The FCC Office of Engineering and Technology released modified rules for measuring spectrum emissions by level probing radar (LPR) devices operating on an unlicensed basis in the 5.925-7.250 GHz, 24.05-29.00 GHz, and 75-85 GHz bands. LPR devices are used to measure water basin levels and coal piles, among other applications, OET said (http://bit.ly/1dTpAum). “Manufacturers have had a difficult time demonstrating compliance with the rule’s low emission limits for certain types of level-measuring applications in fiberglass or polyethylene (plastic) tanks or in open air,” OET said. Certification of LPR equipment under the new rules requires “measuring emissions in the main beam of the LPR antenna, while adjusting the emission limits in Part 15 for devices so measured to account for the significant attenuation that occurs upon reflection of those emissions,” OET said. “These emission limits will protect any nearby receivers from encountering any increase in interfering signal levels."

T-Mobile representatives warned FCC officials about the dangers of package bidding, which both AT&T and Verizon Wireless have advocated for the upcoming incentive TV auction. The “drawbacks” of package bidding include “the creation of an excess supply of licenses upon the withdrawal of a package bid; the creation of new mechanisms to game the auction process; and the competitive risks associated with effectively granting package bidders an additional right to withdraw bids compared to individual license bidders,” T-Mobile said, according to an ex parte filing (http://bit.ly/1dTnCdx). “Given the risks, drawbacks and complexities associated with package bidding, participants ... discussed alternative mechanisms that can reduce exposure risk without substantially increasing gaming opportunities or computational challenges. Reasonable spectrum aggregation limits, for example, can constrain exposure risk in a manner similar to package bidding, but without unduly increasing either auction complexity or gaming opportunities."

Comments are due Feb. 14, replies March 17, on the FCC’s December rulemaking on in-flight cellphone use, after the notice was published in the Federal Register (http://1.usa.gov/1b3Xzzn). The notice is unlikely to attract much support, said lawyer Mitchell Lazarus in a Fletcher Heald blog post. “It’s possible that the Commission’s proposal has some fans somewhere who will be moved to file, but from the response the NPRM has received so far, the boo-birds are likely to outnumber the cheerleaders by a whopping margin,” he wrote (http://bit.ly/1dwsWZg).

The FCC should reject a request by ClearRF, which manufactures cell-signal boosters, for an extra six to 10 months to sell boosters that don’t conform to rules that take effect March 1, CTIA said in comments filed at the FCC. Initial comments were due Tuesday. “In these comments, CTIA demonstrates that the transition process and timeline adopted by the Commission is appropriate, and that ClearRF has failed to justify its request for a waiver and extension of time,” CTIA said (http://bit.ly/1d63Nly). “Several of ClearRF’s competitors -- while facing many of the same challenges cited by ClearRF -- have stated confidently that they will be able to deploy compliant signal boosters by the Commission’s deadline.” Verizon Wireless offered similar comments. “ClearRF has had more than a year to come into compliance,” the carrier said (http://bit.ly/LeMyFV). “Extending the deadline will result in the sale and use of more signal boosters that do not meet the Commission’s standards and will likely result in more harmful interference to wireless networks.” ClearRF told the commission it has been working diligently to develop a product that complies with the new rules (http://bit.ly/1m6HKzU).

Thirty-six percent of consumers said they're willing to share their GPS location with retailers, said an IBM study that surveyed more than 30,000 people, said a company news release Monday (http://ibm.co/1ho1ewW). Another 38 percent are willing to share their cellphone number to receive text messages from retailers and 32 percent said they would share their social media handles, said the release.

Wireless carrier revenue from mobile data roaming will reach $42 billion by 2018, Juniper Research said Tuesday. At that point, mobile data roaming will constitute 47 percent of global mobile roaming revenue, up from an estimated 36 percent in 2013, Juniper Research said. Mobile data roaming revenue is rising because of increased data usage, the migration to 4G and reduced roaming charges, the firm said. Roaming revenue could decline by up to 20 percent by 2016, however, if the EU convinces the European Parliament to ban roaming charges, Juniper Research said (http://bit.ly/1aCUfim).

Ex-FCC Wireless Bureau Chief Fred Campbell is starting a new policy organization, the Center for Boundless Innovation in Technology, effective Wednesday. Among CBIT’s goals are limiting governmental control of the Internet, modernizing how spectrum is allocated and “promoting private investment in high-tech infrastructure and technologies,” said a news release. CBIT is a stand-alone group. Campbell was formerly director of the American Enterprise Institute’s Communications Liberty and Innovation Project. The new website is cbit.org.

The FCC will formally open the comment period Wednesday on its rulemaking on cellphone use on airplanes, when the NPRM’s text will be published in the Federal Register. The FCC approved the notice Dec. 12 (CD Dec 13 p1). Comments are due within 30 days after the NPRM’s Federal Register publication and reply comments are due within 60 days, according to advance text of the Federal Register notice posted Tuesday (http://bit.ly/1kA8oCZ). The FCC had already posted more than 400 comments it has received on the NPRM as of our deadline.

FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler met with Google executives last week at the company’s Mountain View, Calif., headquarters to discuss unlicensed versus licensed spectrum, the 3.5 GHz band and other topics. “The company representatives expressed Google’s support for the three-tier framework for use of the 3.5 GHz band,” said an ex parte letter on the meeting (http://bit.ly/1d1mJBY). “In particular, we stressed the need for the Commission to move quickly in adopting rules opening up this spectrum for commercial use.” The Google executives also updated Wheeler on Google Fiber’s deployment of its gigabit network in the Kansas City area; Provo, Utah; and Austin, Texas; the company said.

Rapid growth in use of messaging and social media apps drove a 115 percent increase in overall mobile app usage from 2012 to 2013, said Flurry Analytics research released Monday (http://bit.ly/1j3X68w). Messaging and social app usage tripled over that time span, the research showed. “This type of growth could explain the high valuation Facebook has allegedly put on SnapChat or Facebook’s rush to add direct messaging in Instagram, an app frequented by teens,” said a Flurry blog post. Utilities and productivity app usage was increased the second most, after messaging apps, in 2013, according to the research. Use of utilities and productivity apps went up 149 percent, it. Flurry based its research on 400,000 apps it tracks in its analytics system, said the blog post. The company has done analytics work for companies such as Yahoo, eBay, T-Mobile and Sprint, said its website.