Southern Co, told the FCC fade margins are critical to protecting 6 GHz operations, in response to questions from the Office of Engineering and Technology. “Unlicensed parties have consistently misunderstood the purpose of a fixed microwave system’s fade margin,” the utility said in a filing Thursday in docket 18-295: “In short, a microwave system is subject to fading due to changing conditions in the atmosphere. … Any reduction of the fade margin can significantly affect the performance and reliability of a fixed microwave link. Degradation of the fade margin that does not cause an immediate outage of the link would nevertheless be harmful interference because it makes the fixed microwave system more vulnerable to outage from fades that it could otherwise withstand.”

The FCC has all the information it needs to approve operation of very-low-power devices in the 6 GHz band, a tech company representative told an aide to Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel. “The record demonstrates that [radio local access network] interactions with fixed Broadcast Auxiliary Service receivers were similar to interactions with [fixed service] receivers, but that fixed BAS receivers are typically located in even higher and less accessible locations than FS receivers,” said a filing posted Friday in docket 18-295: “The risk of harmful interference to vehicle-mounted [electronic newsgathering] receivers was insignificant at power levels discussed in the record.” The filing was by HWG’s Paul Margie, counsel to Apple, Broadcom, Google and Meta Platforms.

5G rollouts have been “a disappointment” for most wireless carriers worldwide, with revenue flat and costs growing, Mavenir CEO Pardeep Kohli blogged last week. Kohli predicted industry trends will drive more providers to follow Dish Network’s model and adopt open radio access network architectures. “Operators must change as investors demand profitability,” Kohli said: “In the last downturn, Alcatel, Lucent, Nortel, Motorola, and Siemens were not able to justify building proprietary systems for 4G. I do believe going forward, that even Ericsson and Nokia will not be able to justify making the required investments and continue to build proprietary 5G/6G systems when alternative options are available. If 5G does not succeed, there will be no money for 6G. The solution is to innovate and do ‘more with less.’”

The National Academy of Sciences, through its Committee on Radio Frequencies (CORF), urged the FCC to provide more certainty on radioastronomy service (RAS) use of the 42 GHz band, in response to an NPRM on sharing the band (see 2308310053). The comments were posted Friday in docket 23-158. “As the Commission has recognized throughout … radio astronomy is a vitally important tool used by scientists to study the universe,” CORF said. The commission proposes that RAS observations be protected, but “it does not propose a means for doing so,” the committee said: “At 42 GHz, terrain shielding can provide effective protection to an RAS observatory. However, this shielding is highly dependent on the details of the surrounding topography and the nature of a prospective active service deployment. Thus … coordination requires the use of terrain elevation data combined with an irregular terrain propagation model.” In another filing, Qualcomm said its long-standing proposal for licensed sharing in the 37 GHz band (see 2104280038) could also work in 42 GHz. “Qualcomm’s technology-based sensing proposal enables licensed sharing of the entire band in the same location, at the same time, and on the same exact frequencies, by taking advantage of synchronized access, energy measurements, and the highly directional nature of millimeter wave communications,” the company said. The Wireless ISP Association opposed the Qualcomm model, which was mentioned in the 42 GHz NPRM. “The approach Qualcomm offers would require users to shut down for a given period of time, deploy sensing capability to detect other transmitters, and then transmit only where there would be no predicted harmful interference,” WISPA said: “It would be difficult, if not impossible, for licensees to build a business model under this narrow approach when consumers need real-time access to connectivity.”

The FCC Wireless Bureau reminded designated entity licensees of an Oct. 2 deadline to file annual DE reports. “The annual DE reporting requirement, along with all DE reporting requirements, applies to all DEs, including rural service providers,” the bureau said Friday.

