Ookla found “significant internet performance disparities for both Wi-Fi and mobile” at airports, it said in a survey released Tuesday. The report noted that connectivity is now something travelers expect.
The FCC Wireless Bureau on Tuesday sought comment on a CTIA petition asking the commission to extend a temporary waiver that allows use of the interim volume control testing method for hearing-aid compatibility compliance (see 2507020051). Comments are due July 18, replies July 28, in dockets 23-388 and 20-3. Without further action, the current waiver would expire Sept. 29. “We seek comment on whether we should grant CTIA’s petition to extend use of the temporary volume control standard beyond the upcoming … expiration date and, if so, for how long,” the bureau said.
Despite businesses' “slower-than-expected” adoption rates, the outlook for reduced capability (RedCap) technology (see 2412240026) remains strong, Omdia said Tuesday, projecting 700 million global connections by 2030. RedCap and enhanced RedCap technologies “deliver innovative solutions that effectively bridge the crucial gap between high-performance 5G and low-power IoT applications,” Omdia said. Advantages include improved performance for midtier IoT applications, “providing a cost-effective migration path from LTE,” lower device complexity through a simplified architecture, “seamless integration with existing network infrastructure” and “improved power consumption for extended device longevity.”
Oliver Semans, executive director of the Coalition of Large Tribes (COLT), asked the FCC to reconsider its plan not to offer a tribal priority window for the AWS-3 auction (see 2507030049). “I understand it is late in the process for the AWS-3 auction, which is fast approaching, but I write to express the importance of spectrum access to the COLT member tribes,” said a filing posted Tuesday in docket 25-59. The 2.5 GHz priority window was “a great success among" them.
Various groups opposed Verizon’s proposed purchase of UScellular spectrum licenses, as the regional carrier seeks to sell off most of its spectrum holdings. The Verizon deal is contingent on a larger transaction with T-Mobile, in which it's buying “substantially all” of UScellular’s wireless operations for about $4.4 billion (see 2405280047). Verizon agreed in October to buy UScellular’s 850 MHz, AWS and PCS licenses for $1 billion (see 2410180004). Petitions to deny were due at the FCC on Monday in docket 25-192.
Top OneNav executives met with FCC Office of Engineering and Technology staff about setting more rigorous standards for enhanced 911 location accuracy, according to a filing posted Monday in docket 25-110. The company advocated for the agency to require that E911 location information be accurate within 20 meters at least 68% of the time. OneNav also discussed its arguments that L5 signals from global navigation satellite systems can help improve horizontal accuracy of caller information (see 2506100044). Among those in the meeting were OneNav CEO Steven Poizner, Chief Technology Officer Paul McBurney and acting FCC Chief Engineer Ira Keltz.
Host nations of World Radiocommunication Conferences "have always taken great care" to guarantee smooth sailing and overall success, so there's no reason to anticipate that a WRC-27 in Shanghai would do otherwise, River Advisers CEO Alexis Martin emailed last week. The ITU Council has recommended Shanghai, though the U.S. is expected to push for the full ITU to reverse that decision (see 2507010062). Martin said it's possible that U.S./China geopolitical tensions could affect participation levels, as was the case at recent ITU WRC Working Party meetings in Shanghai in April and May. But China’s selection as host likely won't deter industry representatives from attending. "The stakes are simply too high, for the U.S. (or anyone) to miss this event."
The FCC Enforcement Bureau ordered the Hampton Inn and Suites in Renton, Washington, to explain its alleged improper use of a part 90 signal booster that was found to interfere with 806-817 MHz band communications by the Puget Sound Emergency Radio Network. “Unauthorized or improper operation of signal boosters creates a danger of interference to important radio communications services, including communications of first responders and violates the Commission’s rules and section 301 of the Communications Act,” said a notice in Monday’s Daily Digest.
The Rural Wireless Association and other groups asked the FCC to examine AT&T’s proposed purchase of 700 MHz and 3.45 GHz licenses from UScellular in the broader context of the U.S. wireless market. The groups met virtually with aides to Chairman Brendan Carr and Commissioner Anna Gomez, according to a filing posted Monday in docket 25-150.
Mobile devices' "Wi-Fi first" approach means they often don't switch to cellular connections even when they should, resulting in dropped calls or stalled data connections, CableLabs' John Bahr wrote Wednesday. The R&D organization worked with member operators to conduct field-testing to characterize the poor user experience caused by such Wi-Fi "stickiness" and to understand how frequently it happens, said Bahr, director of its advanced technology group. He said the lack of seamless network transitions between Wi-Fi and cellular is exacerbating the problem. CableLabs is working with industry stakeholders in an attempt to find a common, streamlined solution, he added.