other use of the band including sharing with Wi-Fi (see 1804260040). “Much work has been done by federal government, state governments, research institutions, technical standards organizations, technology companies and automakers to develop DSRC based [vehicle-to-vehicle] protocols and applications for passenger vehicles,” the group said in docket 13-49. “ATA is supportive of V2V technology and the significant safety benefits it is expected to provide.”

The FCC Public Safety Bureau directed eight 800 MHz regional planning committees (RPCs) for National Public Safety Planning Advisory Committee regions bordering Canada to file amendments to their 800 MHz regional plans by Oct. 22 to bring them into conformity with the new 800 MHz band plan. Alternatively, RPCs may elect “to file amended regional plans by December 19, 2018, that combine these conforming band reconfiguration-related changes with other modifications, provided that they notify the Bureau by October 22,” the bureau said. The change is in keeping with the FCC’s 2004 800 MHz rebanding order, the bureau said in docket 02-55.