Representatives of the Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) met with FCC Commissioner Anna Gomez on the group’s push to use the 6 GHz band (see 2305260032). They “explained that they need access to the 6 GHz spectrum because the 2.4 GHz band -- which they currently use -- will not support this growth in their technologies,” said a filing posted Thursday in docket 18-295. In response to questions from Gomez, SIG members “explained that the proposed framework does not currently provide for a narrow band service,” the filing said: The representatives “said they plan to move into the 5.8 GHz band, but it is insufficient to meet their needs for narrow band service and is not recognized on a global basis. They are working with the Wi-Fi industry to ensure that what they do works for them, as well as with U.S. and European regulators.”

A declaratory ruling clarifying that the use of Wi-Fi on school buses is an educational purpose and eligible for E-rate funding, posted in Thursday’s Daily Digest, addresses objections by Commissioner Nathan Simington that the ruling was an “unlawful course of action.” Simington and Commissioner Brendan Carr dissented on the ruling, approved 3-2 last week (see 2310190056|). The commission added additional text clarifying its authority to make the change. “Accordingly, section 254(h)(1)(B) of the Communications Act authorizes the Commission to support the provision of communications services, including broadband, to schools and libraries for educational purposes, and this Declaratory Ruling fits squarely within that authority,” the final order says. The final version further clarifies commission authority in a new footnote. “Section 254(h)(1)(B) does not contain any reference to ‘classrooms,’ and thus the dissenters’ concerns that section 254(h)(2)(A) is limited to ‘access to advanced . . . services for . . . classrooms,’ are inapposite,” the footnote says: “Nevertheless, we also note that Congress declined to define ‘classrooms’ for this purpose, and recent history has shown that in today’s world, teaching and learning often occur outside of brick and mortar school buildings and thus ‘classroom’ may be interpreted more broadly.” The commission found that “the use of Wi-Fi on school buses to aid the many students who lack robust internet access at home similarly enhances eligible schools’ and libraries’ access to advanced telecommunications and information services.” The ruling includes written statements by the five commissioners.

The FCC Office of Engineering and Technology Wednesday extended by 15 days the deadlines for challenges to Comsearch and Federated Wireless public trial testing of their automated frequency coordination (AFC) systems that will manage access to the 6 GHz band. The Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) had asked for a 30-day extension (see 2310180053). “According to EPRI, it submitted a large number of test vectors to the common test portal prior to the beginning of the public trial period and did not receive the revised test results until a month after the public trial period had commenced for the two AFC applicants,” OET said: “EPRI is not requesting a time extension to establish an iterative process to make multiple challenges to the test responses as the Wi-Fi Alliance claims. Instead, EPRI is requesting additional time to perform an analysis of the revised test results which it received after a delay.”

Open radio access network supporters told the FCC the proposed 5G Fund should be seen as an opportunity to encourage the deployment of open networks, per comments posted this week in docket 20-32 (see 2310240046). The 5G Fund “presents a unique and critical opportunity for the FCC to reinvigorate U.S. technological leadership with Open RAN deployments using open and interoperable interfaces,” said Mavenir. ORAN is “ready for the U.S. market today,” already being deployed by Dish Network and Triangle Communications “and thus should be a key part of 5G Fund deployments given its cost savings and improved security benefits,” the ORAN company said. “The competitive, security, and innovation-related advantages of Open RAN are widely recognized, and DISH’s successful nationwide Open RAN deployment demonstrates that these benefits are not merely theoretical: they are being realized each day in the field,” Dish said. The FCC should use the 5G Fund to encourage the deployment of ORAN technologies, said US Ignite. ORAN “has the potential to bolster U.S. leadership in wireless technology, bolster the domestic telecommunications supply chain, and enhance national security,” US Ignite said: “Despite telecom networks being critical to our national security and economic development, there are no large U.S. radio equipment vendors in the marketplace, with only a handful of European and Asian vendors able to provide at-scale deployment of 5G networks globally.” ORAN is “poised to promote wireless network security while driving innovation, lowering costs, increasing vendor diversity and supply chain robustness, and enabling more flexible network architectures,” said the ARA Platform for Advanced Wireless Research at Iowa State University. ORAN is “of particular interest to rural America, not only because it can potentially reduce cost and thus is consistent with the Commission’s objective to efficiently and effectively distribute finite universal service support, but also because it reduces barrier[s] to innovation and can enable rural-focused wireless technology development and deployment,” ARA said.

The FCC should reject the Electric Power Research Institute's request to extend by 30 days the deadline to file challenges to ongoing public trials of the automated frequency coordination (AFC) systems that will manage access to the 6 GHz band (see 2310180053), the Wi-Fi Alliance said. FCC rules “state that ‘[i]t is the policy of the Commission that extensions of time shall not be routinely granted,’” said a filing posted Tuesday in docket 21-352. “EPRI fails to provide any facts or circumstances that require the Commission to deviate from its policy in this case,” the alliance said: “To the contrary, the Commission routinely denies requests for extension of time when, as here, the requesting party is simply dissatisfied with the amount of time permitted for a required action.”

