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.

NTIA reiterated support for "modernizing and expanding access to the 70/80/90 GHz” bands, saying in a filing last week in FCC docket 20-13 that the commission can make changes "while protecting both the Earth Exploration Satellite Service (EESS) and federal fixed satellite service sites." The FCC sought additional comment on the spectrum in October, following receipt of an earlier letter from NTIA, which addressed Aeronet’s proposed use of frequencies at 71-76 and 81-86 GHz (see 2311080055). The recent letter was addressed to the chiefs of the FCC Wireless Bureau and Office of Engineering and Technology.

Manufacturing company Jabil announced Friday it completed the divestiture of its mobility business to BYD Electronic in a cash deal valued at $2.2 billion. “We are pleased to successfully close this transformational deal and I am confident that this is the right step forward for Jabil,” said CEO Kenny Wilson: “The net proceeds will enable us to enhance our shareholder-centric capital framework, including incremental share buybacks. Additionally, it will provide opportunities for further investment in key areas of our business.”

Carriers need additional spectrum and the FCC shouldn't allocate the 7190-7235 MHz band to the space research service or the 7190-7250 MHz band to the Earth exploration satellite service on a secondary basis for nonfederal use, Verizon said in comments on an NPRM about implementing World Radiocommunication Conference decisions from 2015 and 2019. CTIA offered a similar view (see 2311290040). The record also supports a proposal removing the broadcasting service allocation in the 698-758, 775-788 and 805-806 MHz bands “consistent with the Commission’s transition of the 700 MHz band from television broadcasting use to public safety and mobile broadband uses,” Verizon said in a filing Thursday in docket 23-121. “Data usage on Verizon’s 5G Ultra Wideband network increased 249 percent between January 2021 and June 2022,” the carrier said: “Demand for wireless networks is only expected to increase, with some estimates suggesting that mobile data traffic could grow nearly four-fold by 2028. There is also increasing demand for fixed wireless access solutions, such as Verizon’s 5G Home Internet and LTE Home Internet services.”