IEEE Sensing asked the FCC for clarification that it can use a waiver it received for 60 GHz rules to permit equipment certification of its VitaSense sensor to allow its use on school buses. “Such a clarification or modification would well serve the public interest by preventing children from being inadvertently left on school buses and thereby avoiding trauma and saving lives,” IEEE Sensing said in a filing posted Monday.

Amazon submitted data on recent drone test flights to the FCC as part of its advocacy for allowing unmanned aerial vehicle radars in the 60 GHz band (see 2210200058). The company also met with staff from the Office of Engineering and Technology, said a filing posted Tuesday in docket 21-264. “Amazon discussed why unlicensed spectrum in the 60 GHz band is the only spectrum band with the necessary bandwidth to detect targets with challenging cross sections that otherwise are difficult to detect using other sensor modalities,” the company said: “The 60-64 GHz spectrum range provides sufficient bandwidth and range resolution to detect objects such as power lines, cables, and trees with challenging profiles. Amazon reiterated how we evaluated a number of alternate sensor modalities, including lidar and sonar, before selecting 60 GHz radar as the optimal solution for this application.”

The Blooston Group of rural carriers filed to support a CTIA/Competitive Carriers Association petition seeking a list of potential facilities-based providers to which the FCC’s new mandatory disaster response initiative (MDRI) may apply and asking for time to comply (see 2211010056). Filings were due Monday in docket 21-346. “Small mobile wireless carriers have limited personnel and financial resources and will need at least eighteen (18) months to negotiate and enter into bilateral Roaming Under Disaster (RuD) and mutual-aid arrangements with all foreseeable wireless providers, and to perform testing of their roaming capabilities,” the law firm said: “The process of negotiating RuD terms and mutual-aid arrangements with multiple service providers is likely to take longer than the 200 hour estimate contained in the Resilient Networks [order] for carriers that do not already have intercarrier arrangements in place.” Blooston was the only party to file.

Rural Wireless Association staff and members raised concerns on the FCC’s broadband data collection maps and challenge process with staff at the FCC Wireless Bureau, Office of Economics and Analytics and Broadband Data Task Force, said a filing posted Tuesday in docket 19-195. “RWA members expressed frustration with the maps of reported 5/1 Mbps 4G coverage (based on both in vehicle and outdoor measurements) as coverage seems to be overstated by nationwide carriers in many rural areas, similar to the overstated coverage submitted by these same carriers in the Mobility Fund Phase II maps,” RWA said: “Nationwide carriers continue to overstate their coverage because they do not want to expose themselves to a Federal Trade Commission investigation for false advertising by admitting via their BDC maps filed with the FCC that they have less coverage than they have historically claimed in their consumer marketing maps.” The big carriers “serve mostly along highways and in county seats, and utilize far fewer cell sites than rural carriers in the same area,” the group said. Companies involved included Nsight, NTCH Cleartalk, PTCI, Widelity and Strata Networks.

AT&T countered arguments in favor of further liberalizing the rules for the unlicensed 6 GHz band (see 2212160034), in a filing posted Tuesday in docket 18-295. “Consider promptly and thoroughly the ever-mounting evidence in the record that already authorized, commercially available consumer 6 GHz [low-power indoor access points] pose a serious threat of harmful interference to primary fixed service incumbents -- some of which operate networks vital to public safety or the functioning of critical infrastructure,” AT&T said: “To date, four substantial field trials under real-world conditions have been undertaken, each documented in an extensive and comprehensive engineering report. Each of these trials has established that harmful interference is essentially inevitable.”

Boingo Wireless plans to move its headquarters to a new office that will open in Frisco, Texas, said Gov. Greg Abbott (R) Monday. The state gave the private network builder a $517,400 grant, the governor’s office said.

Rural Wireless Association representatives warned of problems if removing insecure equipment from carrier networks isn’t fully funded by Congress (see 2212150076). “Due to uncertainty about the timing and availability of Reimbursement Program funding, Reimbursement Program participants are finding it difficult even to borrow the funds needed to remove, replace, and destroy their covered equipment,” said a filing posted Monday in docket 18-89. “The difficulty in finding lenders has forced many to halt the removal, replacement, and destruction of equipment, leaving networks to deteriorate as time goes on and service to be lost as Universal Service funds cannot be used to upgrade the networks that contain covered equipment,” RWA said: “Without the ability to obtain funds to replace equipment, providers experience reduction in network coverage in otherwise unserved areas.” RWA met with FCC Wireline Bureau staff. SI Wireless, NTCH Cleartalk, PTCI, Widelity, Strata Networks and Americrew were also at the meeting. RWA also reported on a call with aides to Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel on the 5G Fund. RWA members said they "deployed and are operating mobile networks in areas not served by the nationwide providers, providing needed connectivity to their customers and the public generally though roaming agreements and E-911 services,” said a filing 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. RWA said 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.”

The FCC Public Safety Bureau approved a 14-day extension of the deadline for replying to oppositions filed on a petition by CTIA and the Competitive Carriers Association for partial reconsideration of the FCC’s new mandatory disaster response initiative (see 2211010056). The associations sought the extension. The deadline for filing oppositions remains Monday, but replies are now due Jan. 10, the Monday order said. “The requested extension is unopposed, limited to only 14 days, and will allow commenters sufficient time to file meaningful comments given the intervening weekend and Christmas holiday,” the bureau said.

Wi-Fi Alliance President Kevin Robinson urged the FCC to wrap up work on several 6 GHz items, in meetings with the FCC commissioners, other than Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel, plus a Rosenworcel aide and top staff at the Office of Engineering and Technology. “In each meeting we emphasized the transformative effect that the Commission’s decision to permit access to the … band for unlicensed devices has had on the Wi-Fi industry and the American public,” said a filing posted Thursday in docket 18-295: “We urged that the Commission (i) act on the outstanding Further Notice in the 6 GHz proceeding by permitting the use of very low power devices and low power indoor devices with higher power; (ii) resolve the issue presented to the Commission on remand by the Court of Appeals upholding the Report and Order; and (iii) issue, as soon as possible, the further Public Notices” required to certify automated frequency coordination providers.

CTA, CTIA, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and other groups told the FCC they support allowing low-flying drone radars in the 60 GHz band (see 2210200058). Current rules “limit the innovative potential of the 60 GHz band,” said a filing posted Friday in docket 21-264. “Authorizing the use of 60 GHz radar technologies on drones would enhance safety for drone operations and provide significant economic and societal benefits for the American public and the business community,” the groups said: “Specifically, allowing the use of this band for low-altitude drone operations would enable the development of systems to sense and avoid obstacles and provide situational awareness. This would help enhance aviation safety and reduce the risk to both people and property on the ground and other airspace users.” Others signing the filing were the Information Technology Industry Council, NetChoice and TechNet.