T-Mobile asked the FCC for special temporary authority to immediately start using under special temporary authority many of the licenses it won in the 2.5 GHz auction. The spectrum T-Mobile won in the auction is “interspersed with 2.5 GHz spectrum T-Mobile has already deployed for 5G mobile broadband,” the carrier said in a filing posted Monday. “The intermixture of newly won and operational spectrum provides the Commission with a unique opportunity to significantly increase 5G mobile broadband capacity for consumers by allowing T-Mobile to simply expand the channel bandwidths that its previously deployed 5G equipment already supports,” T-Mobile said: “In the unlikely event that the licenses … are not awarded to T-Mobile, operations on the spectrum can cease.” In all the markets identified in its filing, the carrier said it has “already deployed advanced 5G mobile broadband services in the 2.5 GHz band, and … can launch operations without delay and without deploying new infrastructure.” T-Mobile dominated the auction (see 2209010052), winning 7,156 licenses for $304.3 million. Final payments for licenses were due Friday.

Representatives of technology company Robert Bosch urged more flexibility as the FCC examines possible changes to 60 GHz rules. “Emerging public interest use cases abound, with Bosch among those developing innovative radar capabilities such as child presence detection,” the company said in a filing posted Friday in docket 21-264. Bosch met with FCC Office of Engineering and Technology staff. “Bosch explained that restrictions such as minimum off-time periods, however, could jeopardize the deployment of new radar capabilities unnecessarily,” the company said: “Bosch therefore supports calls by radar stakeholders to share the 60 GHz band through a soft segmentation approach that provides greater flexibility for radar operations in the lower portion of the 60 GHz band and greater flexibility for WiGig [gigabit Wi-Fi technology] operations in the upper portion.”

An order approved by FCC commissioners in July (see 2207060070) requiring wireless carriers to participate in the previously voluntary wireless network resiliency cooperative framework, is effective Oct. 31, said a Friday Federal Register notice. The order also requires providers to work out roaming arrangements before disasters. A second notice details the timetable for comments on a Further NPRM, which seeks comment on the form carriers will use to report compliance with the new mandatory disaster response initiative, which replaces the voluntary framework (see 2207070060). Comments are due Oct. 31, replies Nov. 29, in docket 21-346.

ITS America updated FCC staff, mostly from the Office of Engineering and Technology, on its stance on cellular vehicle-to-everything in the 5.9 GHz band, in meetings. “The participants discussed the need for expeditious grant of waiver requests to deploy V2X systems pending adoption of a Second Report and Order in this proceeding; the necessity of continued coordination between the FCC, other government agencies, and the transportation industry; as well as a potential reimbursement mechanism for incumbent licensees required to transition their operations,” said a filing Thursday in docket 19-138: The group “also urged the FCC to adopt service rules in its Second Report and Order that would protect V2X services from interference.” Industry observers expect the FCC to act soon on C-V2X waiver requests (see 2209010047).

The FCC Wireline Bureau reminded recipients of rip and replace funding they have until Oct. 13 to file initial status updates. The final rule was effective Friday, said that day's Federal Register notice. “Updates must inform the Commission about the work of the Recipient to permanently remove, replace, and dispose of the covered communications equipment or services, which for the purposes of the Reimbursement Program means all communications equipment or services produced or provided by Huawei Technologies Company or ZTE Corporation and obtained on or before June 30, 2020,” the notice said.

DirecTV representatives detailed the company's study of interference risks from 5G use of the 12 GHz band (see 2207180026), in a video call with staffers from the FCC Wireless and International bureaus, Office of Engineering and Technology and Office of Economic Analysis, per a docket 20-443 filing Friday. The record shows that without artificial geographic separation, DirecTV receivers would see "significant and widespread interference" from introduction of such a service, the company said.

GSMA announced Thursday the formation of the GSMA Post-Quantum Telco Network Taskforce, with IBM and Vodafone signing on as the initial members. “Unlike today’s computers that rely on bits for calculation, quantum computers harness the exponential power of quantum bits,” GSMA said: “This can be a complicated, simultaneous mix of 1s and 0s, creating the potential to solve extremely complex problems that challenge even the most powerful supercomputers today.” The task force will “help define requirements, identify dependencies and create the roadmap to implement quantum-safe networking, mitigating the risks associated with future, more-powerful quantum computers,” GSMA said.

T-Mobile unveiled a 5G Advanced Network Solutions suite of products aimed at smart retail, cities and manufacturing. “We are on the precipice of billions of AI-powered devices, all connected by 5G with efficient application processors, all converging to provide intelligent data-driven insights,” said Callie Field, president of T-Mobile Business Group, Wednesday: “Technologies are pushing the limits of most companies’ IT organizations. That’s why we’ve been working closely with many of these organizations to develop specific solutions that address their unique challenges.”

The new iPhone 14 includes technology that would have cost more than $100 million to offer in 1991, American Enterprise Institute fellow Bret Swanson blogged Wednesday, noting the rate of technological advance. “The highest-end model includes one terabyte of digital storage, which is 63 times more than the original iPhone, launched in 2007, and which alone would have cost around $45 million in 1991,” the economist said: “Add in the A16 processor, the 5G modem, including new millimeter wave capabilities of up to 500 megabits per second, an amazing graphics processor, and four cameras totaling 84 megapixels, and you’ve got a device that would have cost at least $101 million to build in 1991.”

A new CTIA-funded study by Accenture said the U.S. wireless industry has access to only 5% of lower mid-band spectrum, while unlicensed spectrum users have access to seven times as much, government users 12 times. The study proposes three bands for licensed use. The 3.1-3.45 GHz band “offers reliable coverage and adequate range of coverage, making it ideal for 5G data traffic,” the study said: “This band is adjacent to the recently auctioned 3.45 GHz band, which would help drive lower costs for device manufacturers when developing products for a wider contiguous band,” the study said. The 4.4-4.94 GHz band “has been allocated to wireless carriers in many other nations, meaning a similar allocation in the U.S. would support international harmonization efforts yielding cost benefits,” Accenture advised: “The 7 to 8.4 GHz range is a significant block of higher frequency contiguous spectrum. The capacity characteristics of this range make it ideal for serving densely populated areas such as urban centers, where traffic requirements are greater.”