T-Mobile and UScellular representatives met with FCC staff examining their proposed deal, in which T-Mobile is buying wireless assets, including spectrum, from the smaller carrier for about $4.4 billion, including $2 billion in assumed debt (see 2405280047). The representatives “discussed the timing and status of the … transaction and urged expeditious action,” said a filing Friday in docket 24-286. “They informed FCC staff about UScellular’s steps to relinquish its Eligible Telecommunications Carrier designations in connection with the transaction” and “the status of the various FCC requests for information, documents, and data.”
Wi-Fi advocates on Monday filed at the FCC a study by Plum Consulting countering a recent NextNav engineering study that found no interference concerns with the company’s proposal for the FCC to reconfigure the 902-928 MHz band “to enable a high-quality, terrestrial complement” to GPS for positioning, navigation and timing (PNT) services (see 2503030023).
NCTA and other groups raised concerns about AT&T’s proposed buy of 3.45 GHz licenses from UScellular in comments posted Monday in docket 25-150. “Far from being routine, this waiver would push AT&T to the edge of -- or beyond -- longstanding spectrum thresholds in numerous markets, with broad implications for mid-band spectrum access and wireless market structure nationwide,” NCTA said. The transaction is tied to UScellular's proposed sale of wireless assets, including spectrum, to T-Mobile, which has also proven to be controversial (see 2504150046).
Utilities Technology Council President Rusty Williams met with FCC Commissioner Nathan Simington to discuss cybersecurity and spectrum issues, said a filing posted Friday in docket 23-239. UTC and Simington “discussed ways that the cyber trust mark could promote the security of industrial control systems, and how utilities need access to unauctioned inventory spectrum on a licensed basis.”
T-Satellite service will start in July at $10 per month, T-Mobile CEO Mike Sievert said late Thursday on a call with analysts to discuss Q1 results for the carrier (see 2504240062). Sievert also expressed concerns about Trump administration tariffs and said that if they result in more expensive smartphones, consumers will have to pay the extra costs.
Both sides agreed to a briefing schedule in a case challenging the FCC’s order to give use of the 4.9 GHz band to the FirstNet Authority and, indirectly, AT&T (see 2410220027). The schedule was submitted last week to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, which will hear the case (24-1363).
The U.S. government urged the 2nd Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals not to look to the 5th Circuit decision overturning an AT&T data fine when it hears arguments Tuesday concerning a $46.9 million penalty the FCC levied against Verizon. The carrier hopes the 2nd Circuit will follow the 5th’s direction (see 2504180021). “The FCC forfeiture order AT&T challenged, which involved AT&T’s location-based-service program, is nearly identical to the order Verizon challenges here,” the carrier told the court. The government responded Friday in docket 24-1733.
Helium, which provides decentralized wireless communications, said Thursday that it has signed an agreement with AT&T, under which the carrier’s wireless subscribers will have access to Helium's network and sharing technology. AT&T will compensate Helium per gigabyte used. “AT&T is dedicated to continuously enhancing network efficiency and expanding connectivity options for our customers,” said Timothy Tweedle, AT&T Mobility's principal interconnection agreements manager.
Opponents of T-Mobile’s proposed buy of wireless assets from UScellular met with aides to FCC Commissioner Nathan Simington to elaborate on their concerns, said a filing posted Thursday in docket 24-286. The parties at the meeting were the Rural Wireless Association, EchoStar, Communications Workers of America, Public Knowledge and New America’s Open Technology Institute. They discussed many of the issues presented in other meetings at the FCC (see 2503210032).
T-Mobile led the big three wireless carriers once again this quarter with 495,000 postpaid phone net adds, the company announced Thursday. Unlike Verizon and AT&T (see 2504220033 and 2504230045), T-Mobile releases quarterly results following the market's close. T-Mobile also said it had 1.3 million postpaid net customer additions, its best Q1 result ever, and added 424,000 customers to its high-speed internet service. Among other numbers, service revenue of $16.9 billion was up 5% year over year, while net income of $3 billion rose 24%.