University of Michigan tests found little risk to 6 GHz incumbents from unlicensed use of the band, researchers from that school, the University of Notre Dame and the University of Chicago, told the FCC. The researchers presented the results to staff from the Office of Engineering and Technology and filed a paper in docket 18-295, said a Friday filing. Some 16,000 Wi-Fi 6E access points (APs) have been deployed in about 225 buildings at the Michigan school, researchers said. “We gathered tens of thousands of measurements of Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI) along with other system parameters with consumer devices, smartphones and laptops, over two representative areas: a dense enterprise deployment in the main campus area and a residential deployment close to campus,” they said: “We also presented results of measurements made at a single building in the University of Notre Dame with 70 deployed APs. Our results demonstrate that while outliers with high RSSI values are observed, the median outdoor RSSI values do not pose any interference risk to incumbents.” The research was funded by the National Science Foundation and aims at developing an “unbiased, statistical understanding of the nature of a real-world, dense Wi-Fi 6E deployment,” the filing said.

The independent compliance officer (ICO) monitoring Verizon’s compliance with conditions imposed as part of the FCC’s approval of its buy of Tracfone (see 2111220069) wants additional changes, in its overview of the transaction. “The Verizon Plan is reasonably designed to ensure the Company’s implementation and compliance with the Order and appears to be largely effective,” said a report by the ICO, posted Monday in docket 22-210: “Several prior ICO Recommendations remain in-progress and priority areas for the Company to address. The ICO found that while Verizon has revised or enhanced its Order compliance activities in response to certain ICO Recommendations or otherwise, it has not memorialized those changes in the written Verizon Plan or Compliance Manual.” This was the third report. The ICO urged the carrier to “review and update the Implementation and Compliance Plan, Compliance Program Manual, and related documents on a periodic basis to reflect any material enhancements or changes, especially if those enhancements or changes are not entirely consistent with the current content, and consider aligning the process for Recommendation responses and program updates to align to the Plan.” The ICO plans a “deeper dive into the Company’s Order compliance efforts and verification of Data Reporting.”

The FCC Public Safety Bureau said Friday it’s creating a single docket, 23-237, for filings on review and approval of regional plans or plan amendments for spectrum in the 800 MHz National Public Safety Planning Advisory Committee band. “We are establishing this single docket as an administrative convenience to replace the previous 55 individual dockets established on a region-by region basis,” the bureau said: “Some of the regional dockets have closed, and we will close the remaining individual dockets at a later date. All active filings from the regional dockets will be transferred into the new docket.”

Members of the 4.9 GHz Coalition fired back Friday against the Public Safety Spectrum Alliance (PSSA) after asked the FCC to change course on the 4.9 GHz band and issue a single national license to FirstNet (see 2307140036). “There are a number of major licensees and organizations on the record that oppose the PSSA’s approach on the grounds that integrating the 4.9 GHz band within AT&T’s broadband network would be incompatible with current and future non-broadband public safety operations,” said an Enterprise Wireless Alliance news release. The issue was debated in comments to the FCC earlier this year (see 2305160065). “Awarding FirstNet and by association AT&T such monumental responsibilities and spectrum assets would be an epic spectrum management debacle,” said Mark Crosby, EWA spokesperson: “PSSA has repeatedly claimed that they are attempting to save the 4.9 GHz band for public safety. From whom, we ask. The public safety industry doesn’t need to be saved -- except perhaps from PSSA.” The coalition's other members are the American Petroleum Institute, the Forestry Conservation Communications Association, the International Municipal Signal Association, the National Sheriffs’ Association and the Utilities Technology Council.

