Samsung Electronics America refuted objections NCTA raised to the company's request for an FCC waiver for a 5G base station radio that works across citizens broadband radio service and C-band spectrum (see [Ref:2309130041). “The practical implications … would be harmful to the CBRS ecosystem, particularly if used as precedent for future composite radios,” NCTA said in a late November filing that other cable interests joined. NCTA's technical assertions are at odds with the FCC rule “governing the measurement of emissions by composite devices" and "inconsistent with the rule itself, with the Office of Engineering and Technology’s well-settled guidance regarding the proper application of the rule, and with current and longstanding wireless industry measurement practices,” Samsung said in a response posted Friday in docket 23-93. The proposed radio won't have “a practical impact” on CBRS operations “compared to the deployment of two standalone radios, and therefore, Samsung’s radio will not disrupt any CBRS operators’ reasonable reliance interests,” Samsung said. Ericsson, Qualcomm and Verizon joined Samsung on the filing.

The FCC Wireless Bureau Friday agreed to give AEP the additional week it asked for (see 2401040037), until Jan. 12, before it responds to concerns the Government Wireless Technology & Communications Association (GWTCA) raised about the utility’s request for a waiver allowing it to operate 800 MHz low-power temporary repeaters and “talk-around on mobile units” in remote areas outside the range of its existing 800 MHz network. “We agree that a 7-day extension is warranted due to the intervening Christmas and New Year's Day holidays,” the bureau said: “Providing a 7-day extension will allow AEP to provide a meaningful response to GWTCA.”

NTIA may need Capitol Hill's help addressing spectrum authority issues, Michael Marcus, former FCC engineer and adjunct professor at Northeastern University, said in comments to NTIA on a national spectrum strategy. Section 323 of the Communications Act, which addresses interference issues, has never been amended, runs to just 214 words and uses terms that are “woefully anachronistic,” Marcus said. NTIA should request legislation replacing Section 323 with “legislative guidance on how the President and FCC resolve their respective rules.” But Marcus noted that crafting and approving legislation is difficult and it is rarely able to keep pace with a changing industry. One key issue is improving agency confidence in NTIA decisions, he said. NTIA and the FCC need additional resources to do a “more objective and timely analysis of the technical issues in spectrum sharing,” Marcus added.

T-Mobile reached speeds greater than 3.6 Gbps during a test of its network. This is “fast enough to download a two-hour HD movie in less than 7 seconds,” the company said Thursday. T-Mobile worked with Ericsson and Qualcomm Technologies on the test, which was “the world’s first" six-carrier aggregation call made using sub-6 GHz spectrum, T-Mobile said. “5G carrier aggregation allows T-Mobile to combine multiple 5G channels (or carriers) to deliver greater speed and performance,” the provider said: In the test, researchers “merged six 5G channels of mid-band spectrum -- two channels of 2.5 GHz Ultra Capacity 5G, two channels of PCS spectrum and two channels” of advanced wireless service spectrum -- “creating an effective 245 MHz of aggregated 5G channels.”

American Electric Power asked for an extra week, until Jan. 12, before it responds to concerns the Government Wireless Technology & Communications Association (GWTCA) raised about the utility’s request for a waiver allowing it to operate 800 MHz low-power temporary repeaters and “talk-around on mobile units” in remote areas outside the range of its existing 800 MHz network (see 2311210028). GWTCA was the lone party filing a comment (see 2312220039). “AEP was made aware of the filing by the Enterprise Wireless Alliance during the Christmas holidays at which time the relevant AEP personnel were on leave,” a filing posted Thursday in docket 23-390 said: “They now have had an opportunity to review the Opposition and request this one-week extension to prepare a responsive filing.”

Dish Network offered additional details to the FCC on its comments supporting an NPRM asking about revised spectrum aggregation limits (see 2311090051). The screen should “take into account spectrum contiguity, and should structure clear and effective presumptions and divestiture remedies to avoid harm to competition and consumers for transactions that would exceed one of the screens,” said a filing posted Wednesday in docket 23-319. The screen should be calculated county by county. “The county-based calculations should be rolled up not only to the Cellular Market Area (CMA) as the Commission does today, but also to all of the other basic building blocks of … licensing areas -- meaning a Partial Economic Area (PEA) basis and Basic Trading Area (BTA) basis, as applicable,” Dish said: “Divestitures should be required for the largest licensing area of these three that is implicated in a case of screen exceedance and should include additional counties not covered by that licensing area as necessary to cure the exceedance.” Dish urged providers seeking to bid for additional spectrum that would exceed the screen should "disclose such current or potential exceedances in their short-form application, and provide evidence to rebut the presumption against any acquisition that would cause the exceedance in their long-form application.”

