The FCC should take “early steps” to release information on interference complaints and investigations, including those voluntarily resolved by the affected parties, said a white paper released by the FCC Technological Advisory Council’s Spectrum Receiver Performance Working Group. “Whether interference is harmful or not is technically complex and highly subjective.” The paper examined the future of interference enforcement. The communications world is changing, with terrestrial wireless systems relying on low-power base stations proving coverage “over small areas on an interference-limited basis,” the paper noted (http://bit.ly/SXCK5R). Another big development is the emergence of Wi-Fi and other unlicensed systems. “Today’s low power/low antenna height network architectures, coupled with the high mobility and low power of individual end user devices, make spectrum monitoring from a limited number of fixed locations problematic,” the paper said. “It also necessitates more sensitive mobile and portable monitoring devices that can process signals from devices that operate with multiple, sophisticated waveforms on multiple channels in multiple bands on a highly dynamic basis.” The paper outlined areas for future work by TAC. The council should examine the potential costs and benefits of a “Public-Private Partnership that would serve as a forum for the voluntary sharing of information on interference incidents in a systematic fashion,” the paper said. TAC should also identify, analyze and recommend “new strategies for interference resolution and enforcement” and investigate the changing radiofrequency noise floor “and its impact on wireless services,” the report said. The principal author was Dale Hatfield, former chief of the FCC Office of Engineering and Technology and former acting NTIA administrator.

The FCC proposed $34.9 million fine against Chinese company C.T.S. Technology is “impressive,” but may only be “symbolic,” said Fletcher Heald lawyer Mitchell Lazarus Friday in a blog post. The FCC said the fine would be the biggest in agency history (CD June 20 p5). If an offender won’t pay, the FCC’s usual recourse is to file a lawsuit in federal court, Lazarus wrote (http://bit.ly/SXEoED). The court’s reach may not extend to China, he said. “There is a treaty called the Hague Service Convention that may help, but we're guessing its implementation might be slow and uncertain.” Lazarus also questioned the extent to which C.T.S. actually violated the law. While C.T.S. did ship at least 10 devices to U.S. addresses, “it performed its acts in China, where it may be perfectly legal to ship jammers to U.S. addresses,” he said. While importation of the devices was “unquestionably unlawful,” wrote Lazarus, “FCC staffers, not C.T.S., did that by initiating the transactions and accepting delivery.” Citing the company for 275 devices it advertised but did not necessarily ship is still more “tenuous,” he said. “There is only one Internet; a company cannot easily promote its products on line in some parts of the world but not others.”

Virgin Mobile said Friday it plans to begin offering its $20-per-month payLo mobile plans Saturday. The two plans, offered in partnership with Walmart, would allow a subscriber access to either unlimited voice minutes or text messages. The unlimited voice plan would also include 50 text messages per month, while the unlimited text plan would include 50 minutes of voice per month, Virgin Mobile said. Subscribers on the payLo plans can choose between two devices -- the Kyocera Kona or the Samsung Montage. Additional voice minutes cost 10 cents per minute, while each additional text message costs 15 cents, Virgin Mobile said. Picture messages cost 25 cents per message, while Internet access costs $1.50 per megabyte (http://wervirg.in/1qq7n05).

CTIA President Meredith Baker explained the importance of spectrum to the wireless industry, as well as the need for expediting the wireless siting process, in a meeting Monday with FCC Commissioner Ajit Pai. Baker also emphasized that “Title II regulation is not necessary to preserve an open Internet,” said an ex parte filing on the meeting posted Thursday by the FCC in docket 12-268 (http://bit.ly/1pnVCaY). Baker also discussed the importance of the pending TV incentive auction, the filing said. “CTIA urged the Commission to continue to recognize the unique technical, operational, and competitive differences that apply to mobile wireless broadband, whether it is the dependence on government for access to a critical source of capacity, spectrum, or the need to actively manage networks to ensure a high quality experience for consumers that seek access to the Internet wherever and whenever they want,” the group said. Scott Bergmann, vice president-regulatory affairs, accompanied Baker at the meeting.

The FCC Wireless and Wireline bureaus Thursday extended by 30 days the deadline for winning bidders of Mobility Fund Phase I support to file annual reports with the commission. The bureaus said they took the step without being formally asked to do so by anyone outside the agency. Reports were due July 1 and they are now due July 31, the bureaus said in a Thursday public notice (http://bit.ly/1qwwYH9). All winners must file reports for the first five years after funds are authorized.

The informal working groups of the World Radiocommunication Conference 2015 will meet next month, the FCC said Thursday in a public notice (http://bit.ly/1rc5jZC). The terrestrial services group meets July 8, and the maritime, aeronautical and radar services group meets July 16, it said. The space services group and the regulatory issues group meet Aug. 5. All meetings will take place via teleconference, it said.

CTIA applauds rather than criticizes CEA for a report on the economic impact of unlicensed spectrum, CTIA President Meredith Baker said Thursday in a blog post (http://bit.ly/1jAQ7jy). “Washington loves a good fight, a good debate,” she said. “There isn’t one here.” Both unlicensed and licensed spectrum are critical, Baker said. “Both are needed by our country to continue the amazing investment and innovation that makes our wireless ecosystem the envy of the world.” CEA said in a report released Monday unlicensed spectrum generates $62 billion a year for the U.S. economy (http://bit.ly/1nktNvU).

T-Mobile is looking to scoop up 700 MHz spectrum from smaller carriers, the New York Post reported (http://bit.ly/1qsPsYY), citing unnamed sources. In April, T-Mobile wrapped up its $3.3 billion acquisition of low-band spectrum from Verizon, giving the carrier for the first time a substantial amount of sub-1 GHz spectrum. The deal gave T-Mobile low-band spectrum in 21 of the top 30 U.S. markets, including Los Angeles, New York and Washington (CD April 24 p10). A T-Mobile spokesman declined to comment.

Brownsville, Texas’s request for a three-day delay in filing a notification of intent to upgrade its system was granted as de minimis by an FCC Public Safety Bureau order released Wednesday (http://bit.ly/1kOvtft). Brownsville’s Public Safety Land Mobile Station, Call Sign WQLR527, is subject to relocation as part of the FCC’s 800 MHz rebanding, the order said. Brownsville said it provided a cost estimate for the rebanding of its system to Sprint on May 12, but did not notify Sprint of its intent to upgrade its system until May 15, the order said.

Global mobile game revenue is expected to hit $28.9 billion by 2016, Juniper Research projected in a report released Wednesday. That would be more than 38 percent higher than the $20.9 billion expected for 2014, it said. Due to the “domination” of casual gamers playing free-to-play titles, developers’ approaches have shifted away from “bulk acquisition” of unique players, it said in a news release. Under the new strategy, developers are increasing lifetime value by analyzing, “re-engaging” and monetizing users, allowing for higher returns on investment, it said. Tablet users will spend more on in-game purchases and generate more revenue per device than smartphone users, it projected. Despite the mobile game growth, dedicated game devices such as the PS4 and Xbox One will “continue to serve a niche gaming audience,” it predicted. Console game software will increasingly “embrace elements” of mobile games, as “reflected by” the introduction of PlayStation Now, Sony’s coming cloud game service that will let users play games through online streaming on a per-game or subscription basis, said Juniper.