Progeny asked for a limited waiver and two-year extension of time to complete the build of its 900 MHz multi-lateration location and monitoring service (M-LMS) licenses in 36 mostly rural markets with low populations. The FCC addressed the construction requirements in an order last week (see 2303290045). Wireless providers are working with Progeny to use its service to locate emergency callers in buildings. The waiver is “warranted because of circumstances that are entirely beyond Progeny’s control, specifically the ongoing failure to fully implement the indoor location accuracy requirements specified” in the commission’s rules, Progeny said, posted Friday in docket 12-202. Progeny also cited “regulatory uncertainty created by the delays in approving Progeny’s use of tall buildings to demonstrate network buildout.” Progeny asked the FCC to extend the deadline by two years, to April 3, 2025. It filed four other requests seeking more limited extensions in other markets.

Comments are due May 3, replies May 18, on a petition filed by ATIS requesting waiver for all entities subject to FCC hearing aid compatibility rules, says a notice for Monday’s Federal Register. “The Petition seeks to allow wireless handsets to satisfy a reduced volume control testing methodology to be certified as hearing-aid compatible,” the notice said: "We seek comment on this waiver request in the context of the Commission’s commitment to attaining 100% hearing aid compatibility of covered wireless handsets, as soon as achievable, as well as the Commission’s previous finding that a volume control requirement is necessary 'to ensure the provision of effective telecommunications for people with hearing loss.'”

NTIA is seeking comment by June 2 on the information collection for the agency’s Web-Based Frequency Coordination System for the “70-80-90 GHz” bands, says a notice for Monday’s Federal Register. “The web-based system provides a means for non-federal applicants to rapidly determine the availability of radio frequency spectrum or the need for detailed frequency coordination,” the notice said: “The website allows the non-federal applicant’s proposed radio site information to be analyzed, and a real-time determination to be made as to whether there is a potential for interference to, or from, existing federal government radio operations in the vicinity of the proposed site. The system also helps expedite the coordination process for non-federal applicants while assuring protection of government data relating to national security.” NTIA estimated the total cost to the public to be $50,123.

The General Services Administration's new “plain-language guidance” will help government agencies buy secure 5G technology, GSA said. Its Office of Information Technology Category drafted the newly published guidance, which incorporated feedback from other agencies, and is part of the government’s National Strategy to Secure 5G, said a Thursday news release. “5G networks have the potential to be faster, more reliable, and serve many more devices -- and could provide infrastructure to help with everything from smart buildings to telemedicine,” said Federal Acquisition Service Commissioner Sonny Hashmi. Delivering 5G “requires significant changes to mobile communication systems,” the guidance document says: “These changes can introduce security vulnerabilities and expand the attack surface.” Bad actors may attempt to “influence 5G networks’ design and architectures,” it says, warning of risks to the supply chain. “The presence of more components increases the complexity of 5G systems. It also complicates the supply chains that produce them.”

The FCC asks for comment by June 2 on a proposed extension of the information collection in a 2018 declaratory ruling and order designed to speed the deployment of small cells and 5G (see 1809260029), in a notice for Monday’s Federal Register.

The FCC is seeking comment by June 2 on an information collection requirement on the relocation and reimbursement of C-band incumbents clearing the band as it’s made available for 5G. “FCC staff will use this data to ensure that 3.7-4.2 GHz band stakeholders adopt practices and standards in their operations to ensure an effective, efficient, and streamlined transition,” says a notice for Monday’s Federal Register: “Status reports and other information required in this collection will be used to ensure that the process of clearing the lower portion of the band is efficient and timely, so that the spectrum can be auctioned for flexible-use service licenses and deployed for next-generation wireless services, including 5G, as quickly as possible. The collection is also necessary for the Commission to satisfy its oversight responsibilities and/or agency specific/government-wide reporting obligations.” The FCC estimates the annual cost of compliance to be $10.7 million.

Garmin International asked the FCC to quickly approve a Midland Radio request for waiver of FCC rules for general mobile radio service (GMRS) devices in the 462 MHz band (see 2110120061). “Garmin supports Midland’s request that GMRS radios be allowed to transmit text messages and GPS location information through digital data transmissions on GMRS frequencies,” said a filing posted Wednesday in docket 21-388: “Such short digital transmissions will not create excessive congestion or cause harmful interference to other GMRS or [family radio service] operations.”

CTIA officials supported an ATIS petition seeking a limited waiver of FCC hearing aid-compatibility rules (HAC), on which the FCC is seeking comment (see 2303230046), in a meeting with an aide to FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel. “CTIA urged the Commission to provide near-term relief in light of the flawed volume control testing methodology and upcoming compliance date of June 5 … so that consumers with hearing loss can benefit from new phones offering improved hearing aid compatibility features, including volume control,” said a filing posted Thursday in docket 20-3. CTIA noted the request reflects the thinking of the HAC Task Force, “a multi-stakeholder group of representatives from the hearing loss community, academia, testing labs, manufacturers of hearing aids and wireless handsets, and wireless service providers.” A limited waiver “would allow wireless handsets with volume control capabilities to be adequately tested so phones with volume control can be rated as HAC phones,” CTIA said: “The full HAC Task Force recommended that the Commission adopt a limited waiver of the testing methodology of the 2019 ANSI Standard that will objectively demonstrate that wireless handsets with volume control capabilities can benefit consumers.”

The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials filed a petition Thursday asking the FCC to rework part of revised rules for the 4.9 GHz band, which commissioners approved 4-0 in January (see 2301180062). ASSHTO asked the FCC to reconsider decisions to “1) establish a national spectrum plan for the 4.9 GHz band, 2) appoint a single Band Manager to administer frequency coordination, 3) incentivize use of the latest commercially available technologies, and 4) facilitate secondary uses beyond public safety.” The band “must be preserved for use by state and local agencies to enhance public safety,” the group said in docket 07-100.

Fixed wireless access makes sense for providing broadband in the hardest to reach areas, said Claude Aiken, Nextlink Internet chief strategy and legal officer, Wednesday during Fierce Wireless’ virtual 5G Blitz Week. “The ability to provide broadband at capabilities, at speeds, latency, jitter, all the characteristics that consumers really care about, fixed wireless is able to meet and exceed those requirements significantly,” he said. Nextlink received more than $700 million through the Connect America and rural digital opportunity funds but faces some reductions “because we found fewer funded locations in certain areas than the FCC thought there were,” he said. The “financial haircut” affects long-term planning, timeline to deployment and the speeds Nextlink will be able to offer consumers, he said. The broadband, equity, access and deployment program has a “decidedly fiber-heavy flavor,” he said. Nextlink does fiber and fixed wireless access, but the rules work against FWA deployments, he said. Telus sees FWA as critical to its 5G plans, particularly for rural communities, said Ibrahim Gedeon, chief technology officer at the Canadian provider. Telus has 350,000 FWA customers, all in its traditional wireline service area, which is probably the most of any provider in Canada, he said. The deployments provide speeds of up to 100 Mbps “providing, actually, what we think is a healthy lifeline,” he said. As the company upgrades more customers to fiber-to-the-home, deploying more fiber, Telus is also deploying FWA, he said: “It’s clicking well. … It’s the same network.”