Velocity Communications asked the FCC to extend by six months the deadline to remove Chinese components from its networks to comply with the agency's rip-and-replace program. The company warned that its future is at stake and it needs more funding to proceed. Congress recently allocated an additional $3.08 billion to close the funding shortfall in the FCC’s Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Reimbursement Program (see 2412240036). “What started as a 1-year project timeline to complete the network overhaul has turned into a multi-year effort to save the business from becoming insolvent,” a filing posted Friday in docket 18-89 said.

Axon Networks told the FCC that because it agreed to use the common testing portal, the Office of Engineering and Technology was justified in allowing the company to conduct a 20-day public test of its 6 GHz automated frequency coordination (AFC) system. Axon responded to the Fixed Wireless Communications Coalition, which said the usual 45-day period should have been required (see 2501140078). Axon noted that OET also allowed a 20-day period for tests by C3Spectra last year and no one objected. “Lack of prior objections notwithstanding, OET’s decision to give the affected applicants the option of a shortened public testing period where a common testing portal would be leveraged was both ‘reasonable and reasonably explained,’” said a filing posted Friday in docket 21-352. In the 2023 testing procedures public notice, “OET highlighted the expected benefits of a single point of entry for testing all AFCs, and it gave applicants the option of using a common Internet-based test portal with other AFC systems in lieu of setting up their own public trial test portal,” Axon said.

Former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms resigned as chair of the FirstNet Authority board, NTIA said Friday, noting that will allow the next Commerce secretary to designate her successor. Bottoms became chair in October. Vice Chair Renee Gordon will temporarily lead the board, NTIA said.

FCC commissioners unanimously adopted an NPRM seeking comment on rules designed to provide more spectrum for uncrewed aircraft systems. Commissioner Anna Gomez recused herself from voting on the 450 GHz portion of the notice. The NPRM proposes changes in service rules for 650 kHz in the 450 MHz band. “In their current form, these site-based rules confine air-ground communications in the band to voice communications with aircraft traveling at high altitudes,” the NPRM said: “We propose to replace the current rigid framework with rules that embrace more flexible use of the band while minimizing the possibility for harmful interference by creating a single nationwide license.”

T-Mobile filed a fully redacted “response” at the FCC on Thursday in docket 24-286, examining its proposed buy of wireless assets from UScellular. The filing came the day before responses were due to a series of questions on the deal that the FCC Wireless Bureau and Office of Economics and Analytics posed (see 2412270031). T-Mobile didn't comment Thursday. UScellular representatives, meanwhile, met with FCC staff about the information request it received the same day as T-Mobile. “UScellular discussed its ongoing work to respond to the Information Request along with the relevant UScellular custodian(s) for each request,” said a filing on the meeting: “Commission staff also answered questions related to the Information Request’s instructions and definitions, as well as certain of the requests themselves.”

The FCC Office of Engineering and Technology approved Liberty Defense's waiver requests that will allow equipment certification for upgrades of its full-body security screening scanners deployed at U.S. airports. NTIA endorsed the waiver in June, saying that members of the Interdepartment Radio Advisory Committee had reviewed it and didn’t object (see 2406040063). OET sought comment in 2023 (see 2307200030). “Liberty’s new High-Definition Advanced Imaging Technology will be deployed via upgrade kits to Legacy Systems and will permit them to transmit across spectrum bands ranging from 10-40 GHz,” OET said Thursday in docket 23-245: “Liberty states that the new system will improve transportation security by enhancing threat detection capability and speeding up airline passenger screening.” While Liberty’s scanner “sweeps over a larger frequency band than the Legacy System, it employs a higher sweep rate, which reduces the potential for causing harmful interference,” OET said. “We agree that adding the upgrade kit to the Legacy System not only corresponds to a lower duty cycle seen by the victim receiver but also reduces the interference potential of these devices.”

The FCC Office of Engineering and Technology on Thursday approved a waiver sought by Norway's Kontur of rules for ultra-wideband (UWB) devices for a new ground-penetrating radar (GPR) device expected to be deployed in several industries. The UWB Alliance and the GPS Innovation Alliance supported the waiver last summer (see 2408150014) after OET sought comment (see 2407100057). The device is “a stepped frequency, continuous wave modulated GPR transmitter that closely resembles its previously approved GPR device,” OET said in docket 24-209: “Providing trained professionals with improved tools to detect potential flaws and safety risks, and providing increased information that lets the device operator focus on the job of locating subsurface problems and recommending solutions clearly benefits the public.” OET imposed technical restrictions similar to those imposed on other GPR UWB devices. The restrictions cover the operating frequency range, modulation type, dwell time on each frequency and measurement procedures.

In response to challenges brought by competitor AT&T, the Better Business Bureau's National Advertising Division issued decisions on Thursday asking T-Mobile to drop two different advertising claims. The first was that “Families Can Save 20% Every Month Versus AT&T and Verizon.” NAD said the ad doesn’t inform consumers “that the 20% savings claim is calculated by including the cost of third-party streaming services on top of the price of AT&T’s and Verizon’s monthly wireless plans.” The second claim was that with T-Mobile consumers “Save On Every Plan vs. The Other Big Guys.” Here too “T-Mobile included the cost of certain third-party streaming services, that are bundled with a T-Mobile plan, on top of the price of AT&T and Verizon wireless plans,” NAD said. In response, T-Mobile said while it disagrees with NAD, it will comply with the decisions.

The FCC Office of Engineering and Technology on Wednesday approved C3Spectra to operate an automated frequency coordination (AFC) system in the 6 GHz band (see 2408130030). “This action benefits American consumers and businesses by enabling an additional AFC system to provide service to standard power and fixed client devices further expanding spectrum access for new applications and services,” said an order in docket 21-352.

AT&T’s FirstNet will provide “unmatched network support for federal and local first responders” around the National Mall during Donald Trump's inauguration next week, a spokesperson emailed on Wednesday. “We are pre-positioning several deployable network assets from the dedicated FirstNet fleet around the National Mall and surrounding areas to provide enhanced network coverage for public safety on FirstNet should they need it,” the spokesperson said: “In a capability unique to FirstNet,” AT&T has also “cleared and locked” Band 14 spectrum on cellsites around the National Mall and surrounding areas “meaning first responders have their own ‘VIP lane’ and public safety communications is protected from spectators’ network congestion.”