Pockets of the U.S. served by T-Mobile remain LTE only, but “the vast majority” of the network is now 5G, said Neville Ray, T-Mobile president-technology, during a New Street and Boston Consulting conference Monday. Ray said in some areas T-Mobile is leaning on a roaming agreement with AT&T, which has opened up some rural markets through its FirstNet build. T-Mobile’s 5G build hit a peak this year and the company will shift “to what we call customer-driven coverage … making sure that we are investing where it really matters, where there is differentiated need for new coverage or additional coverage from T-Mobile,” Ray said. That includes more in-building coverage and some locations T-Mobile hasn’t yet reached, he said. Ray also noted T-Mobile’s work with SpaceX on satellite connections (see 2209150072). The service will be “text- and messaging-based in the early running” but will evolve to provide more “ubiquitous connectivity,” he said. T-Mobile should be positioned to support as many as 8 million fixed wireless customers in 2025, Ray said. “There is a lot of latent demand for the product that we are bringing to the marketplace,” he said: “From a capacity perspective, we have always been very careful and diligent to make sure that we grow this network for fixed wireless in the right places.” T-Mobile announced Monday that it's now lighting up its stand-alone (SA) core network with its 2.5 GHz spectrum. The SA network has been using 600 MHz spectrum since 2020, Ray said. “The move immediately advances T-Mobile’s network -- unleashing faster speeds for customers across the country while further reducing any lag in the network with lower latency, improving applications like gaming that require near real-time responsiveness,” T-Mobile said.

Qualcomm representatives met with FCC Office of Engineering and Technology staff about the company’s geolocation technologies for standard power devices used in the 6 GHz band and how they will “operate in conjunction with an Automated Frequency Coordination system,” said a filing posted Monday in docket 18-295. OET recently conditionally approved AFC systems in the band, subject to testing (see 2211040055).

The FCC Wireless Bureau approved nine more licenses Monday in the 900 MHz broadband segment awarded to PDV Spectrum. Two were in Missouri, seven in Kansas. The FCC approved an order in 2020 reallocating a 6 MHz swath in the band for broadband while keeping 4 MHz for narrowband (see 2005130057).

5G is becoming an increasingly important part of how businesses communicate, though what the 5G world will look like is still taking shape, speakers said Monday during a Fierce Wireless virtual enterprise 5G conference. “We’re still in the early days,” said Howard Wu, U.S. general manager for equipment maker Quanta Cloud Technology. “A lot of the enterprises, institutions, large organizations are trying to figure out how to use 5G as an enabled technology,” he said. “5G isn’t an aim in and of itself, it’s an enabler,” said Macquarie Capital’s Oliver Bradley. “The key is what is it you’re ... trying to achieve,” he said. Historically, the cost of capital was high for the kinds of companies now active in 5G, with investors expecting higher rewards because of higher risks, he said: “That attracts a certain cost of capital that’s fairly expensive,” he said. In recent years, traditional infrastructure investors, who are more averse to risk, are now viewing “the digital world” as “the next … utility,” Bradley said. Digital connectivity is now viewed as “an essential service” comparable to water or electricity, he said. “It’s not just a nice-to-have, it’s not just a tech, it’s not just a fashion or a fad,” he said. Enterprise customers are looking for a “seamless, cell-service experience,” more like traditional consumer wireless than the business-to-business communications of the past, “which traditionally had delays and many manual processes and steps,” said Mike Bimm, ServiceNow global head-telecom, media and technology architecture. “As the infrastructure complexity and the service offerings grow, you need to have efficient, automated processes, and that need only increases,” he said. Companies want continuity as they invest in 5G and smart buildings, said Steve Carroll, global account director at communications gear maker Belden. Belden cares about “scalability,” he said: “What are we building today that is going to make sure that we’re not going to have to rip and replace it three years from now?”

T-Mobile said Thursday it expanded the footprint of its 5G Home Internet service across parts of Illinois, Michigan and Wisconsin. More than 6 million homes throughout those states, and more than 40 million nationwide, are now eligible for the service, T-Mobile said.

