ARRL, which represents amateur radio operators, supported an order on operators’ long-standing request that the FCC address limits on the baud rate for amateur communications but asked for a single tweak to a Further NPRM. The item is set for a commissioner vote Oct. 15 (see 2310250070). “The 219-220 MHz segment of the 1.25 meter VHF band is allocated to the Amateur Radio Service on a secondary basis solely for use by fixed point-to-point stations for forwarding digital messages,” said a filing posted Wednesday in docket 16-239: “There is no symbol rate limit associated with this segment, but there is a 100 kHz bandwidth limit. ... Inasmuch as comment will be solicited on bandwidth limits for the other amateur VHF bands, including the 222-225 MHz segment of the same 1.25 meter band, we request that the 219-220 MHz segment be included in the discussion for possible change.”

The FCC asked for comment by Dec. 11 on the costs to small businesses of complying with form 608 requirements, used to provide notification or request approval for spectrum leasing arrangements. The FCC uses data collected on the form “to determine whether the public interest would be served by the Lease or Sublease,” said the notice for Thursday's Federal Register: “The form is also used to provide notification for any Private Commons Arrangement entered into between a licensee, lessee, or sublessee and a class of third-party users.” Last year, the FCC created the enhanced competition incentive program, aimed at encouraging the leasing of unused spectrum (see 2207140055).

Aeronet told the FCC it can abide by restrictions NTIA proposed in a filing on future use of the 70, 80 and 90 GHz bands. The FCC Wireless Bureau subsequently asked for a record refresh, including comments on the NTIA letter (see 2310180039). “Aeronet is confident that going forward it will be possible to coordinate in less restrictive ways than the NTIA proposed rule text,” said a filing posted Wednesday in docket 20-133: “Aeronet recommends that whatever rules the Commission adopts make clear that direct coordination between service providers in the 70/80 GHz bands and federal users is permitted and even encouraged. As new services are rolled out, direct coordination between users will enhance service delivery, ease overly conservative requirements, and ensure that federal spectrum usage remains protected.” Comments were due Wednesday. AT&T said it generally supports changes to the rules, including modifications to the link registration and antenna standards rules “as those modifications will promote spectrum efficiency and support 5G expansion.” The carrier also supported technical changes “to support 5G services across the nation.” The FCC “should modify its antenna rules to increase the maximum beamwidth from 1.2 degrees to 2.2 degrees, reduce minimum antenna gain from 43 dBi to 38 dBi, and reduce co-polar and cross-polar discrimination requirements for 70/80 GHz antennas,” AT&T said: “These rule changes would enable the development of smaller, lighter antennas that are more adaptable for 5G backhaul deployments in diverse settings.” Tech company Sierra Nevada asked that any use of the spectrum doesn't “undermine” proposals separately made to the FCC to allocate the 90 GHz band to enhanced flight vision system radar (see 2203250061). “Allowing that use could greatly enhance aviation safety by enabling pilots to have an additional visual-like reference to surrounding terrain, obstacles, buildings, and the airport environment,” the company said. The National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO) asked the FCC to examine adjacent-band protections for radioastronomy operations at 76-81 GHz. “Radio astronomy is not allocated in the spectrum band at 71-76 GHz so the use case of radio astronomy operations immediately above 76 GHz must be discussed separately, and this is missing,” NRAO said.

Schools, Health & Libraries Broadband Coalition representatives met with FCC Wireline Bureau staff and aides to the Democratic commissioners in support of a proposed hot spot lending program. “There is a particularly important need to help low-income students access the internet across their daily journey, and lacking access to digital learning affects life trajectories and opportunities, especially for students,” said a filing posted Monday in docket 13-184. The program shouldn’t be too narrowly focused on funding “existing commercial mobile hotspot services,” the filing said. Representatives of the Open Technology Institute at New America and the Fresno, California, Unified School District also participated in the meetings.

Americans got back almost $1 billion through mobile trade-in programs in Q3, Assurant said Tuesday. “The iPhone 11 still dominates as the top traded device -- as it has for the last six quarters -- but for the first time more than 50 percent of the top five traded models were 5G capable devices,” the report said. Assurant said the average age of devices turned in for trade-in and upgrade programs was just over 3.5 years and the top traded devices were the iPhone 11, iPhone 12, iPhone 12 Pro Max, iPhone XR and iPhone 12 Pro.

Continental Automotive simplified its request for a waiver of FCC rules, allowing early deployment of cellular vehicle-to-everything technology in the 5.9 GHz band, dropping patent concerns (see 2304030043). “Continental no longer seeks as part of its waiver request that the Commission require that C-V2X technology patent licenses be made available to all market participants desiring to deploy such technologies,” said a filing posted Monday in docket 19-138. “Continental preserves such request and related arguments in the larger CV2X proceeding, most importantly that such a requirement be integrated into final Commission rules governing the 5.9 GHz band,” Continental said.

The Wireless Infrastructure Association continues to lobby the FCC 10th floor on its concerns about potential rules on siting facilities in flood plains (see 2310110039), per a filing Monday in docket 20-32 recapping a meeting with an aide to Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel.

The FCC has granted waivers allowing deployment of cellular vehicle-to-everything (C-V2X) technology in the 5.895-5.925 GHz band to eight applicants, per an order Friday in docket 19-138. Awarded the waivers for use of Intelligent Transportation System radio service were the North Carolina Department of Transportation, New York City DOT, Chattanooga, P3Mobility, Denso International, Rolling Wireless, Spoke Safety and Yunex. The Public Safety and Wireless bureaus and the Office of Engineering and Technology granted the waivers.

Summit Ridge Group, JPMorgan Chase and Lerman Senter together will serve as the relocation payment clearinghouse for the repurposed 3.45-3.55 GHz band, Summit Ridge said Friday.

FCC authorization of a slightly higher maximum power level for low-power indoor use of the 6 GHz band is “particularly crucial for digital equity and inclusion,” said Michael Calabrese of the New America Foundation’s Open Technology Institute in a meeting with aides to FCC Commissioner Anna Gomez Monday, according to an ex parte filing in docket 18-295. Failure to raise the power allowed could cause a “disproportionate number of lower-income and less tech savvy households to miss out on the full benefits of next generation Wi-Fi,” the filing said. The power increase now has greater support in the record than it did in 2020, and academic studies show that it wouldn’t pose an interference risk to incumbents, the filing said.