For the third straight year, the demand for wireless data grew by roughly 35%, “a pace that would nearly double the amount of data used every two years,” CTIA said in its annual survey, released Monday. Americans used 132 trillion megabytes of mobile data in 2024, up from 100 trillion in 2023, it said. U.S. consumers “are using more and more 5G data at home, on the road, and to drive innovation across industries, from healthcare to transportation, manufacturing and beyond.”
The Radio Technical Commission for Maritime Services backed a proposal from ShipCom and Global HF Net to offer their public coast station system for greater use by land-based parties (see 2508190030), as long as the use is temporary. The proposed use shouldn't “impede future maritime requirements for the spectrum in accordance with its allocated purpose.” It also shouldn’t be expanded into HF maritime mobile spectrum reallocated to automatic connection system and international navigational data system use, the group added.
The FCC Office of Engineering and Technology started proceedings Monday aimed at withdrawing recognition from seven test labs owned or controlled by the Chinese government. “The recognition of four other such labs [has] expired since the adoption of our rules and will not be renewed,” a news release said. The FCC has focused on blocking labs with ties to nations that present a security risk to the U.S. from testing devices that will be used here (see 2505220056).
The FCC Wireless Bureau is seeking comment by Sept. 17 on Viaero's requested waiver of citizens broadband radio service rules, said a Friday notice in docket 25-274. The company hopes to buy 10 priority access licenses from Citizens Band License Co. in seven counties in Colorado. FCC rules allow a company to own only four such licenses in a market, but with the purchase Viaero would have six in three of the counties and five in the others, the notice said.
T-Mobile had zero interest in the 3.45 GHz spectrum AT&T is buying from EchoStar as part of a $23 billion deal (see 2508260005), T-Mobile executives told attendees at financial conferences Thursday, echoing the sentiments of Verizon (see 2509030027). AT&T plans to quickly deploy the spectrum (see 2509050024).
A broad group of tech and auto industry associations urged the Trump administration to forgo imposing rules for connected vehicles that are different from those set by the Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security (see 2508290051). The FCC is examining whether to change its rules for its “covered list” of unsecure companies to take into account connected vehicles. The groups addressed their letter, posted Friday in docket 18-89, to Jeffrey Kessler, Commerce undersecretary for industry and security, and FCC Chairman Brendan Carr.
The Harris County (Texas) Office of Homeland Security & Emergency Management urged the FCC to encourage carriers to make more use of satellite connections in wireless emergency alerts. With “vast swaths” of the U.S. “either sparsely inhabited or completely uninhabited, the Commission should seek to encourage telecommunications providers to leverage different technologies, such as satellite, to augment terrestrial communications systems and extend the reach of WEA,” said a filing Thursday in docket 25-224.
T-Mobile expects to fully integrate UScellular assets into its network in two years, faster than its original expectation of three to four years, the carrier announced Thursday. T-Mobile finalized the $4.3 billion deal last month, giving it UScellular's wireless assets, including customers and spectrum (see 2508010012).
Sens. Ed Markey, D-Mass., and Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., and Rep. Grace Meng, D-N.Y., slammed FCC Chairman Brendan Carr’s proposal to overturn the rule allowing schools and libraries to use E-rate funds to loan Wi-Fi hot spots to students and educators. Benton Senior Counselor Andrew Schwartzman criticized both that proposal and one to stop funding Wi-Fi on school buses (see 2509030064).
AT&T’s agreement to buy EchoStar spectrum for $23 billion (see 2508260005) will likely have a short-term positive effect and a long-term negative effect for tower companies, MoffettNathanson’s Nick Del Deo told investors Thursday. MoffettNathanson cut its target prices for American Tower by 3%, Crown Castle by 7% and SBA by 5%. “We continue to view the group as attractive, but not pound-the-table attractive,” the analyst said.