In other comments to NTIA on an implementation plan for the national spectrum strategy, the Enterprise Wireless Alliance urged consideration of the needs of its members, who operate primarily on spectrum regulated under Parts 22, 90, and 101 of FCC rules. “These businesses are critical for meeting the day-to-day needs of the American public,” EWA said. The group appreciates the importance of commercial networks and Wi-Fi, but the strategy should “achieve a balance between those interests and the spectrum requirements of enterprise entities.” Ericsson warned, as did other industry players (see 2401030059), of a “looming licensed spectrum deficit” facing the U.S. “While the industry has suggested an allocation of 1.5-2.2 gigahertz” for licensed use “that amount is barely enough to keep the United States in the middle of the pack globally,” Ericsson said. Though the strategy identifies nearly 2,800 MHz of spectrum for study, “it does not identify an amount of spectrum to be repurposed for commercial use suitable for 5G, 6G, and beyond,” the company said. The U.S. needs more licensed, shared and unlicensed spectrum, the Information Technology Industry Council (ITI) advised. “Studies should be started and finished as quickly as possible, making sure there are adequate opportunities for the public and private sectors to weigh in, while also keeping an open mind about sharing technologies and methodologies where appropriate,” ITI said. “The Implementation Plan and its deliverables should provide early clarity regarding the study processes, methodologies, and principles for the bands under study, including their timing, inputs, and outputs. Such processes should be data-driven -- consistent with this Administration’s focus on data-based decision-making -- and increase transparency into current and future federal and non-federal spectrum use.” Wi-Fi is “an American success story” and U.S. companies lead the world “in Wi-Fi chipset production, modular radios used in other manufacturers’ finished products, and enterprise equipment,” WifiForward said. The group urged NTIA to focus on 7 GHz, the “only location available in the foreseeable future to support the Nation’s ever-growing unlicensed spectrum needs.” While other bands are studied for licensed use “there is no ‘Plan B’ for heavily used Wi-Fi services that carry the bulk of data in our homes, businesses, and community anchor institutions,” WifiForward said. The Wireless Innovation Forum (WInnForum) urged allocating spectrum “with licenses adapted towards a spectrum usage rights method that has the minimum necessary technical restrictions to provide adequate protection against harmful interference.” Optimal use of spectrum is more likely “if the market, and not the regulator, decides what technology or service should be provided in a particular frequency band,” WInnForum said.

T-Mobile announced Wednesday that subscribers to its premium Go5G Next plan will receive a Hulu subscription as part of their service starting Jan. 24. Subscribers already get Apple TV, Netflix and MLB.TV. “T-Mobile now offers the best entertainment streaming bundle in wireless,” the company said.

NTIA is seeking expressions of interest from anyone interested in serving on the FirstNet Authority Board. The terms of 11 of the 12 non-permanent members are available for appointment or reappointment in 2024, according to a Wednesday notice in the Federal Register. Expressions of interest are due Feb. 2. Board members are compensated for their work.

The Free State Foundation is questioning how much the Biden administration is accomplishing in its national spectrum strategy. While the identification of five spectrum bands totaling 2,786 MHz of spectrum for near-term study “at first glance may appear to represent real progress, the bottom line is that there is no guarantee that a single megahertz of that total will be repurposed,” FSF said in comments filed Tuesday at NTIA: “While making available sufficient unlicensed spectrum is an important objective, what is perhaps immediately concerning is the fact that the Strategy fails to identify sufficient mid-band spectrum that could be licensed on an exclusive basis, thereby jeopardizing our nation's ability to compete effectively in the global race to 5G.” Comments were due Tuesday on an implementation plan for the strategy (see 2311290038) and are expected to be vetted and posted by NTIA.