The FCC Office of Engineering clarified Monday that the period for a public trial of automated frequency coordination systems, before approval, runs 45 days, not the 30 days described in last week’s public notice (see 2308250061).

T-Mobile highlighted its progress on network slicing using its 5G stand-alone network. “This summer, we reached a huge milestone, pulling off the country’s first use of 5G network slicing for remote video production on a commercial network,” Chief Technology Officer John Saw said Monday. At a Red Bull’s Cliff Diving event in Boston, T-Mobile used slicing “to boost Red Bull’s broadcasting capabilities,” Saw said: “This customized slice gave the broadcast team supercharged wireless uplink speeds so they could easily and quickly transfer high-resolution content from cameras and a video drone circling the event to the Red Bull production team in near real-time over T-Mobile 5G.” T-Mobile hit uplink speeds of up to 276 Mbps, he said.

The FCC Public Safety Bureau sought comment Monday on a request by the North Carolina State Highway Patrol (NCSHP) to use extra 800 MHz channels for its communications. The patrol wants to use two 800 MHz specialized mobile radio pool channels, 856.5375 and 859.0375 MHz, and associated mobile units on the mobile transmit side of the SMR channel pairs, at 811.5375 and 814.0375 MHz. Comments are due Sept. 12, replies Sept. 27. In its waiver request, NCSHP “proposes to operate two trunked 800 MHz channel pairs to supplement and enhance ‘limited coverage’ areas of Surry County,” the bureau said: “NCSHP indicates that ‘[d]ue to the lack of Public Safety Spectrum and proximity of several other 800 MHz users, it is not possible for the State Highway Patrol to provide adequate coverage for Emergency Responder radio systems from frequencies within the 800 MHz Public Safety allocation.’”

AT&T asked the FCC to block use of a signal booster it says is causing interference with operations in 2.3 GHz spectrum. The booster amplifies transmissions in the wireless communications service band “directly in contravention of the Commission’s rules,” said a filing Friday in docket 10-4. “This booster somehow cleared the FCC certification process without this apparent violation being observed or addressed,” AT&T said: “In addition to taking prompt action to halt the sale of this booster in the United States, the Commission should re-examine its equipment certification procedures to ensure a mistake of this nature cannot be repeated.” SiriusXM discussed the booster in a June filing. AT&T representatives spoke with staff from the Wireless Bureau and Office of Engineering and Technology.

Burns & McDonnell, an engineering and consulting firm, received permission to participate in the federal court proceeding in which Dish Network is asking for more time to buy T-Mobile’s 800 MHz licenses. “As a potential alternative purchaser of the spectrum that DISH is apparently unable to purchase by the already-extended deadline, Burns & McDonnell has a critical interest in both the underlying controversy and the outcome of DISH’s motion, and no other party adequately represents that interest,” the company said in a pleading last week in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. “Burns & McDonnell’s brief will thus meaningfully assist this Court in understanding the full context of DISH’s request -- including the significant interests of parties not currently before the court -- in adjudicating the pending motion,” Burns & McDonnell said. Judge Timothy Kelly granted permission to the company to file a brief opposing Dish’s motion for relief from judgment. The spectrum was part of a complicated set of arrangements allowing T-Mobile to complete its buy of Sprint. Dish was required to pay $3.6 billion to buy the licenses, with a $72 million fee for walking away from the deal (see 1907260071).

Aura Network Systems CEO Bill Tolpegin and others from the company met with an aide to FCC Commissioner Geoffrey Starks on the company’s request for a rulemaking to expand use of air-ground radiotelephone service channels between 454.675-454.975 MHz and 459.675-459.975 MHz for voice and data communications, including by drones (see 2109230049), said a filing posted Friday in RM-11912. Aura executives have been making the rounds at the FCC (see 2308210044).

Comments are due Sept. 25, replies Oct. 10, on a proposed voluntary cybersecurity labeling program for smart devices in docket 23-239, the FCC said Friday. Commissioners approved an NPRM earlier this month on the program (see 2308100032).

Rural Wireless Association officials urged the FCC to accelerate reimbursements for removing unsecure equipment from carrier networks, in a meeting with Wireline Bureau staff. “RWA encouraged the FCC to find ways to expedite the reimbursement process” and “reported that at the rate invoices are being processed, it will take approximately 17 years to finish the Reimbursement Program,” said a filing posted Friday in docket 18-89. RWA detailed what it claims are problems with the rip-and-replace program. “When a modification request is submitted, the entire application is locked, even when the modification is unrelated to certain aspects of the application,” the group said. “There have been significant delays in reviewing submitted invoices, with instances of over 30 days before an invoice even gets picked up for an initial review” and carriers are having difficulty getting questions answered, RWA said: “It appears to RWA’s members participating in the Reimbursement Program, that the Fund Administrator is severely understaffed and needs more help to administer this complex program in a timely fashion.”

NTIA raised concerns on an April petition by the Shortwave Modernization Coalition (SMC) urging the FCC to launch a rulemaking to amend its eligibility and technical rules for industrial/business pool licensees to authorize licensed use of frequencies above 2 MHz and below 25 MHz for fixed, long-distance, non-voice communications (see 2305010053). “Numerous federal entities” including the Commerce, Transportation and Homeland Security departments, the Air Force, the Navy, the U.S. Coast Guard, the FAA and the National Science Foundation “are greatly concerned by the regulatory changes contemplated in the Petition,” NTIA said, in a Thursday filing in RM-11953. “To the extent the Commission considers initiating a responsive rulemaking, NTIA respectfully requests that the Commission recognize that much more information would be needed to ensure protection of the significant number of incumbent federal operations in the 2-25 MHz band,” NTIA said. The FCC could also consider excluding bands “where federal incumbents and safety missions are operating,” the agency said. NTIA warned that “some 28 Federal agencies hold over 120,000 frequency assignments in the 2-25 MHz frequency band, including safety-of-life operations such as the aeronautical mobile service where no interference can be tolerated.” NTIA attached comments by the Coast Guard laying out specific concerns. ARRL, NCTA and others oppose a rulemaking, which the SMC defended, in recent comments (see 2308180033).

The Utilities Technology Council asked the FCC to refrain from doing more to liberalize rules for the 6 GHz band, in a meeting with an aide to FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel. The FCC is reportedly moving closer to approving proposals in a 2020 Further NPRM (see 2308070060). “Numerous real-world studies submitted on the record in the proceeding have concluded that commercially available low power indoor devices authorized by the Commission and operating in accordance with the rules will cause harmful interference to licensed microwave systems that utilities, as well as public safety and other critical infrastructure entities use for mission critical communications,” said a filing posted Thursday in docket 18-295: “Given the imminent threat of interference posed by these unlicensed operations, UTC and other incumbent stakeholder organizations have formally requested that the Commission develop new rules and issue a temporary stay.”