The Wi-Fi Alliance is introducing a new generation of Wi-Fi security, Wi-Fi Protected Access 3 (WPA3), replacing WPA2. “WPA3 adds new features to simplify Wi-Fi security, enable more robust authentication, and deliver increased cryptographic strength for highly sensitive data markets,” the alliance said. Devices containing the old technology will continue to provide “recognized security” as WPA3 is deployed, it said Monday.
Twilio General Counsel Karyn Smith said the FCC must maintain integrity of 10-digit North American Numbering Plan phone numbers, meeting last week with an aide to Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel. “We noted the Commission’s recent efforts to preserve the rights of subscribers on enabling text messaging for toll free numbers," Twilio said Monday in docket 17-192, "and expressed concerns about recent anti-competitive behaviors by wireless carriers.”
ATIS and the Citizens Broadband Radio Service Alliance announced a development they say will make use of the 3.5 GHz band more commercially viable. The work was done by ATIS’ International Mobile Subscriber Identity Oversight Council. The IMSI council oversees U.S. assignment of IMSI numbers, a 15-digit international identifier that allows for network roaming. In collaboration with the CBRS Alliance, “ATIS developed an innovative new IMSI code that is specifically allocated for use by CBRS spectrum operators," they said Tuesday. The council “will also begin administration of an IMSI Block Number (IBN), under the oversight of the IMSI Administrator, iconectiv,” they said. “The IBN will be assigned to CBRS spectrum operators to support the implementation of network services. This work is essential for utilizing CBRS for LTE services while also advancing IoT applications.”
The FCC Wireless Bureau sought comment on the first edition of the new “Communications Marketplace Report,” required by Congress under the FY 2018 omnibus spending bill (HR-1625) (see 1803230038). The report must be filed with Congress in Q3 of every even numbered year and subsumes the former Mobile Wireless Competition Report, which was due every year. The notice seeks comment on "whether laws, regulations, regulatory practices or demonstrated marketplace practices pose a barrier to competitive entry into the mobile wireless marketplace, or to the competitive expansion of existing providers,” the bureau said Tuesday. “Information is sought on the extent to which any such laws, regulations or marketplace practices affect entry barriers for entrepreneurs and other small businesses in the mobile wireless marketplace.” The bureau wants comment on “criteria or metrics that could be used to evaluate the state of mobile wireless competition.” Comments are due July 26, replies Aug. 16, in docket 18-203.
Revised FCC service rules on narrowband operations in 769-775/799-805 MHz are to take effect July 26, after expected publication Tuesday of a notice in the Federal Register. In 2016, commissioners gave the Telecommunications Industry Association partial relief from an October 2014 700 MHz narrowband transition order (see 1608220066). In January 2015, TIA sought revisions, saying it may not be feasible for a manufacturer to complete all the requirements for the Project 25 Compliance Assessment Program certification at the time it submits a device to the FCC for approval (see 1501060055). “We agree and modify our rules to allow CAP compliance or the equivalent to be completed after equipment certification but prior to the marketing or sale of that equipment,” said the 2016 order in docket 13-87.
U.S. Cellular tentatively plans to deploy a call-authentication solution in the second half of 2019, said a filing posted Friday on a discussion with FCC Chief Technology Officer Eric Burger and other staffers. Several components are "critical" for successfully implementing Stir/Shaken (Secure Telephony Identity Revisited/Secure Handling of Asserted Information using toKENs), said the docket 17-97 filing: "a certificate key management entity"; "new network elements and functionality"; "new functionality on devices (UE) to support [Session Initiation Protocol] parameters"; and "Volte interoperability (SIP trunking) with other carriers (who also have implemented STIR/SHAKEN)." Chairman Ajit Pai in May accepted recommendations of the North American Numbering Council for standing up a call-authentication governance framework over the next year, with some providers expected to implement Stir/Shaken on the same timetable (see 1805140028 and 1805030014).
Eighty-seven percent of U.S. homes own a smartphone, second only to TVs among CE devices at 96 percent ownership, CTA reported Monday. The top tech categories are screen devices, with laptops third at 72 percent. Vice President-Research Steve Koenig predicted smartphone ownership could match TVs within five years. Smart speakers nearly tripled their ownership rate since last year to 22 percent of households, one of the fastest-adopted tech products since tablets. Smartwatches had a 6 percentage-point increase in ownership to 18 percent. Ownership rates of virtual reality headsets were 11 percent and drones 10 percent of households. The household ownership rate of 4K Ultra HD TVs rose 15 points to 31 percent, and 19 percent of households own a TV with a screen size of 60 inches or larger. Ownership of digital media streaming devices rose nine points to 45 percent.
An Apple-led proposal by tech companies for addressing interference in the C-band (see 1806130048) would create unacceptable levels of interference for its members, the Fixed Wireless Communications Coalition said Monday in docket 17-183. More than 95,000 licensed fixed service microwave links remain in the 6 GHz band, the FWCC said. “The gravity of the interference issues follows from the safety-critical nature of some FS applications,” the coalition said. “Even a brief interruption can take down a first responders’ backhaul network for several minutes.” Proponents of the tech-industry framework respond “to all such interference predictions with a wave of the hand, saying mitigation will solve the problem,” FWCC said. “Saying it is not enough.” A lawyer for the tech coalition didn't comment.
The Republican National Committee and other commenters supported the Peer-to-Peer (P2P) Alliance request that the FCC clarify that P2P text messages to mobile phones aren't subject to the restrictions in the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (see 1805040028). Comments were posted Monday on docket 02-278. The commission should “tread lightly when it comes to regulating political speech, which is what the wireless-number restriction of the TCPA does,” the RNC said. “The RNC agrees with the P2P Alliance that P2P platforms are not autodialers and do not make calls using autodialing capabilities.” Vote.org also backed the coalition. “One way that Vote.org communicates with voters is through the use of P2P text messaging. P2P text messaging offers us a way to engage with voters in a personalized, individual way regarding voter registration, upcoming elections, and participation,” the group said. “As the P2P Alliance describes in the Petition, there is no basis to subject P2P text messaging to the TCPA restrictions that apply to calls made to wireless phone numbers through the use of an automatic telephone dialing system.” Every message that the National Black Justice Coalition “sends using a P2P platform is sent by an individual, who manually dials each number and transmits each message one at a time to a single recipient,” said NBJC.
The U.S. government has the full backing of President Donald Trump as it moves forward on 5G, NTIA Administrator David Redl told the Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences Monday in a speech in Stockholm. “The United States, through private industry activity and government policy, has made 5G development a priority goal,” Reld said. Trump is a “champion of the move to 5G, appreciating its importance to economic development and opportunity, and its importance to our national security strategy,” he said. Fifth-generation wireless will be “a true game changer, promising to enable entirely new and re-imagined services and devices that will take advantage of the technology’s high-speed, high capacity, and low latency attributes,” he said. Redl asked for support for Doreen Bogdan-Martin of the U.S. in her campaign to head ITU’s Development Sector: "Doreen would be the first woman to hold any of the ITU’s elected offices in the Union’s 153-year history.”