Wireless ISP Association members are trying to comply with broadband data collection submission requirements but encountered some “unforeseen submission problems,” WISPA said in a filing posted Friday in docket 19-195. WISPA representatives spoke with an aide to FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel, Wireline Bureau Chief Trent Harkrader and broadband data task force staff. “Commission staff offered helpful suggestions on how providers could troubleshoot problems and pledged to continue to work with WISPA and its members,” the group said: “WISPA is continuing to encourage its members to use their very best efforts to timely comply with BDC requirements.”

The FCC Enforcement Bureau issued a citation Friday against Health and Med, a Utah-based company that sells wellness products, for allegedly marketing footbaths and other RF products without the required FCC authorizations. The bureau listed 14 products, only two of which appeared to still be for sale this year. The bureau’s Spectrum Enforcement Division “observed that the ionic footbath models marketed on the Health and Med website have digital displays, use digital power supplies, and have other indicia that they are unintentional radiators or ISM [industrial, scientific and medical] devices, either of which require an authorization prior to marketing,” the bureau said. If the company “fails to comply with these laws, it may be liable for significant fines of up to $22,021 per day for each model marketed, as well as other sanctions,” the order said. The company didn’t comment Friday.

The 2.5 GHz auction was “an undisputed win” for T-Mobile (see 2209010060), Sasha Javid, BitPath chief operating officer, said in an analysis posted Friday. “T-Mobile spent $304 million to acquire 7,156 licenses covering by my estimates over 93% of the available POPs in this auction and over 67% of the nationwide POPs (including territories),” he said: “T-Mobile won licenses with an average depth over 100 MHz in each county. It also picked up most licenses in the 25 largest counties. … Better yet, T-Mobile paid only $0.014 per MHz-POP, or roughly $0.06 when you only consider the unencumbered MHz-POPs.” Javid said Verizon, not Dish Network as some speculated at the time (see 2208080061), was the bidder that shed demand in round six. “Verizon had over $56 million in processed demand in Round 5 before dropping substantially to just $1.5 million in Round 6,” he said: “Maybe one day, someone will explain what Verizon's strategy was in this auction. My suspicion is that they realized early that they could be stuck with unwanted licenses so their goal of driving up prices for T-Mobile was too risky.” AT&T not bidding wasn’t a surprise, Javid said, noting he thought Dish would “dabble” since prices were so low. “I guess even [Chairman] Charlie Ergen is feeling the pressure of those build out deadlines for DISH's existing spectrum assets,” he said.

The FCC Enforcement Bureau cited Stephen and Opal Castleman for allegedly not following FCC rules as owners of a communications antenna in Augusta, Illinois. The Castlemans “have not corrected the obstruction lighting outages at the Antenna Structure, … have not made the required observation of the tower lighting or installed an automatic alarm system” or reported lighting outages to the FAA, maintained antenna structure painting, or updated the commission on antenna structure ownership information, the bureau said in a Friday order: “If the Castlemans fail to comply with these laws, they may be liable for significant fines.”

Representatives of Intel, Meta Platforms and Qualcomm spoke with an aide to FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel about the companies’ proposal for the 60 GHz band. The companies have been making the rounds at the FCC and earlier presented to staff from the FCC Office of Engineering and Technology (see 2208220035). The goal is to ensure "the 60 GHz unlicensed band remains a band that can support next-generation … applications and ongoing innovation by allowing diverse technologies to successfully co-exist today and well into the future,” said a filing posted Thursday in docket 21-264.

Global revenue from IoT gateway devices is projected to approach $48 billion in 2026, reported ABI Research Thursday. Factors driving the growth of gateways over the next five years will include the transition to cellular from fixed line and replacement of existing 2G/3G gateways, plus rapid growth in the industrial and infrastructure markets, it said. By 2023, 3G gateways will become a “minimal share” of the market, with the 3G gateway installed base replaced by Cat-1 gateways and 5G gateway shipments beginning to accelerate in 2026, said ABI. By 2026, cellular gateway shipments will top 127 million units, rising at a 23% compound annual growth rate between 2021 and 2026, it said. But gateway growth won't go “unimpeded,” said ABI. Gateways engineered for smart home tech will continue experiencing more competition, it said: “More voice control front-end devices and smart TVs are including gateway functionality to complement their core services.”

AT&T is “boosting dedicated in-building connectivity where public safety needs it most” based on an investment by the FirstNet Authority (see 2208170043), the company said. “Qualified first responder agencies on FirstNet can now get Cell Booster Pros for use in areas where they’ve previously experienced connectivity challenges,” AT&T said Wednesday. The Cell Booster Pro is “an enterprise-grade mini cell site” and the mesh of three within a building “can increase coverage by up to 45,000 square feet, supporting nearly 200 users,” the carrier said.

Sennheiser representatives spoke with staff from the FCC Office of Engineering and Technology on “the importance of clean low-band UHF spectrum for wireless microphone operations and the content creation community,” said a filing posted Wednesday in docket 12-268. Sennheiser discussed “the current regulatory framework surrounding wireless microphone operations in light of the termination of the vacant channel proceeding and discussed the need for solutions to ensure wireless microphones have the necessary low-band UHF spectrum needed to operate in an effective manner,” the filing said: “Finding a solution for wireless microphone operations in light of the termination of the vacant channel proceeding is essential, particularly as consumption and desire for content continues to increase at an exponential rate.” The FCC terminated a 2015 NPRM last year on whether to allocate a vacant channel for use by white space devices and wireless microphones (see 2204060068).

The FCC Wireless Bureau granted five more licenses in the 900 MHz broadband segment to PDV Spectrum Wednesday, four in Kansas and one in Missouri. 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).

Lockheed Martin clarified its stance on receiver standards (see 2207280050), in a filing at the FCC posted Wednesday in docket 22-137. “For the benefit of accuracy of the record, Lockheed Martin wishes to reiterate that its comments do not convey support for interference limits or harm claim thresholds but instead expressly discuss the challenges and disadvantages associated with each,” the company said.