The Wireless Innovation Forum updated the FCC on work by its members on use of automated frequency coordination in the 6 GHz band. A WInnForum authorized test lab specification “has been balloted and approved by our members,” said a filing posted Thursday in docket 21-352. The FCC last year conditionally authorized 13 AFC providers to operate in the band, subject to testing (see 2211030066). “The WInnForum is forming a Test Lab Assessment Task Group” and is “organizing a training webinar on the Test and Certification process,” the group said.

Fixed-wireless provider Starry Internet is cutting its current workforce by about 100 employees, about 24% of the total, the company said in a Wednesday filing at the SEC. “The decision was based on cost-reduction initiatives intended to reduce operating expenses and allow the Company to focus on serving its existing core markets and customers,” Starry said. It projected a one-time cash charge of about $800,000 “primarily consisting of notice period and severance payments, employee benefits and related costs.” In October, the company cut its workforce by 50% and withdrew from the FCC’s Rural Digital Opportunity Fund program as it said it would refocus on dense urban markets with multi-tenant buildings (see 2210200068).

The Rural Wireless Association urged the FCC to explore “potential alternatives” to a 5G Fund for rural areas, in a meeting with Wireline Bureau and Office of Economic and Analytics staff. “RWA described how its members have deployed and are operating mobile networks in areas not served by the nationwide providers, providing needed connectivity to their customers and the public generally,” RWA said in a filing posted Wednesday in docket 20-32. “In many cases, this could not have been done without the Universal Service Fund support the carriers receive through the Mobility Fund, and now those carriers are using their USF support to upgrade to 5G coverage,” the filing said: “RWA explained that the current 5G Fund framework risks undermining this progress, stranding those networks, and wasting current USF support because it lacks a reasonable transition between the legacy support mechanism and a future 5G Fund.” Broadband data collection maps “appear to contain significant overstatement of coverage in rural areas, as was the case with prior mapping efforts,” the group said.

The FTC opened a claims process Thursday for former AT&T customers to claim a refund stemming from the agency’s lawsuit against the carrier for allegedly misleading consumers about its unlimited data plans. The customers may be eligible to claim a refund from the $7 million remaining in the fund, the FTC said. “The FTC in 2019 required AT&T to provide $60 million for refunds for failing to disclose to millions of smartphone customers with unlimited data plans that once they reached a certain amount of data use in a given billing cycle, AT&T would reduce or throttle their data speeds,” the agency said: “Some customers experienced data speeds so slow that many common phone applications, such as web browsing and video streaming, became difficult or nearly impossible to use.”

The FCC Office of Engineering and Technology is seeking comment on a request by Bluewind Medical for a waiver to permit its implantable medical device system operating at 6.78 MHz to exceed FCC emission limits. The company “states its tibial neuromodulation system is intended to be used to treat patients diagnosed with overactive bladder (OAB) and related symptoms,” OET said Thursday: “The implant uses electrical pulses to stimulate nerves innervating the bladder, urinary sphincter, and pelvic floor. The implant receives power and data … through near-field inductive coupling via pulse modulation of a 6.78 MHz carrier signal, at a rate of up to 30 Hz.” BlueWind is seeking a waiver to permit its system to be certified and marketed with external control unit emissions not to exceed 108.8 microvolts per meter field strength, which is above the 100 microvolts limit. Comments are due Feb. 21, replies March 8, in docket 23-27.

The FCC Wireless Bureau exempted American Electric Power from quarterly inspections of its communications tower lighting systems after the utility added “self-diagnostic features sufficient to make the quarterly inspections unnecessary,” said a Thursday order. Annual inspections are now required. “Our action today should encourage other tower owners to invest in state-of-the-art technologies so that they, too, will become capable of continuous monitoring of both their lighting systems and control devices,” the bureau said.

Tennessee became the first state to integrate FirstNet with AT&T’s emergency services IP networks for all 911 call centers statewide, AT&T said Wednesday. “This is a major step forward for public safety as Tennessee leads the way to become the first state in the nation to implement full wireless backup through FirstNet … to all 9-1-1 call centers statewide,” the carrier said: “Wireless backup means that even during the toughest strains and worst-case scenarios, network connectivity will be available so that every Tennessean can know that 9-1-1 telecommunicators will answer their call.”

FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel was right to urge Congress to approve more funding for a program to replace unsecure gear in telecom networks, said Competitive Carriers Association President Tim Donovan. Rosenworcel addressed the issue during a speech Tuesday at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (see 2301170068). “The funding shortfall has left affected carriers unable to fully replace covered equipment with secure alternatives, putting millions of consumers at risk of losing critical wireless services while leaving a security mandate unmet,” Donovan emailed.

The FCC proposed a notice of apparent liability of $62 million against Q Link Wireless for alleged violations of rules for the emergency broadband benefit program. Q Link claimed “support for hundreds of thousands of computer tablets” and “apparently obtained at least $20,792,800 in improper disbursements from the EBB Program during the period under review,” said a notice in Wednesday’s Daily Digest. Q Link didn’t comment. “We find that, by claiming reimbursements for EBB connected devices at a rate apparently substantially exceeding their market value, Q Link apparently willfully and repeatedly violated the sections of the [2021 Consolidated Appropriations Act] and the Commission’s rules prescribing these requirements applicable to service providers in the EBB Program,” the notice said. Commissioners approved the notice last week.

Nebraska’s Metropolitan Community College, CTIA and iFixOmaha Tuesday announced the launch of what they say is the first postsecondary education mobile device repair certification program, set to launch in the spring quarter at the school's Fort Omaha campus. The program offers a one-week boot camp and eight-week internship. “About 50 million mobile device screens are damaged each year, and the noncredit program will provide an at-cost resource to the greater Omaha community,” said a news release.