ContiTech USA asked the FCC why it hasn’t acted on a request for waiver for a conveyor radar it developed to monitor the content carried on conveyor belts for a variety of applications, including mining. The Wireless Bureau sought comment last year on the device, which uses the 76-81 GHz bands (see 2207080050). “ContiTech is not aware of any substantive objections to, or clarification-related issues concerning, the Waiver Request,” said a filing posted Thursday in docket 22-260. The radar is “currently in use in other countries, and there is interest in using ContiTech’s application in the U.S.,” the company said.

CTIA President Meredith Baker welcomed the appointment of State Department official Steve Lang to replace FCC Commissioner-elect Anna Gomez as head of the U.S. delegation to the World Radiocommunication Conference (see 2309120069). Lang’s “extensive background in public service, economics, and communications policy make him well-suited to fill the role heading into this pivotal time,” Baker said Wednesday: “We look forward to working with … Lang to ensure the United States goes into WRC-23 with a comprehensive global strategy to lead in future 5G spectrum availability.” Lang serves as deputy assistant secretary of state-international information and communications policy.

AT&T and Verizon representatives jointly met with FCC staff on the C-band transition and ongoing operations of the relocation payment clearinghouse, urging “deadlines to facilitate the conclusion of the C-band transition reimbursement process and the RPC’s operations.” The clearinghouse “has been diligent in reaching out to all potential claimants for C-band reimbursement costs, but many projected claims remain outstanding,” said a filing posted Thursday in docket 18-122. “In particular, the FCC should set a deadline for submittal of cost claims, giving claimants sufficient time to submit their expenses to the RPC but not otherwise protracting the reimbursement process,” they said: The agency should “further specify when the RPC should issue a final funding request to C-band licensees after the cost claims are submitted in order to give licensees a predictable timeline on which to fund their obligations.”

AT&T told the FCC it tested a signal booster allegedly causing interference with operations in 2.3 GHz spectrum and found that, despite the assurances of the company that makes the device, it's active in the wireless communications service band (see 2308280048). The booster is made by Shen Zhen Anntlent Communication Technology, marketed in the U.S. under the Phonetone and Anntlent brand names. The Chinese company told AT&T WCS operations had been turned off, said a filing posted Thursday in docket 10-4. “Preliminary testing suggests that, contrary to the FCC’s rules and Grantee’s on-the-record assertions, this device -- advertised and marketed as a FCC-compliant Consumer Signal Booster -- amplifies the WCS band,” AT&T said: “AT&T carefully calibrates and coordinates its WCS deployments to prevent harmful interference to third parties. If this booster -- or others like it -- are allowed to be sold and operated in the U.S., management of interference in the 2.3 GHz band will become an even greater challenge.” AT&T said it plans lab tests. The booster maker didn’t comment.

T-Mobile will be able to deploy service immediately on some of the 600 MHz spectrum it’s buying from Comcast, in a deal announced Tuesday (see 2309120076), T-Mobile Chief Financial Officer Peter Osvaldik said Wednesday at a Bank of America financial conference. Markets where Comcast hasn’t deployed the spectrum aren't subject to the “clawback” that’s part of the deal, “but the operating markets potentially are,” he said. The deal encompasses all of Comcast’s 600 MHz licenses except Philadelphia, he said. “It’s structured in the form of a long-term lease, so we can go and deploy that 600 immediately for the benefit of consumers with the option, of course, then to purchase it in 2028,” Osvaldik said. T-Mobile doesn’t need the spectrum, per se, but also didn’t want to pass up an opportunity to add its portfolio, he said, noting 600 MHz is a “great spectrum band” able to penetrate buildings. Osvaldik also touched on the dispute with Dish Network, which is asking for additional time to buy 800 MHz spectrum from T-Mobile. T-Mobile and parent Deutsche Telekom oppose the extension (see 2308280055). The license purchase agreement, which was part of T-Mobile’s buy of Sprint, is “fairly clear from our perspective as to what Dish’s opportunities are,” he said. Dish could either purchase the spectrum by the Aug. 11 deadline or pay the termination fee, he said: “The ball is in their court.” Jon Freier, T-Mobile president-Consumer Group, said with the unveiling of Apple’s iPhone 15 this week “this is always an exciting time for us in our space.” During parts of the year, carriers promote their plans more than in others times, he said: “This is one of those periods … over the last couple of years, where it's been a little bit more promotional on devices.” While the wireless market is “a competitive space,” T-Mobile views it as being “very, very stable,” Freier said. The industry showed during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the resulting “economic turmoil,” that wireless is “a tremendously resilient industry, because connectivity is becoming more and more central to people's lives, how the economy works,” Osvaldik said.

