Officials from 182 fixed wireless broadband providers said the FCC should retain census tracts for at least some of the priority access licenses sold as part of the 3.5 GHz citizens broadband radio service band. The FCC is expected soon to take up revised rules for the band (see 1807160057). “Reject options that take census tracts off the table and propel rural broadband access backwards instead of forwards,” the companies asked Monday in docket 17-258. “Without census-tract-sized licenses, we will have virtually no ability to acquire protected spectrum in this band. That would be an intolerable outcome that would harm our rural broadband businesses and inhibit our ability to grow, but worse it would harm the millions of consumers for whom mid-band spectrum is the key to high-speed fixed broadband access.” Wireless ISPs invested in the band under the current rules "by deploying software-defined radios in the 3650-3700 MHz band that can be easily upgraded to operate in the entire 3550-3700 MHz band, reaching more rural consumers within months," the WISPs said.

AT&T added Charlotte and Raleigh, North Carolina, and Oklahoma City to cities where it will introduce mobile 5G later this year. The others are Dallas, Atlanta and Waco, Texas. “We’re deliberately launching with a mix of big and mid-sized cities,” AT&T said Friday. “One competitor recently boasted ‘New York matters more than Waco’ when discussing their future plans. We politely disagree -- all Americans should have access to next-gen connectivity to avoid a new digital divide.”

The wireless industry’s ability to deploy 5G and help the economy depends on industry having “reasonable” access to rights of way, CTIA said in comments posted Friday in FCC docket 17-79, with an Accenture study that lowering regulatory review timelines to speed deployment by 12 months would unleash an extra $100 billion in economic growth over the next three years. “Establish clear timelines for the entire local review process, with enforceable remedies, and ensure that fees charged by state and local governments are cost-based, non-discriminatory, and transparent,” the association asked. “Address specific types of regulations or requirements that have been identified as substantially delaying or deterring service, including denials of access to municipally-owned utility poles and other structures, requirements that all facilities along rights-of-way be underground, requirements to prove a service coverage gap or other business need, and subjective, unreasonable, or unpublished aesthetic restrictions or those that discriminate against wireless deployment.”

Samsung launched a “4D” lunar gravity virtual-reality consumer experience for the Galaxy S9+ smartphone and Gear VR headset, designed with NASA space staff. Consumers immerse themselves in a visual and physical VR experience of a fictional moon mission to convey the sensation of lunar gravity, said the company Thursday.

Most rules for spectrum above 24 GHz take effect Aug. 19, says an FCC notice in Friday's Federal Register. Commissioners in June approved additional rules for high-frequency bands previously identified for flexible use, an operability requirement for the entire 24 GHz band, a sharing framework to allow use of a portion of the 24 GHz band for terrestrial wireless operations and fixed satellite service earth stations and a band plan for the lower 37 GHz band. A few parts contain information collection requirements that won’t take effect until approved by the Office of Management and Budget.

T-Mobile launched narrowband IoT service nationwide, which the carrier said is the first such U.S.-wide network “and first in the world to launch NB-IoT in the guard bands for optimal efficiency.” It's based on a 3rd Generation Partnership Project standard and offers a low-power, wide-area network using LTE-advanced technology, T-Mobile said Thursday. Its NB-IoT plan costs $6 a year for up to 12 MB per connected device. “NB-IoT is the globally-preferred standard to power the rapidly expanding world of IoT applications,” said Neville Ray, T-Mobile chief technology officer. Craig Moffett of MoffettNathanson said the announcement has negative implications for Dish Network and its similar proposed network (see 1807100062). “That T-Mobile is able to construct a narrow IoT network out of guard bands seems to suggest that they believe the actual consumption of a low power wide area network will be de minimis,” Moffett wrote. “At just $6 per year, it is clear that the monetization capability of a network like this is very low … and that there is no conceivable economic model for an IoT-only network that doesn’t piggyback on the sunk costs of a network already built for more profitable uses.” Dish declined to comment.

The FCC should steer clear of a “preemptive approach” to siting, local government representatives said in a meeting with Commissioner Brendan Carr. He told us Thursday he has nothing new on the timing of an FCC item addressing local siting issues. “We discussed the great desire of local governments to close the digital divide,” the representatives said in docket 17-79. “American communities want the latest broadband infrastructure to attract businesses and retain residents. Many cities and counties are already actively engaged with neighboring jurisdictions and their wireless industry partners to plan for the safe, efficient, and appropriate deployment of small cell infrastructure.” Fees are complicated, the local governments said. “We delineated for Commissioner Carr the important difference between the various fees that may be charged by local governments when they are exercising their police power versus authorizing private use of public property.” Among those at the meeting were Montgomery County, Maryland, Council President Hans Riemer, NATOA and the U.S. Conference of Mayors. The Smart Communities and Special Districts Coalition said Sprint's recent comments on its success in deploying small cells show local governments aren’t an impediment. “This announcement stands in stark contrast to generic industry arguments and Sprint filings to the Commission that deployment is being inhibited by local governments and public agencies,” the coalition said.

LED billboard company D3 LED agreed to pay a $40,000 fine and implement a compliance plan to resolve an FCC investigation into whether D3 marketed LED signs without the required labeling and user manual disclosures. The Enforcement Bureau has been clamping down on LED billboard companies for violations of RF rules (see 1805180068). The company didn’t comment.

Lattice Semiconductor is scuttling its millimeter wave business, a move expected to result in $25 million of mostly noncash restructuring and impairment charges in Q2 and a $13 million annualized reduction in operating expenses, it said Wednesday. The company doesn't expect a significant impact to its potential full-year 2018 revenue, citing strength in other areas. It will support customers’ product and support requirements during the transition, it said. Interim CEO Glen Hawk said millimeter wave was determined to be a noncore business, "unable to achieve the required near-term scale to be profitable or to warrant any further investment." The company will focus on improving operating efficiencies and accelerating revenue growth of its existing semiconductor solutions in control, connect and compute applications, Hawk said. In September, President Donald Trump signed an executive order blocking Canyon Bridge Fund’s $1.3 billion acquisition of Lattice Semiconductor on national security grounds (see 1709130056). Lattice's Q2 earnings call is July 26.

Hollywood actors and producers, advocacy organizations and artists wrote federal agencies Wednesday warning of RF dangers. The letter seeks a federal warning on the danger of exposure to Wi-Fi “just like the city of Berkeley’s Right To Know Ordinance for cellphones” and “federal public health fact sheets about ways to reduce exposure to wireless radiation, particularly for children in schools.” Once systems are in place, they can’t be recalled, the letter said: “Wireless technology was not tested for safety before going into the consumer marketplace including schools and nurseries.” The letter was sent to FCC Chairman Ajit Pai, Education Secretary Betsy DeVos and Don Wright, acting secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services. Signers included Claudia Black and Camille Cooper; singer Laura Dawn; authors Naomi Wolf and Richard Greene; and the Center for Environmental Health, Environmental Media Association and California Brain Tumor Association. The Wi-Fi Alliance “takes any concern about the alleged health impact of Wi-Fi technology seriously,” a spokesperson said. “A range of scientific research undertaken to-date concludes there is no evidence that low-power wireless networks pose health threats to users or to the general public. Wi-Fi technology meets all national and international safety requirements and emits signals that are typically hundreds to thousands of times below international safety limits.” The FCC and CTIA didn't comment.