The Competitive Carriers Association raised concerns with an aide to FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel on draft robotexting rules teed up for a commissioner vote Thursday (see 2302230059). CCA members need more time than proposed implement a requirement to block text messages from numbers on a do not originate list, said a filing posted Friday in docket 21-402. “The current 30-day timeframe in the draft would not sufficiently permit carriers to work with vendors to implement solutions,” CCA said: “Additional time would also permit carriers adequate time to audit any voluntary solutions they may have in place and make any necessary modifications to better meet the Commission’s new requirements.”

The U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia dismissed a False Claims Act action brought by lawyers Mark O’Connor and Sara Leibman, who allege defendants fraudulently said Frequency Advantage was a “very small business” qualifying for “designated entity” status and a bidding discount in a 2015 spectrum auction. The case was brought against UScellular and Frequency Advantage, along with other defendants, including Advantage Spectrum, King Street Wireless and Telephone and Data Systems. The court earlier dismissed the case but granted plaintiffs “leave to amend their allegations to allow them to attempt to proffer different allegations or transactions from those already in the public domain,” the court said: “The Amended Complaint fails to do so. The ‘core allegation’ Plaintiffs-Relators identify in their Amended Complaint is the same as in their original Complaint, which the court already held did not overcome the public disclosure bar. They proffer the same FCC filings and other public information from their original Complaint.”

FCC Commissioner Nathan Simington said he agrees with Wireless ISP Association members' concerns that the broadband, equity, access and deployment program is biased in favor of fiber. WISPA members have been asking the administration to rethink parts of the program (see 2302090063). “The definitions adopted by NTIA have, unfortunately, stacked the deck in favor of fiber deployments -- in places where fiber will likely take years to build out, if it’s even possible, whether because of the difficulties presented by the terrain in specific areas, the lack of infrastructure for supporting fiber, or competition for limited fiber supplies from more densely populated markets,” Simington told a WISPA conference Wednesday: “We must reconsider this approach if we wish for rural America to keep pace with the rest of the U.S and the U.S with the rest of the world.” Administration policies ignore what WISPs have been able to do in hard-to-serve areas “in favor of pie-in-the-sky ideals about fiber’s technological superiority or the necessity of 100 Mbps symmetry for all broadband networks,” Simington said.

A previously announced March 21 meeting of the FCC's Communications Security, Reliability, and Interoperability Council (see [Ref:2303020015) will include votes on two reports -- on 911 service over Wi-Fi and on the wireless emergency alert application programming interface, said a Thursday notice from the FCC. The hybrid meeting starts at 1 p.m. EDT, the FCC said.

The FCC Wireless Bureau released a request for proposal Thursday containing the selection criteria and filing instructions for proposals to be named the reimbursement clearinghouse in the 3.45-3.55 GHz band. The clearinghouse manages collection and distribution of relocation reimbursement payments from the new licensees to non-federal secondary radiolocation incumbents. Developed by a clearinghouse search committee, the RFP says the clearinghouse must demonstrate neutrality and independence; financial, accounting, auditing and industry expertise; and the ability to follow best practices and operational standards. It must also “already have in place or be able to adopt robust privacy and data security best practices in its operations.” Compensation is limited to 10% of the estimated relocation costs “for administering the reimbursement program,” which is $320,000. Proposals are due April 3. AT&T, Dish Network and T-Mobile were the three biggest bidders in the auction, which started in late 2021 (see 2201140040).

Rakuten Symphony's CEO Tareq Amin and CEO-North America Azita Arvani met with FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel on the future of open radio access networks. The company is a leader in ORAN, including work with Dish Wireless on its 5G network. “Rakuten and the FCC representatives discussed key challenges for the deployment and adoption of Open RAN,” said a filing posted Tuesday in docket 21-63: “Additionally, Rakuten discussed how the real-world deployment of Open RAN [is] likely the best way to prove the capabilities of the solution to telecommunications operators in the United States.”

Telecom providers are following different strategies on moving to the cloud, said a report released Wednesday by Matrixx Software and Google Cloud. Cloud deployment remains a “top focus” for providers “of every size around the world,” Matrixx said: “Research confirms the industry does not subscribe to a one-size-fits-all monetization strategy for the cloud, reinforcing that operators must approach their cloud migration with flexibility -- both in mindset and operational design. Though 77% [of telcos] are considering a hybrid cloud model, there continues to be significant investment made in dedicated private clouds and purely public cloud environments.”

Eugene, Ore., Mayor Lucy Vinis (D) and Springfield, Ore., Mayor Sean VanGordon (R) and other city officials spoke with staff for FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel about RF safety and other issues. “Local governments often face questions and requests for action” on RF “from their residents, and given that the Communications Act assigns primary responsibility in this area to the Commission, we believe the Commission should shoulder more of the burden of explaining its rules to the public and also informing the public they should look to the Commission and Congress if they are unhappy with the Commission’s rules or with federal preemption of local authority to regulate RF emissions,” said a filing posted Wednesday in docket 19-226. They also discussed the FCC’s affordable connectivity program and “expressed concern about the program’s forthcoming funding cliff,” the filing said.

The biggest takeaway from the Mobile World Congress for Neville Ray, T-Mobile president-technology, is that fixed wireless access has “arrived,” he said Tuesday during a Morgan Stanley investors conference. In the past 18 months, T-Mobile has added 2.6 million 5G FWA customers. “Many folks are looking at us, and to a slightly lesser extent Verizon” on “how we've driven 5G network capability into new business,” Ray said. Operators globally are “trying to figure out what's that fixed wireless access formula,” he said. T-Mobile is exploring ways to use its millimeter-wave spectrum as part of its home broadband offering, but that will require the development of customer premise equipment and antennas installed outside the home, Ray said. “There's more complexity in the solution -- there's a truck roll and so on,” he said: “But we're getting very confident now we can make those economics work.” Ray noted T-Mobile added 10,000 cellsites to its network from Sprint, but overall has decommissioned 30,000 since the Sprint deal three years ago. T-Mobile doesn’t decommission a cellsite without a lot of thought, he said. “We were looking forward multiple years into what we think we need” and “we believe we have that footprint,” he said. Ray is leaving the carrier in the fall (see 2302130068), to be replaced by Chief Network Officer Ulf Ewaldsson. “We built this network site by site … MHz by MHz, generation at a time, 2G to 3G to 4G to 5G,” he said. The years since the Sprint buy have been “the most rewarding period in my career” and T-Mobile is no longer the “scrappy underdog,” Ray said.

CTIA opposed parts of the FCC’s draft robotexting order and Further NPRM, teed up for a vote March 16 (see 2302230059), in meetings with staff for all four commissioners. Verizon joined CTIA in some of the meetings. “CTIA supports the FCC’s engagement in helping combat misuse of both voice and text messaging services,” said a filing posted Wednesday in docket 21-402. “Unfortunately, bad actors have every incentive and will continue to adjust their tactics, and the Draft Order will not materially advance efforts to combat illegal and unwanted text messages,” CTIA said: “Instead, it risks confusion for consumers, a diversion of resources from industry-government collaboration that can reduce illegal and unwanted text messages, and significant implementation challenges.”