The FCC Wireless Bureau Monday approved an American Radio Relay League request for a waiver of the commission’s Part 97 rules to communicate with military stations as part of Pearl Harbor Day commemorations Dec. 6 and 7 (see 2211180048). “This event presents a unique opportunity for the Amateur and military communities to practice communication skills under the guidance of military officials, which may be useful in the future and serves the public interest,” the bureau said: "In addition to the skills gained by amateur operators that participate in the test, this day has a historic significance and emphasizes the importance of reliable communications and the need to be vigilant in our national defense. We also find that the limitations proposed by ARRL are appropriate to prevent harmful interference."

The World Radiocommunication Conference this year is a “critical event” for the GSMA, Director-General Mats Granryd said during an ITU podcast. “It’s where we agree [on] the future spectrum, we harmonize spectrum, and spectrum is our lifeline,” he said. “It’s really an event that affects billions of people.” GSMA’s focus this year starts with low-band, 400-600 MHz, he said. Low band builds capacity and makes sure everyone around the world “can actually get online through a mobile device,” Granryd said. The next focus is mid-band, 4-6 GHz, which is equally important for building capacity, he said. Through spectrum harmonization, carriers can grow and have the same application programming interfaces (APIs) globally, he said. “With 5G now really kicking in properly, and we see more business-to-business applications ... we must have more spectrum,” he said. Granryd said the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona early in 2024 is nearly sold out. Businesses are trying to figure out how they can use 5G connectivity to their advantage, “how can I prosper from that,” he said. Hot topics will include 5G applications, open gateway, “which is basically API roaming," and AI and the use of AI, he said: “I think you will see a lot of use cases.”

T-Mobile responded to FCC questions (see 2310270058) on its proposed acquisition of Mint Mobile (see 2303150032), a low-cost prepaid wireless brand, and other Ka’ena assets. Much of the response was redacted, including seven exhibits posted Wednesday in docket 23-171. Among the FCC's requests was one seeking more information on claimed transaction-specific public interest benefits. “In the transfer applications, the Applicants stated that post-transaction T-Mobile plans to ‘supercharge the Mint and Ultra brands,’” T-Mobile said: “Specifically, the transaction will enable these brands, which are complementary to T-Mobile’s current prepaid service offerings, to grow faster and reach more consumers across the United States. T-Mobile is an experienced wireless operator known for its customer-first focus and best-of-class services and network.” Among the sections redacted was a document answering questions on reported data security breaches and cyberattacks.

FCC Commissioner Geoffrey Starks emphasized the importance of the work the World Radiocommunication Conference will do during the next four weeks in remarks to the U.S. delegation’s reception at the conference in Dubai. “Radio spectrum is infrastructure,” Starks said in a speech the FCC posted Wednesday. “There could not be a more important time to future-proof our infrastructure than this moment of serial innovation, driven by advancements in fields like AI,” he said. The WRC offers “tremendous promise for us to build that more just and inclusive digital future together,” he said.

Open radio access networks on their own won’t make a network faster, just as new running shoes alone won’t make someone a faster runner, Geoff Hollingworth, chief marketing officer at Rakuten Symphony, said in a Tuesday blog. ORAN by itself “doesn’t make you more efficient, quicker or cost-effective,” Hollingworth said: ORAN “on its own is potentially a bad idea if operations and procurement aren’t redesigned to support the changes it causes. Operations need to manage disaggregated supply chains at both a software functional level and a hardware platform level, and dynamically deploy the radio software as efficiently as possible. This is equivalent to the training required before putting on new shoes and running a race.”

The FCC Wireless Bureau is seeking comment by Dec. 21 on a request by American Electric Power for a waiver allowing it to operate 800 MHz low-power temporary repeaters and “talk-around on mobile units” in remote areas outside the range of its existing 800 MHz network. Replies are due Jan. 5, in docket 23-390. A power provider in 11 states, AEP made the request in a June filing in the FCC’s Universal Licensing System. “Section 90.621(b) of the Commission’s rules governs the required separation distances for fixed stations operating on frequencies in the 806/851–824/869 MHz band, and its underlying purpose is to ensure licensees can maintain interference-free operations,” the bureau said: “In its waiver request, AEP detailed the steps it intends to take that will ensure its proposed operations on the requested frequencies will not cause interference to co-channel licensees.”

The FCC Wireless Bureau approved a waiver, with conditions, sought by ContiTech USA, for a conveyor radar the company developed to monitor content carried on conveyor belts for a variety of applications, including mining. The bureau sought comment last year on the device, which uses the 76-81 GHz bands (see 2207080050). “We find that ContiTech has demonstrated that the Device can serve an important public interest function by monitoring material in various milling, mining, and other processes to improve the safety and efficiency of such mining operations and the other uses detailed in this request,” said a Tuesday order: “Its operations will be conducted under Part 90 site-based radiolocation rules, meaning that each installation will require a separate application and authorization by the Bureau, which allows additional conditions for operation to be added if needed.” The order includes conditions, such as the placement of the radar and exclusion zones.

Deere & Company asked that agricultural interests be taken into account as the FCC considers a 5G Fund (see 2310240046). Deere noted that the Rural Wireless Association and the Wireless Infrastucture Association mentioned agricultural land in their comments. “Deere has pioneered state-of-the-art precision agriculture technologies that provide growers with unprecedented efficiencies in managing inputs, such as seed, fertilizer, herbicides, pesticides, and water, as well as significant labor costs associated with operational delays and downtime,” said a filing posted Tuesday in docket 20-32: “These precision agriculture technologies are heavily dependent on the availability of mobile broadband service in fields where our customers work.”

NTIA’s revised Manual of Regulations and Procedures for Federal Radio Frequency Management is effective immediately, according to a notice for Tuesday’s Federal Register. The manual is “the compilation of policies and procedures that govern the use of the radio frequency spectrum by the U.S. Government,” the notice said: “Federal Government agencies are required to follow these policies and procedures in their use of spectrum.”

ARRL sought a waiver of the FCC’s Part 97 rules to allow cross-band communications with stations authorized to use federal government frequencies, during an event commemorating the Pearl Harbor attack. “Tests such as those proposed provide opportunities to train operators and test two-way communications capabilities between military communicators and radio stations in the Amateur Radio Service,” said a filing posted Monday: “Such tests challenge the operators to demonstrate individual technical skills in a controlled exercise scenario.”