The National Spectrum Management Association urged the FCC to require real-world tests, using 6 GHz devices, before further liberalizing rules for the band (see 2207060036). “Due in part to an increasingly complex spectrum management environment the public has been made increasingly aware of potential systemic failures involving large-scale systems that rely on fail-safe spectrum management,” said a filing posted Wednesday in docket 18-295: “It is time to ensure the future operations of 6 GHz mission-critical systems will be undeniably proven safe.” NSMA noted an audit of the FCC Universal Licensing System found the “vast majority” of licensed 6 GHz systems “are mission-critical.”

The FCC posted the robotexting report approved Tuesday by its Consumer Advisory Committee (see 2208300059). The report was much as outlined during the CAC meeting. “The availability, ease of use, and high open rates make wireless messaging an ideal medium for all sorts of communications -- including relaying urgent information to consumers (e.g., fraud alerts or flight changes),” the report said: “That popularity, however, also makes it attractive for bad actors, who may seek to employ a variety of techniques to exploit consumers and undermine trust in the messaging ecosystem.” Enforcement of existing laws and use of industry best practices “helped to protect consumers and mitigate the transmittal of unwanted messages; however, the Commission and wireless service providers continue to receive a significant number of complaints about unwanted texts,” the report said.

Spectrum auctions usually don’t have clear winners, but T-Mobile looks like it won the 2.5 GHz auction, MoffettNathanson’s Craig Moffett told investors. The auction ended Monday with net proceeds of $427.8 million (see 2208290043). “While we won’t know for sure who ‘won’ the licenses in question for another week or so, it is universally assumed that T-Mobile was far and away the auction’s principal buyer,” Moffett said: It's “the only U.S. company that uses 2.5 GHz spectrum (2.5 GHz is the backbone spectrum band of their 5G network), and the licenses at auction were best seen as the ‘holes in the Swiss cheese’ of T-Mobile’s otherwise national 2.5 GHz footprint. There was a great deal of spectrum here for sale, but it wasn’t geographically contiguous, and thus it would be difficult for anyone other than T-Mobile to use it.” Few speculators likely jumped in, he said. “If there is but one true exit -- i.e., to sell to T-Mobile -- then bidding more than T-Mobile was willing to pay would seem an ill-advised strategy.” The spectrum adds to T-Mobile’s “already-large spectrum advantage versus Verizon and AT&T” at a “much lower price than had been expected,” he said. “We congratulate the FCC on completing the 2.5 GHz auction, which will help enhance 5G coverage across the country,” emailed CTIA Senior Vice President-Regulatory Affairs Scott Bergmann: “We look forward to working with Congress, the FCC and the Administration to identify the next 5G auction of licensed spectrum that will be critical to maintaining our position as the world’s innovation hub and leader of the growing 5G economy.”

The FCC Public Safety Bureau granted 42 alert originator waivers Tuesday to do tests of the wireless emergency alert system. The tests will be Sept. 12 and 13, with alternate dates of Sept. 19 and 20. “Promoting the effectiveness of the nation’s emergency alerting systems is an important priority for the Commission and granting this waiver will enable” the bureau “in partnership with 42 alert originators, to gather critical data regarding WEA performance from geographically targeted areas across the United States.” This information collected “will help address a gap in alert originators’ understanding of WEA’s end-to-end performance,” the order said: The bureau “received reports that emergency management agencies are declining to use WEA in situations where it could save lives because they lack information about, and confidence in, how WEA works in practice.” The system wasn't used during the Marshall fire in Boulder “due to ‘concerns about its reliability and delivery,’” the bureau said. “The alert will sound and appear on compatible mobile devices using participating wireless networks in that area,” the FCC said in a news release: “The alert message will make clear that it is only a test and contain a link for the recipient to complete a survey about their receipt of the alert. Each agency will have a control group of volunteers in the targeted geographic area complete the survey, and members of the public may also do so. The tests are intended to assess the geographic accuracy of the alerts in addition to other performance factors, including reliability and speed.” The FCC also sent letters to AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon with questions they're asked to answer as the FCC does a broader assessment of the tests. WEAs “are a life-saving tool, but emergency managers tell us that they need more information on the geographic accuracy of these alerts in order to use them with confidence,” said Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel.

