The FCC Wireless Bureau acted Friday to shore up positive train control by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) of New York, addressing frequencies in the 218-219 MHz band. The bureau authorized the use of 250 kHz of spectrum from the commission’s inventory in four counties in New York and Connecticut and deleted the authorization to use 250 kHz in five New Jersey counties, returning it to the commission’s inventory. The bureau also allowed higher power levels for the spectrum than previously allowed by FCC rules. “Our action today serves the public interest in rail safety by providing MTA spectrum needed to improve the reliability of its PTC system,” the bureau said.

CTIA met with aides to FCC Commissioners Brendan Carr, Geoffrey Starks and Nathan Simington on tweaks to the wireless emergency alert draft, after meeting with an aide to Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel (see 2310100056) A vote is set for Thursday. “In its comments and advocacy, CTIA has urged the Commission to focus on providing actionable information to consumers, while not disrupting the underlying and purpose-designed system architecture or otherwise impacting the system’s highly successful performance,” said a filing posted Friday in docket 15-91.

Wireless Infrastructure Association representatives raised concerns about potential rules on siting wireless and broadcast towers, small cells and other facilities in flood plains (see 2204110047). Updated flood risk guidance “could require the retrofitting of existing sites” and “could be prohibitively costly without adding relevant resiliency to wireless networks,” WIA said. The WIA representatives met with an aide to FCC Commissioner Nathan Simington, said a filing posted Wednesday in docket 20-32. WIA also discussed the recently adopted 5G Fund Further NPRM and “how improvements to service maps should enable the Commission to precisely target funds to areas most needing it.”

T-Mobile is working with Seattle University on the school’s Connected Experience initiative. T-Mobile will be the primary 5G provider for a campus-wide internet network and equip the university’s staff with 5G-connected devices to streamline operations, T-Mobile said Wednesday. The company is building out high-speed internet across the campus “at a significant cost savings compared to wired solutions” and installing 5G-enabled security cameras. It's launching a program that enables international students to obtain service without a bank account or credit check. Student-led academic projects will leverage “5G innovation,” the carrier said. T-Mobile is headquartered in nearby Bellevue, Washington.

T-Mobile sought confidential treatment of infrastructure data submitted in response to the commission’s audit of 4G and 5G mobile broadband data required by the FCC. “The Commission recognized that this infrastructure information is presumptively entitled to confidential treatment because of the ‘confidentiality and security concerns’ involved, including the potential for revealing the location of providers’ cell sites and antennas,” said a filing posted Wednesday in docket 19-195.

Wireless carriers will increasingly phase out copper connections and rely on fiber and E-band spectrum, in frequency ranges from 71 to 86 GHz, to meet their backhaul needs, said an Ericsson report released Wednesday. Ericsson projected a 50-50 split between microwave and fiber for mobile backhaul by 2030. “With the evolution of mobile technologies over time -- from 2G up to today’s 5G deployments, and shifting usage from voice to data -- backhaul capacity requirements have shifted from a few Mbps to multiple Gbps -- over 1,000 times higher,” the report said: “Over this period, microwave and fiber-based solutions have become the media of choice. Some copper is still used today, but is expected to be taken out of service by 2030.” Use of satellite connections for backhaul “is not expected to grow dramatically in the coming years,” Ericsson said.

The FCC gave five carriers more time to remove unsecure Chinese gear from their networks, delaying deadlines to complete the removal, replacement and disposal of covered equipment and services within one year from when they initially receive funding. Each had asked that the deadlines be extended. The Wireline Bureau extended the deadline for WorldCell from Nov. 24 to May 20, Mediacom from Oct. 15 to Jan. 15, Virginia Everywhere from Nov. 8 to Feb. 8, James Valley from Oct. 8 to April 8 and Viaero from Nov. 18 to May 18. Some data was redacted from the order, posted in Wednesday’s Daily Digest.

Advocates of a declaratory ruling on Wi-Fi on school buses, set for an FCC commissioner vote Oct. 19 (see 2309280071), made clear their support but also raised questions in a call with aides to Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel. The draft proposes to clarify that the use of Wi-Fi, “or other similar access point technologies, on school buses is an educational purpose and the provision of such service is therefore eligible for E-Rate funding.” Advocates “believe that providing E-rate support for internet access on school buses will provide a great benefit to students, especially those in rural areas with long commute times to and from school or those attending events away from campus, and help to narrow the Homework Gap,” said a filing posted Tuesday in docket 13-184. “Will equipment and services be classified as a Category 1 or Category Two expense?” the groups ask: “Will some type of user verification or authentication be required? Will the current E-rate application and follow-up processes (bidding, forms, etc.) be used? … Will there be any discounts during the summer months when buses may be seldom used? Can buses be parked and still have an active wi-fi connection?” On the call were the Schools, Health & Libraries Broadband Coalition, the American Library Association and the Open Technology Institute at New America.

Comsearch became the latest to file a report at the FCC on lab tests of its 6 GHz automated frequency coordination system, posted Tuesday in docket 21-352. In August, the Office of Engineering and Technology launched a process for testing AFC systems (see 2308250061) and in 2022 provisionally approved 13 companies to be AFC operators (see 2211030066). “We note the report shows that the Comsearch … system passed all tests,” Comsearch said.

CTIA said it mostly supports an FCC draft order that would require participating wireless providers to transmit emergency messages in the 13 most commonly spoken languages in the U.S., in addition to English and American Sign Language, and make other changes to the rules (see 2309280071), but sought a few tweaks. CTIA representatives met with an aide to Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel ahead of an Oct. 19 commissioner vote, said a filing posted Tuesday in docket 15-91. “The Commission should require that any potential implementation requirements be placed out for public comment by all affected stakeholders prior to adoption of a Bureau Order, which could be conducted when the Bureau seeks comment on the costs of supporting additional languages,” CTIA said: “Consistent with the traditional demarcation of WEA responsibilities, the content and management of these templates necessarily lies with alert originators, presumably in coordination with [the Federal Emergency Management Agency]. Participating [carriers] and handset manufacturers cannot be responsible for these tasks.” CTIA raised questions about the templates that must be stored on devices. “The Commission should bear in mind that the timeline to comply with a new template requirement will vary depending upon the complexity of the implementation and if the Commission adopts a requirement for including context-specific information, CTIA expects that thirty months will be insufficient,” the group said.