Wi-Fi Alliance representatives updated an aide to FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel on a submission the group made with the Wireless Innovation Forum containing specifications and test plans for evaluating 6 GHz automated frequency coordination systems (see 2306230046). “We expressed our hope that the delivery and availability of this package will support the Commission’s goal to approve the AFC systems for full commercial operations, beginning with an announcement of the initiation of the next phase of the approval process -- laboratory and field testing,” said a filing posted Monday in docket 18-295.

The Wireless ISP Association urged a technology neutral approach to rules for the FCC’s Alternative Connect America Cost Model program. “A technology neutral approach for 100/20 Mbps deployment would be consistent with Commission decisions allowing recipients of high-cost support to use whatever technologies they deem best to meet their deployment and performance obligations, including unlicensed spectrum,” WISPA told an aide to Commissioner Brendan Carr: “We emphasized that the Commission has never precluded the use of unlicensed spectrum for its high-cost programs,” said a filing posted Monday in docket 10-90.

FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel urged fellow commissioners to support proposed changes to the E-rate program that would allow support for Wi-Fi on school buses, said a Monday news release. The proposal would also allow E-rate support for Wi-Fi hot spots "so that libraries, school libraries, and schools can check them out to patrons or students in need." Rosenworcel announced the proposal, called Learning Without Limits, at an American Library Association event last week. "We already know this can work, because dozens of school districts used the Emergency Connectivity Fund to make this happen," Rosenworcel told the association.

APCO urged the FCC to reject a March petition by the Competitive Carriers Association seeking tweaks to the FCC’s outage reporting rules, approved 4-0 by commissioners last year (see 2211170051). Comments were due Monday (see 2306140057). “Specifically, APCO opposes CCA’s request that the Commission reconsider certain aspects of the 30-minute deadline for originating service providers (OSPs) to make initial notifications to emergency communications centers (ECCs) of outages impacting 9-1-1 service,” said a filing posted Monday in docket 15-80. “CCA’s concerns have been fully considered and rejected” by the FCC “and its Petition fails to present any material error, omission, or reason warranting reconsideration.”

The FCC’s C-band order faces a test this week as wireless carriers more fully turn up their C-band operations starting Saturday. A report Monday on ABC’s Good Morning America warned of possible flight delays during the travel weekend for the July 4th holiday because of delays in retrofitting some radio altimeters. “The concern is there is a possibility of a bleed-over … that it could cause radio altimeters, which are critical to certain types of landings in jetliners, to malfunction,” said aviation expert John Nance. Delta said 190 of its 900 planes aren't equipped with updated altimeters, while United says it expects to meet the deadline for mainline jets, industry officials said: American Airlines, Southwest Airlines and Frontier Airlines say they retrofitted all their aircraft and don’t expect problems. “The FCC put DOT and airlines on notice of #5G C-band operations 5 years ago,” tweeted former FCC Chairman Ajit Pai: “Earlier this year, the FAA said it would cost airlines $26 million to retrofit airplanes. In 2022, those airlines made $6.8 billion from bag fees alone.” Wireless carriers agreed earlier this year to extend protection for flight operations from some C-band deployments until Jan. 1 (see 2304030070). “The airline industry had more than five years to prepare for the changes, didn’t do enough, and will probably blame anyone but themselves if things go wrong,” Recon Analytics’ Roger Entner told us. Airlines For America didn’t comment. The major carriers and the FCC also didn’t comment.

Sennheiser disagreed with part of recent comments by NAB and Paramount on rules for wireless multichannel audio system technologies for wireless mics. “No issues remain with respect to the proposed licensed operation of WMAS,” Sennheiser said, in a filing posted Friday in docket 21-115. Broadcasters go wrong in opposing unlicensed operations, the company said: “Their fears that such operation will interfere with spontaneous electronic news-gathering operations are based on unsupported and extremely unlikely hypothetical scenarios, and it would not be in the public interest to withhold the benefits of this revolutionary technology from unlicensed users, particularly professional theaters and performing arts centers that do not qualify for a wireless microphone license under the Commission’s rules.” WMAS was the subject of a 2021 NPRM (see 2104220056). WMAS has been approved in over 50 countries “and the Commission should move forward with finalizing rules for this proceeding as soon as possible,” Sennheiser said: “Continuing to delay this proceeding runs the risk that the United States will have to play catch up with the rest of the world.”

The FCC Wireless Bureau tentatively approved applications by five contraband interdiction system (CIS) operators to help address contraband phones in correctional facilities. The five are CellBlox Acquisitions, ShawnTech Communications, Tecore Networks, SOC and OmniProphis. Approval allows each “to market and sell its CIS as described in its respective application and supplement, and begin phase two testing,” the bureau said Friday. The FCC required two phases of testing in a 2021 order (see 2107130029). In April, CTIA and T-Mobile weighed in in support of the CIS applications (see 2304250072).

UScellular is launching 5G using mid-band 3.45 GHz spectrum it bought last year, in urban parts of Illinois, Iowa and Wisconsin by the end of June, the carrier said Thursday. Other areas will see service this year, the company said. “UScellular’s 5G mid-band technology combined with a mid-band enabled device can provide up to 10x faster speeds than its 4G LTE network and low-band 5G,” the company said. Uscellular hopes to cover more than 1 million households in its operating footprint with mid-band network by year end. “We view mid-band as the sweet spot of 5G because it provides broad coverage, low latency and fast speeds -- enabling more people to connect to what matters most at home or on-the-go,” said Mike Irizarry, chief technology officer.

Representatives of the Wi-Fi Alliance and the Wireless Innovation Forum met with Chief Ron Repasi and others from the FCC Office of Engineering Technology to present “a complete package” of specifications and test plans for evaluating 6 GHz automated frequency coordination systems. The documents “represent a consensus of 6 GHz stakeholders including component and equipment manufacturers, AFC system applicants, network operators, incumbent and unlicensed operators, system integrators, software companies, and many others,” said a filing posted Thursday in docket 18-295. The groups expressed hope “that the delivery and availability of this package will support the Commission’s effort to approve the AFC systems for full commercial operations.”

The Consumer Relations Consortium, a debt collection industry group, said it’s seeking a meeting with FCC staff to discuss texting rules. “Consumers overwhelmingly prefer texts to phone calls,” said a filing posted Thursday in docket 02-278: “The opt-out rates of texts which are delivered make this abundantly clear. … Unfortunately, however, the carriers are haphazardly blocking texts related to debt collection without ever giving the consumer the opportunity to decide if they want to receive it.”