The Wireless ISP Association warned the FCC that adopting NTIA’s definition of “qualifying broadband” for new rules for the Alternative Connect America Model program would freeze out the use of unlicensed spectrum. The FCC “should continue to permit recipients to have the flexibility to choose technologies that are appropriate to the situation, taking into account cost, quality of service, equipment capabilities, supply chain, population density, terrain and a host of other factors,” WISPA said in a filing posted Monday in docket 10-90. “Going forward, and in light of NTIA’s ill-conceived definition of ‘reliable broadband service,’ broadband providers that have relied on unlicensed spectrum to connect millions of unserved rural Americans must now question their ongoing and future investments,” emailed Louis Peraertz, WISPA vice president-policy: “If their innovative and privately funded networks are subject to government-funded overbuilding, that new policy … could force them out of business, even where they are providing 100/20 Mbps speeds or better, have low churn, high-quality service, and are meeting consumer demand.”

NYU Wireless, an academic research center at the New York University Tandon School of Engineering, got a $3 million award from the National Science Foundation to study THz band spectrum, said the school. The program -- and partners University of Colorado-Boulder, University of Nebraska–Lincoln and Florida International University -- will use the money to perform “basic measurements of devices, circuits, materials, and radio propagation channels at the highest reaches of the radio spectrum,” the release said. “Today’s cellular telephones and wi-fi networks operate at frequencies below 100 GHz,” said Ted Rappaport, NYU electrical engineering professor: “There is great promise for greater download speeds and vast new wireless applications by moving up to the underexplored sub-THz and THz frequency bands -- frequencies from 100 to 500 GHz, in both indoor and outdoor urban and rural contexts, and this support from the NSF will allow us to be at the forefront of exploring those frontiers.”

The National Transportation Safety Board supported a December waiver request by proponents of cellular-vehicle-to-everything use of the 5.9 GHz band asking to be able to deploy as quickly as possible (see 2112140070). “The NTSB has a long history of advocating for collision avoidance technology that relies on radio spectrum made available by the FCC” and has issued eight recommendations since 1995 to that effect, said a filing posted Monday in docket 19-138. Protect the spectrum from interference, including from Wi-Fi, NTSB advised. Granting a waiver “is necessary to allow auto manufacturers, infrastructure owner-operators, and others to move forward with the development of connected vehicle technology. Implementing this technology now is a critical step toward reducing the number of crashes and fatalities on our roadways.”

The Major Cities Chiefs Association (MCCA) lodged a complaint against FirstNet at the FCC, raising concerns that the group said “demand immediate attention” by the regulator. “FirstNet was created to provide an essential nationwide broadband network for public safety, yet reports indicate FirstNet has expanded access and provided priority and preemption to non-public safety entities such as truckers, cable companies, and maintenance personnel,” said a filing posted Thursday in docket 12-94. Recent authority board appointments made by the Commerce Department “excluded three highly qualified MCCA candidates from having a seat at the table,” MCCA said: “The lack of forethought to include a major city public safety representative on the Board has produced a situation where major urban area police department interests are no longer represented by a trusted and experienced professional who understands the challenges that are unique to America’s major cities. This is particularly concerning given the number of threats currently facing MCCA members.” The FCC is considering the FirstNet Authority’s pursuit of a 10-year extension of its nationwide Band 14 license (see 2208230076). “The FirstNet Authority filed its license renewal application with the FCC on August 22 and will be following the process outlined in the FCC’s subsequent public notice,” a FirstNet spokesperson emailed in response to the complaint. A Commerce Department official noted the board already has three public safety representatives.

Continued 5G expansion into more regions will enable growth in the worldwide IoT market, said a Tuesday eMarketer report. The research firm predicts 4.3 billion mobile IoT connections worldwide by 2026, up from 2.1 billion last year. 5G enables faster broadband and better machine-to-machine interaction, said analyst Sara Lebow. Markets driving 5G IoT growth are North America, China and Western Europe.

The FirstNet Authority posted a job description for a new CEO, as discussed at a board meeting last week (see 2208170043). “Are you a dynamic leader with a proven track record of building coalitions and advancing growth?” the website post asks: “The CEO must have proven business acumen, tenacity, the ability to advocate for the mission, and impeccable communication skills to lead this extraordinary organization and foster a culture of trust and understanding.”