Dish Network fired back Friday at T-Mobile in their dispute (see 2308280055) over whether the emerging carrier should have until June 30 to exercise an option to buy 800 MHz licenses from T-Mobile. Dish asked for an extension from the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. The option to buy the licenses was part of a web of agreements in T-Mobile’s buy of Sprint (see 2308170065). Dish noted T-Mobile’s dominance among U.S. wireless carriers, with the largest market cap of the big three. “T-Mobile wants the Court to view DISH’s Motion as nothing more than an ordinary commercial dispute,” Dish said: “The Opposition reads as if the Court’s evaluation of this Motion were just an exercise in contract interpretation. But the Opposition’s rhetoric about how contracts ought to be read obfuscates the key principle relevant to the Court’s analysis of the Final Judgment: preserving Competition.” Dish noted that two weeks ago, in agreeing to the spectrum transfer, T-Mobile told the FCC, “The terms of the Final Judgment are designed to facilitate DISH’s entry into the wireless market as a facilities-based provider and ... [t]he 800 MHz spectrum licenses contemplated by this transaction will substantially enhance DISH’s ability to do so.” That admission undermines T-Mobile’s opposition to an extension, Dish said: T-Mobile’s objection “should be seen for what it is: an attempt by the market leader to hinder a nascent competitor, one that has taken on the Herculean task of building a modern nationwide facilities-based wireless network in a period of unprecedented economic turmoil.”

Fixed-wireless provider Starry, which filed for bankruptcy in February (see 2302220053), said Thursday it completed its Chapter 11 restructuring process. Starry previously slashed staff and refocused on dense urban markets with multi-tenant buildings (see 2301190047). “We said from the beginning that Starry would emerge from this restructuring process stronger and ready to meet the growing demand for high-quality internet services,” said Alex Moulle-Berteaux, the company’s new CEO: “Today, as we exit this process, Starry is a stronger company. We are more operationally efficient and laser-focused on driving this business to profitability.” Starry is now a privately held company and shares of Starry common stock will halt trading on the over-the-counter market effective immediately, the company said.

The North Carolina Department of Transportation became the latest state agency to seek an FCC waiver allowing early cellular vehicle-to-everything deployments in the 5.9 GHz band (see 2307170049). “The Applicant requests this waiver as it is prepared to deploy and operate C-V2X on-board units and roadside units to improve roadway safety, but cannot do so absent a waiver that permits such deployment,” said a Thursday filing in docket 19-138. The DOT said it's willing to abide with restrictions approved as part of a joint waiver order released in April (see 2304240066).

CTA representatives told an aide to FCC Commissioner Nathan Simington about “the consumer technology industry’s work to operationalize the National Institute of Standards and Technology guidance on IoT cybersecurity labeling” in light of a recent NPRM seeking comment on a voluntary cybersecurity labeling program for smart devices (see 2308100032). CTA “emphasized the importance of ensuring the program leverages the work of NIST and rigorous processes for industry standards, certification and accreditation,” said a filing posted Thursday in docket 23-239.

The Computer & Communications Industry Association and Incompas filed in support of Dish Network in its pursuit of extra time to buy 800 MHz spectrum from T-Mobile. T-Mobile and parent Deutsche Telekom opposed the extension (see 2308280055), which is before the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. “The Motion requests a reasonable, 10-month extension of time for DISH to exercise its right, granted by the Court, to purchase several 800 MHz Spectrum Licenses from T-Mobile,” said a brief filed Thursday. “CCIA and INCOMPAS urge the Court to grant the Motion as the best means to replace the competition lost via the T-Mobile-Sprint merger, preserve consumer choice, and encourage broad-reaching, cost-effective wireless service,” they said: “Competition in the wireless industry remains in a delicate state.” The FCC’s 2022 Communications Marketplace said “the U.S. communications marketplace is in a substantial state of change and re-examination,” citing T-Mobile’s buy of Sprint as one of “the recent major transactions that have had and will continue to have an effect on the competitive landscape,” the brief said. “As the leading advocate for competition, we believe this extension is critical to ensure consumers have more choices in the marketplace,” said Incompas President Angie Kronenberg: “We support DISH’s request and urge the court to grant the extension.”