First responders are making increasing use of IoT sensors, drones and other capabilities public safety agencies didn’t use in the past, Azhar Khan, Verizon Frontline solutions specialist national lead, said on a Verizon Frontline webcast Thursday. Most U.S. police departments have fewer than 25 employees, he said, and their "No. 1 goal is to reduce crime and protect the people” and they don’t have staff to keep up with advanced technology, Khan said. Verizon listens to the “pain points” and other feedback from first responders “regarding the technology, the capabilities that they’re looking for and the support that they’re looking for from service providers,” Khan said. Verizon needs to offer a product to first responders that’s “in line” with what they want “and what works for them,” said Anthony Isla, Verizon Frontline executive program manager-public safety and a former police officer. “We don’t want to build a widget just because,” he said. “This is an evolving landscape, because the vectors are growing immensely,” said Justin St Arnauld, Verizon Wireless associate director-solutions architect. The places where cyber criminals can attack a network are also growing, he said. Attackers “can be anyone, anywhere around the world” and attacks are becoming “more complex, more sophisticated,” he said. Combine that with limited resources and public safety agencies can face “the perfect storm,” he said.

HWG’s Paul Margie, who represents tech companies on 6 GHz issues, urged Office of Engineering and Technology Chief Ron Repasi to further liberalize rules for the band. Margie noted the importance of very-low power operations and “the consideration of 6 GHz matters at the upcoming World Radiocommunication Conference,” said a filing posted Thursday in docket 18-295. Margie represents Apple, Broadcom, Google and Meta Platforms.

Michael Calabrese, director of the Wireless Future Program at New America, told an aide to FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel the 42 GHz band “could be a valuable complement to the Lower 37 GHz band for open, shared and coordinated … deployments,” said a filing posted Thursday in docket 23-158. Calabrese was an early advocate of sharing in the band, a topic the FCC is exploring in a June NPRM (see 2305300055). “Common technical rules for those two band segments would provide as much as 1,100 megahertz in highly-localized areas, supporting multiple uses and users,” Calabrese said: The FCC “should include conditions for use of the combined band that avoids warehousing, facilitates more intensive use, and encourages competition. For example, coordination could be by sector (e.g., 30-degree sectors), since directional antennas can accommodate multiple deployments in an area.”

The FCC Office of Engineering and Technology sought comment by Aug. 21, replies by Sept. 20, on a Liberty Defense request for three waivers of Part 15 rules so the company can obtain FCC equipment authorization to upgrade full-body screening scanners at U.S. airports. The current generation of scanners operates under a waiver approved in 2006, OET said Thursday. “The new High-Definition Advanced Imaging Technology by Liberty will be deployed via upgrade kits to these legacy systems and is designed to transmit across spectrum bands ranging from 10–40 GHz,” OET said: “Liberty states that this upgrade will improve transportation security by enhancing threat detection capability and improving the speed at which airline passengers are screened. Liberty suggests that because this waiver request is so substantially similar to two previous waiver requests granted by OET, it merits approval.”

Supplemental coverage from space of terrestrial wireless networks requires FCC spectrum regulation, and additions to 5G non-terrestrial network standards in 3rd Generation Partnership Project Releases 17 and 18 will help manage the complexity and performance of low earth orbit satellites, 5G Americas said in an NTN briefing paper update Thursday. Satellite systems' global coverage will allow dedicated providers to get into narrowband IoT service and provide limited capabilities to smartphones, it said. Roaming agreements with mobile network operators "can help realize this vision for global connectivity while remaining cost-efficient -- thanks to the reduced cost of launching into orbit," it said.

DLA Piper’s Smitty Smith is leaving the law firm to replace Kathleen Ham as T-Mobile senior vice president-government affairs, when Ham retires Oct. 2, T-Mobile said Thursday. Smith’s title will be senior vice president-public policy and government affairs. Smith is a former FCC and NTIA staffer, who was once seen as a contender to chair the FCC under President Joe Biden (see 2101010001). Smith was also a member of the Biden FCC transition team. At the FCC, he was an aide to former Chairman Tom Wheeler and led the Incentive Auction Task Force. Ham is a longtime T-Mobile official and an FCC veteran where she was deputy chief of the Wireless Bureau and the first chief of the spectrum auctions program, working on some of the first FCC auctions. “Kathleen’s contributions to T-Mobile are numerous,” a spokesperson emailed: “Over nearly 20 years at T-Mobile, she has played a critical role in driving key policy and regulatory efforts, including the completion of the transformational T-Mobile/Sprint merger and obtaining critical spectrum assets that have secured the company’s 5G leadership position.”