Samsung Electronics America representatives said they met with FCC staff to press for action on the company’s request for waiver for a 5G base station radio that works across citizens broadband radio service and C-band spectrum (see 2303100019). “The waiver request has been pending for more than a year” and is “ripe for grant,” said a filing posted Wednesday in docket 23-93. “As carriers prepare to deploy wireless infrastructure to utilize both their 3.7 GHz and 3.5 GHz licenses, the proposed multiband radio is critical to support 5G buildout in the United States,” Samsung said: Grant of the waiver “will serve the public interest by affording 5G network operators with access to an innovative, efficient, and cost-effective base station that is smaller, is more energy efficient, and has more functionality than separate CBRS and 3.7 GHz band radios.” The representatives met with an aide to Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel and staff for the Wireless Bureau and Office of Engineering and Technology.

Shipments of fixed-wireless access customer premise equipment hit 25.5 million units in 2022, an increase of 12% over 2021, based on a survey of 27 suppliers, the Global Mobile Suppliers Association (GSA) said in a new report. Indoor and outdoor CPE grew 9%, hitting 18.8 million units. “Overall FWA shipments are expected to rise 26% in 2023 to 32 million,” with indoor CPE responsible for 21.6 million units, GSA said. Most suppliers don’t expect component shortages in 2023 and 2024, “but inflationary pressures remain,” the report said: “There is a strong consensus that flexible indoor and outdoor CPE and self-installation apps are growing. Expectations are more mixed for window-mounted and hybrid fibre/DSL CPE. As with previous years, most vendors predict the prices of 5G CPE will reach parity with those of 4G CPE by 2025.”

Dish Wireless asked the FCC to give confidential treatment to some of the data it’s submitting as part of the FCC’s broadband data collection. Dish sought protection for mobile wireless propagation modeling information, link budget information and mobile voice and data subscription numbers, said a filing posted Wednesday in docket 19-195.

Representatives of the ATIS Hearing Aid Compatibility Task Force sought FCC action on a waiver sought by the group (see 2304060053), per a filing posted Wednesday in docket 15-285. “Timely grant of the Waiver Request will keep the industry on the path to achieving 100% HAC for wireless handsets, while also incorporating testing to ensure that handsets have volume control,” the representatives said in meetings with FCC staff: “Record support for the Waiver Request -- including the consensus interim volume control test -- is unanimous.” The representatives also updated the FCC staff on the technical work on the testing standard. They met virtually with staff from the Consumer and Governmental Affairs and Wireless bureaus and the Office of Engineering and Technology.

Wireless ISP Association representatives raised concerns on Samsung Electronics America’s request for waiver for a 5G base station radio that works across citizens broadband radio service and C-band spectrum (see 2303100019). WISPA questioned whether the waiver could be construed to allow the CBRS side of the radio to use higher C-band out-of-band emissions limits. “We indicated that the difference between -13 dBm/MHz and -25 dBm/MHz is significant,” said a filing posted Tuesday in docket 23-93: “Any increase in noise within the CBRS band could have severe consequences for the tens of thousands of [CBRS devices] currently registered for General Authorized Access and Priority Access License use, many of which have been deployed by WISPA members to serve … consumers and businesses.”