The alarm industry had outages after AT&T started shutting down its 3G network Tuesday, Connect America Chief Operating Officer John Brady told us Wednesday, speaking on behalf of the Alarm Industry Communications Committee (AICC). As expected, the FCC didn’t order a delay (see 2202180067). “Clearly the sunset has begun,” Brady said: “We have not been told by AT&T or given any of their plans yet, which is totally unfortunate.” The FCC and some members of Congress, including Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., are pressing the AT&T to provide more information, he said. AT&T and Schumer’s office didn’t comment.
Howard Buskirk
Howard Buskirk, Executive Senior Editor, joined Warren Communications News in 2004, after covering Capitol Hill for Telecommunications Reports. He has covered Washington since 1993 and was formerly executive editor at Energy Business Watch, editor at Gas Daily and managing editor at Natural Gas Week. Previous to that, he was a staff reporter for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and the Greenville News. Follow Buskirk on Twitter: @hbuskirk
FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel asked Congress Tuesday to reauthorize FCC auction authority, set to expire Sept. 30, and allow the agency to use auction funds to pay for improvements to 911. Speaking at an event celebrating the 10th anniversary of FirstNet, Rosenworcel said “it’s time to do something similar for 911.” Rosenworcel conceded getting such legislation through Congress won’t be easy.
FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel indicated during a news conference Friday that the agency is unlikely to force a delay of AT&T’s 3G shutdown, which starts Tuesday, but she said it got AT&T to agree to allow IoT devices to continue to roam using T-Mobile’s network. The Alarm Industry Communications Committee asked the FCC to delay the sunset for at least 60 days, so its members can work out how roaming would work.
Broadband nutrition labels, proposed by the FCC last month, would help the states to ensure consumers get the connections they’re paying for, Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser told FCC Chair Jessica Rosenworcel during a Silicon Flatirons webinar Thursday. Weiser, a former White House telecom official, interviewed Rosenworcel at the start of the program.
FCC Commissioner Geoffrey Starks urged industry to start preparing for 6G, during a Thursday virtual meeting of ATIS’ Next G Alliance. The group released a "Roadmap to 6G," seeking increased collaboration between industry and government, and proposing areas for future research. The report projects a 2030 start for 6G.
Fixed wireless connections will have a major role in closing the digital divide, said Peter Linder, Ericsson North America head-5G marketing, and other speakers during an Ericsson webinar Wednesday. 5G makes fixed more attractive since it means a carrier can supply mobile and fixed service using the same wireless facilities, he said.
Carriers worldwide will have to change their focus as 5G evolves, putting more reliance on partnerships with other companies, speakers said during the virtual 5G Monetization Forum Tuesday. Other speakers warned chip shortages could slow deployment of 5G.
NTIA’s Commerce Spectrum Management Advisory Committee is relaunching, as expected (see 2201190062), with 16 returning members and 13 new (see 2202140030), NTIA said Monday. Letters went out to those appointed in mid-January and the Commerce Department had been waiting to hear back from everyone before making an announcement, government officials said. Charla Rath, independent consultant and former Verizon spectrum veteran, and Jennifer Manner, EchoStar senior vice president-regulatory affairs, are co-chairs. The new members will mean unlicensed spectrum advocates will be represented. Among them: Intel’s Reza Arefi; Hilary Cain, Alliance for Automotive Innovation; Harris Wiltshire’s Paul Margie, who represent tech companies; and Dave Wright, OnGo Alliance. Wireless ISPs get a voice with Louis Peraertz, Wireless ISP Association. With standards work increasingly in the focus, another new member is Glenn Reynolds of ATIS. “Spectrum powers so much of our modern world -- from commercial wireless services like 5G to aviation, space travel, climate observation and more,” said Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo. CSMAC members are considered “special government employees,” subject to financial reporting rules and are expected to provide their individual expertise to the department rather than represent their association or company. CSMAC last met in April.
The FCC’s public notice seeking additional comment on rules for a 2.5 GHz auction, the next big 5G auction at the FCC, was seen as a positive by industry officials, but there's a wrinkle. FCC auction authority expires Sept. 30, which means the agency may have to move quickly to do an auction by that date. T-Mobile is still expected to be the biggest player, adding to its already considerable 2.5 GHz holdings.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit upheld the FCC's 2021 changes to over-the-air reception devices (OTARD) rules in a case brought by Children’s Health Defense (CHD) and four individuals. Judge Raymond Randolph said Friday the decision was a close call in the FCC’s assertion of authority over notice requirements. CHD is considering whether to seek rehearing.