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.
The FCC Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau granted Global Caption conditional certification for two years as an IP captioned telephone service provider on a fully automatic basis in carceral facilities. Conditional certification was contained in an order posted Thursday in docket 03-123. In a separate order, the bureau granted Nagish conditional certification as IP CTS provider for two years.
The EchoStar/Dish Network transaction consummated over the weekend, (see 2401020003) "buys Dish some time… but not much," MoffettNathanson wrote Thursday. A Dish bankruptcy remains likely as its direct broadcast satellite, streaming video and Boost wireless mobile virtual network operator businesses are losing subscribers and the latter two are losing money, it noted. Dish's 5G network plans would make it the fourth entrant in a mature market where carriers don't always earn their cost of capital, it said. While Dish has "immensely valuable" spectrum assets, the potential buyers all have balance sheet issues and there are prohibitions on spectrum sales to any of the major wireless carriers before 2027, it said. "And even then, it isn’t entirely clear that the FCC and DOJ would conclude that spectrum sales to any of those three buyers are in the public interest," it added.
FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr hired former senior counsel to the chief of the FCC’s Wireless Telecommunications Bureau Arpan Sura as his legal adviser. “Arpan is a true lawyer’s lawyer as well as an experienced advisor on a range of policy issues,” Carr said in a news release Thursday. In addition, he noted Sura's experience in “wireless, satellite, consumer protection, media, technology, and litigation issues,” Carr said. Before joining the FCC, Sura represented telecommunications and tech clients for Hogan Lovells. Sura has degrees from the University of Texas at Austin and William & Mary Law School, the release said.
An order set for a vote during the FCC’s Jan. 25 open meeting would require nationwide wireless carriers to implement location-based routing (LBR) for calls to 911 within six months of approval, according to a draft order released Thursday. Smaller carriers would have 24 months. Both would be required to use the technology for real-time texts within two years. An order and further notice on outage reporting during disasters would make updating the FCC's disaster information reporting system mandatory for cable, wireline, wireless and VoIP providers and seek comment on doing the same for broadcasters, satellite providers and broadband internet access service (BIAS) providers.
ACA Connects hires three vice presidents: Zamir Ahmed, ex-NAB, for external affairs; Olivia Shields, ex-House Commerce Committee, public affairs and communications; and Max Staloff, ex-Jenner & Block and former FCC, for regulatory affairs … USTelecom appoints Keller and Heckman’s Kathleen Slattery Thompson as vice president-policy and advocacy … Akin promotes intellectual property lawyer David Lee to partner … Troutman Pepper Names patent and IP partner Tate Tischner as managing partner, Rochester office … Former Lawler Metzger partner Jim Falvey announces opening of The Law Office of James C. Falvey, representing fiber infrastructure and other telecom providers.
A SpaceX Falcon 9 launch late Tuesday included an initial six Starlink satellites dedicated to SpaceX's supplemental coverage from space service partnership with mobile carriers, including T-Mobile, the space company posted on X Wednesday. T-Mobile said field-testing of the direct-to-device service would follow soon. The FCC Space Bureau last month authorized SCS testing by SpaceX (see 2312050029).
Consumers' Research filed a new challenge of the FCC's Q1 2024 USF contribution factor in the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals Wednesday. It's the third time the group challenged a contribution factor with this court (see 2310030069). The contribution methodology and ultimate quarterly factor "exceed the FCC's statutory authority" and violate the nondelegation doctrine, the group said in its petition for review (docket 24-60006).
CTIA and other industry players sought to keep pressure on the Biden administration to make more mid-band spectrum available for 5G and eventually 6G in comments on the implementation plan for the national spectrum strategy. Others stressed the importance of spectrum sharing. NTIA has not yet posted the comments, which were due Wednesday.
FCC commissioners this month will tackle mitigating risks from space debris and potentially controversial rules addressing misrouted wireless calls to 911, Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel said Wednesday in her “Notes from the FCC.” Also on the Jan. 25 open meeting agenda are mandatory outage reporting rules and revised rules for the 70/80/90 GHz bands. Rounding out the meeting is a judicatory matter from the Media Bureau and five enforcement items.