The Alliance for Automotive Innovation urged the FCC to act on a 2021 5G Automotive Association petition (see 2106030075), asking the agency in a filing posted Tuesday in docket 19-138 to reduce by 20 dB the permitted level of unwanted emissions from the unlicensed services that share the 5.9 GHz band.

The FCC Wireless Bureau granted waivers of the 2.5 GHz tribal application window for five licenses sought by the Ho-Chunk Nation. “Our decision here is limited to the suitability of these specific trust, Tribally-owned fee, and allotment lands, excluding urban areas, to be licensed under the Tribal Window,” said a Tuesday order: “We make no determination as to the status … with respect to other Commission rules or programs, nor for any other purpose.” Bureau staff must still process the applications for the licenses. The window to apply closed in September 2020 (see 2007310066).

Etherstack urged the FCC to give FirstNet control of the 4.9 GHz band, noting that it’s well suited for 5G (see 2401190067). Part of the wider 4.4–5.0 GHz band was identified for international mobile telecommunications in several countries, and all of it is included in the 3rd Generation Partnership Project standard for 5G technologies, the software company said in a Monday filing in docket 07-100. 5G networks are deployed in the band in Japan, China and Hong Kong and private 5G in Japan, Taiwan and South Korea, Etherstack said. “There are plans/consultations for the use of this spectrum band in a range of countries including Brazil, India, Indonesia and Vietnam,” the company said: “Importantly, Australia has also recently designated the 4.9 GHz band as a public safety band which can be used for cellular technology.”

Free Press representatives told FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel the organization supports the position of Barbara van Schewick, director of Stanford Law School’s Center for Internet and Society, and others on how net neutrality rules should treat slicing and other new services (see 2403130057). Several suggestions in the recent filing are “consistent with the Commission’s 2015 Open Internet Order,” said a filing posted Tuesday in docket 23-320. The group views a request “that the Commission clarify that ISPs cannot evade Net Neutrality rules and offer fast lanes as ‘5G’ specialized services to applications that can be supported without them -- as an application” of 2015 principles “to new technology,” Free Press said.

The American Action Forum questioned how the U.S. really fared during last year’s World Radiocommunication Conference. “Delegations from across the world largely adopted China’s spectrum approach in the mid-band, allocating the upper part of the 6 GHz band for 5G services,” a report released Tuesday said. Jeffrey Westling, director-technology and innovation policy, is its author. While the U.S. has allocated the entire 6 GHz band for unlicensed use, actions at the last WRC may keep other countries from following the U.S.’s lead, it said. “Countries don’t have to allocate the band for 5G but can’t allocate spectrum in a manner that would cause harmful interference to 5G operations in neighboring jurisdictions,” the paper said: “Equipment manufacturers will have less incentive, and potential profit, in designing and manufacturing additional unlicensed equipment that operates in the upper portion of the band, as fewer countries will allow the use of that technology.” The U.S. struggled to persuade nations to adopt its approach “because it lacks a robust plan to commercialize spectrum in the mid-band for exclusive licenses, shared models, or even more unlicensed,” the paper argues: “Leading into the conference, the only mid-band spectrum teed up for commercialization was 3.1–3.45 GHz, and the DOD pushed back on efforts to allow commercialization of the band,” and without auction authority the U.S. “lacked stability in spectrum policy, perhaps concerning potential allies that desired a robust plan for mid-band.”

The FCC Wireless Bureau sought comment Monday on an application from Watts Bar Maritime and Amateur Radio School (WBMARS) in Tennessee to serve as a commercial operator license examination manager. The bureau said 12 entities are certified to serve in that role. “WBMARS asserts that examinations will be offered upon request and administered on-site or remotely in almost all U.S. states, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands beginning within 10 days following approval,” the bureau said. Comments are due April 17, replies May 2, in docket 24-89.

Revenue for smartphone makers worldwide fell $36 billion over the previous two years, to $412 billion in 2023, Stocklytics said Monday. “The decline in 2023 marked the lowest full-year volume in a decade, primarily driven by macroeconomic challenges and elevated inventory early in the year,” said analyst Edith Reads of Stocklytics. “While the global smartphone market remains challenged, momentum is moving quickly toward recovery.” The report said the Apple iPhone last year overtook the Samsung Galaxy as the best-selling smartphone worldwide.

Representatives of the Alaska Remote Carrier Coalition met with Wireless Bureau staff to discuss the Alaska Connect Fund (ACF), a filing posted Monday in docket 10-208 said. They discussed “the need to mandate certain eligibility requirements for the wireless ACF in Alaska” and “impacts of transitioning from an Alaska Plan location-based platform to a hexagonal-based platform,” the coalition said.

New Street Monday noted unconfirmed reports that T-Mobile plans on investing in a fiber joint venture with Lumos Fiber for up to $1 billion. “Assuming it is correct, we aren’t surprised,” analyst Jonathan Chaplin told investors: “T-Mobile management has been hinting at more deals with fiber companies. Lumos strikes us as a strong partner, based on the success they have had in their existing operations.” Germany’s Handelsblatt first reported the development, citing unnamed sources at Deutsche Telekom, T-Mobile’s parent. T-Mobile already offers fiber service in select locations starting at $55/month. T-Mobile didn't comment.

The Industry Council for Emergency Response Technologies (iCERT) opposed a wave of filings by public safety groups urging that the FCC consider giving FirstNet control of the 4.9 GHz band (see 2402150058), as promoted by the Public Safety Spectrum Alliance (see 2401190067). “Many of these filings are form letters that were, presumably, encouraged by the PSSA, FirstNet, AT&T, and their supporters,” said a filing posted Friday in docket 07-100. FirstNet’s network is “fully owned by AT&T and integrated into its commercial network,” iCERT said. “AT&T’s contract with FirstNet requires it to provide priority access to the spectrum for public safety users but allows AT&T to use the band to serve commercial users as well.” Turning over the band to FirstNet would also be anticompetitive, iCERT contended: “AT&T competes with a variety of national, regional, and local wireless providers to serve both public safety and commercial users. A grant of the PSSA proposal is, effectively, a grant of free spectrum to AT&T.”