U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly for the District of Columbia agreed to give Dish Network additional time to buy 800 MHz licenses from T-Mobile, accepting a motion filed last week by the two companies and the DOJ (see 2310190010). Kelly granted the consent motion, “with no party to this action opposing the requested relief," said his signed order Monday (docket 1:19-cv-02232). The option to buy the licenses was part of a series of agreements tied to T-Mobile’s buy of Sprint, aimed at helping Dish emerge as fourth national wireless provider essentially replacing Sprint (see 2308170065). Dish missed an August deadline to buy the licenses and asked for an extension until June 30. The new deadline is April 1. Dish also agreed to pay T-Mobile a $100 million extension fee.

The FCC’s USF program is in need of “substantial reform,” the Rural Wireless Association said in comments posted Monday in docket 10-90. RWA opposes picking winners through the use of reverse auctions. “In support of the FCC’s universal service goals, the Commission should expeditiously … transition high-cost support for fixed broadband to ongoing support to maintain networks that are deployed with funds from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and other federal and state grant programs; and … develop a model-based support mechanism for mobile networks,” RWA said.

An Information Technology and Innovation Foundation report, released Monday, calls on the federal policymakers to develop policies that consider tradeoffs of licensed, unlicensed and shared spectrum, and make allocations for the right reasons. “Licensed spectrum is good for providing the certainty needed to sustain wireless applications that require large, sustained investments,” but revenue from license auctions should be seen as “a side effect, not a goal in itself,” the report said. Spectrum auctions can generate lots of revenue, but “it is the market mechanism (including tradability on secondary markets) and the type of rights embodied by an exclusive license that make it a productive allocation,” it said. Unlicensed spectrum, “is a good way to prevent usage rights from becoming too fragmented,” but claims of congestion shouldn’t justify making more available, ITIF said: “One commonly cited claim is that unlicensed spectrum’s uses are important and valuable, and therefore more bandwidth should be freed up to ensure more reliable access to it. The problem with this argument is that licensed spectrum exists precisely for those who can’t operate under the uncertainties associated with unlicensed spectrum.” Spectrum sharing has become increasingly necessary as spectrum becomes more congested, ITIF said. Dynamic sharing “could even become the first-best allocation if technological advances enable a generalized use-or-share framework” and “there can be little objection, from a policy perspective, to allowing additional uses of a licensed band that does not cause harmful interference to the licensee,” the report said. But there are also limitations, ITIF said, noting power levels permitted in the citizens broadband radio service band are “327 times lower than those in the exclusively licensed band just above it.”

The FCC Wireless Bureau is asking for comment by Nov. 8 on the C-band Relocation Payment Clearinghouse’s proposal to set final claims submission deadlines as part of the ongoing C-band transition, said a notice for Tuesday’s Federal Register. The bureau “seeks comment on any other steps” it should take “pursuant to its delegated authority to facilitate the conclusion of the C-band transition reimbursement program and wind down of the RPC’s operations in an efficient and timely manner and in keeping with its remit to prevent fraud, waste, and abuse, including proposals advanced in recent ex parte submissions by AT&T, Verizon, and SES,” the notice said.

The final version of the FCC wireless emergency alerts order, approved by commissioners 5-0 last week (see 2310190056), contained a few tweaks over the draft. The order requires participating wireless providers to transmit emergency messages in the 13 most commonly spoken languages in the U.S., in addition to English and American Sign Language. The order now requires participating carriers to update their WEA election information in a new database “biannually as we do with our Broadband Data Collection.” While the draft proposed updates within 30 days of any changes “we are persuaded” by CTIA and the Competitive Carriers Association “that filing every 6 months (biannually) is consistent with our BDC requirements [and] would accomplish our goals without unduly burdening Participating … Providers,” the order says. In another change, the FCC now directs the Public Safety Bureau to seek comment on whether templates, to be installed on handsets to translate alerts into various languages, “can be made available on all devices.” The order adds a paragraph on how best to educate consumers on the availability of alerts in other languages. “Raising public awareness about this critical step is an important component of ensuring consumers are able to take advantage of multilingual alerts,” the order says: “Equally important is helping consumers understand how to set a WEA-capable device to a default language that enables them to receive multilingual alerts. We encourage all stakeholders involved in the distribution of WEA … to conduct outreach to educate the public about setting their WEA-capable devices to their preferred language to receive multilingual alerts.” The FCC also directs its Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau to publish a consumer guide. The order was posted in Monday’s Daily Digest.