China Tech Threat urged the FCC to be more aggressive in clamping down on companies that are a risk to U.S. security, and to expand the number of companies on the agency’s “covered list.” Apart from “the proposed complete ban on Huawei and ZTE, the FCC has devised major exemptions for Hytera Communications Corporation, Hangzhou Hikvision Digital Technology Company, and Dahua Technology Company,” the group said in a filing posted Thursday in docket 21-232: “These exemptions are so broad that they effectively negate the security benefits proposed by the Covered List.” China Tech Threat said the list “should include hundreds, if not, thousands, of entities capable of enabling [Chinese] government intrusion.” The FCC should consider adding “products and services which use radio spectrum” including computers, streaming TVs, drones, memory chips and applications, the group said. The group examines problems posed by technology produced by China with an eye on policy. Experts affiliated with the group include Wiley’s Nazak Nikakhtar and Strand Consult’s Roslyn Layton.

Apple and Qualcomm representatives met with FCC Office of Engineering and Technology staff to discuss “the parameters that underlie probability analyses assessing” radio local access network and fixed service “interactions” in the 6 GHz band. The discussion noted “the importance of including parameters accounting for far-field loss, different bandwidths, different power-levels, instantaneously transmitting devices, propagation loss, RLAN and FS height, transmit power control, antenna patterns, polarization mismatch, feeder loss, and FS noise,” said a filing posted Thursday in docket 18-295. The companies cited “differences in the probability analyses already on the record,” including analyses by RKF, the EU and CableLabs, the filing said.

Apple's Emergency SOS service via satellite for its iPhone 14 will be available for U.S. and Canada customers starting later this month, Apple said Thursday. Helping enable the service is a $450 million investment from its Advanced Manufacturing Fund, with most of that funding going to Globalstar, it said. The money will be used for enhancements to Globalstar's L- and S-band low earth orbit satellite network and ground stations, it said. Globalstar CEO Jay Monroe said the company used the Apple funding to grow, construct, expand and upgrade its ground stations. Apple said iPhone users can text with emergency services, launch their Find My app and share their location via satellite when no cellular or Wi-Fi connection is available.

The Wireless Infrastructure Association said Wednesday the Department of Labor approved it to offer a broadband technician apprenticeship through WIA's Telecommunications Industry Registered Apprenticeship Program. “WIA can now assist employers in developing high-quality apprenticeship programs for Broadband Technicians,” the group said: “DOL approval of the Broadband Technician occupation expands on WIA’s ability to offer support and guidance for companies to develop quality training programs to recruit and train broadband workers.” The new program will be WIA's 15th registered apprenticeship program.

Southern Co. urged continuing caution as the FCC considers approving automated frequency coordination providers in the 6 GHz band. The agency issued a public notice last week (see 2211030066). Some proposed AFC providers expect required tests to be completed by early next year (see 2211040055). Southern officials met with aides to Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel and Commissioner Geoffrey Starks, said a filing posted Wednesday in docket 18-295. Southern asked the FCC to require broader tests using Wi-Fi 6E systems available at the University of Michigan. “Southern noted the particular value of collecting data on current Wi-Fi operations to the successful development and implementation” of AFC, the company said. Southern “remains very concerned about the potential for harmful interference to licensed 6 GHz systems that support critical electric utility and public safety operations and the potential consequences of any disruptions in public safety communications or in utilities’ ability to monitor and control the electric grid,” the filing said: “Southern appreciates the urgency of making additional unlicensed spectrum available for use but urged the Commission not to rush and to take the time needed to ensure the effectiveness of AFC in supporting unlicensed use and protecting incumbent operations in the band.” The Wi-Fi Alliance in a call with an aide to Rosenworcel urged action. The FCC should finalize “procedures for obtaining certification for 6 GHz standard power devices” and issue “as soon as possible, the further Public Notices contemplated by the AFC Conditional Approval Public Notice that will provide additional details on AFC testing protocols,” the alliance said.