Intel, Meta and Qualcomm representatives urged the FCC to consider their proposal for future use of the 60 GHz band, in a call with an aide to Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel. “The companies presented a proposal that would allow the 57-64 GHz portion of the FCC’s 60 GHz unlicensed band to successfully support expanded radar applications and reliable” augmented, virtual, extended and mixed reality, said a filing posted Tuesday in docket 21-264. The band was the topic of an NPRM last summer (see 2107130066). Their proposal “allows 2 GHz radars to transmit at 20 dBm [effective isotropic radiated power] without any duty cycle limitations, and it completely removes the conducted power limit in the NPRM proposal to allow radar equipment designers greater implementation flexibility across the 57-64 GHz band,” the companies said: “The proposal also offers more permissive operating parameters for 4.5 GHz and 7 GHz radars than what our companies previously requested.”

T-Mobile has a “sizable lead on 5G performance” based on Q1 data from Speedtest Intelligence, but Verizon and AT&T also have advantages, Ookla said Wednesday. Verizon is catching up on speed as it deploys C band, and AT&T’s net postpaid adds “exceeded expectations, driven by stronger 4G/LTE performance relative to Verizon, coupled with wider 5G coverage and aggressive postpaid pricing.” Verizon could pull ahead, Ookla said. “Rising costs could well shift the competitive dynamic in Verizon’s favor,” the company said: “While the release of further C-band spectrum will shift this dynamic, that won’t happen until the end of 2023. In the meantime rising inflation will play a larger role, forcing operators to either consider raising prices or absorb additional costs.”

APCO said questions remain as the FCC considers applications to become automated frequency coordination (AFC) system operators in the 6 GHz band (see 2112220070), in a filing posted Wednesday in docket 18-295. “The AFC system proposals and supplemental filings have exposed gaps and inconsistencies that need to be addressed,” APCO said. The group noted the Office of Engineering and Technology sought supplemental information from each applicant: “Even with the supplemental filings, critical issues remain unresolved, several of which have direct impacts on the ability of the AFC systems to prevent and eliminate harmful interference to licensed users. ... One of the most troubling issues that has been raised in the record is that applicants intend to adopt AFC parameters with significantly different likelihoods of causing interference to licensed microwave links.”

APCO proposed some edits to the proposed record refresh on improving how wireless 911 calls are routed to the appropriate first responders, teed up for a vote at the June 8 FCC commissioners' meeting (see 2205180065). “The edits we offer are intended to improve the record to be developed by clarifying that ‘Next Generation 9-1-1,’ as defined by the public safety community, has not yet been fully deployed, and that ‘transitional NG9-1-1’ environments entail the deployment of emergency services IP networks (ESInets) that are intended to implement some call-delivery elements of an end-state NG9-1-1 environment,” said a filing posted Wednesday in docket 18-64. AT&T’s recent announcement it will provide location-based routing nationwide “illustrates, as APCO has previously commented, that wireless carriers can implement location-based routing regardless of whether an ESInet is in place,” APCO said.

Reserve a "limited amount" of 55 MHz spectrum "for exclusive use by licensed mobile operations," said the NAB regarding the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit's remand of part of the FCC's 2020 6 GHz order (see 2204250031). NAB said in comments posted Thursday in docket 18-295 that the FCC had "no basis" to conclude its rules "can adequately protect licensed mobile operations." The commission should "reserve the 7070-7125 MHz portion of the 6 GHz band" because it's the "only proposal in the record that will protect licensed [electronic news-gathering] operations," NAB said. Use of a contention-based protocol has "demonstrably failed to protect broadcast ENG operations in the 2.4 GHz band," NAB said. There's "no technical basis for concluding that any CBP could plausibly protect itinerant ENG operations." Other commenters disagreed. NAB’s concerns are "vague and unsupported," said NCTA: It "provided no credible evidence of actual harmful interference from unlicensed 2.4 GHz devices to mobile indoor operations, nor has it shown that a contention-based protocol could not prevent the alleged harmful interference from occurring." NAB has "significantly misconstrued and misrepresented interference to ENG operations in the 2.4 GHz band," said Public Knowledge and New America's Open Technology Institute in joint comments: The "lack of evidence ... provides the commission with ample explanation for dismissing NAB's concerns." The court "broadly rejected challenges by NAB and others" to the order, and the FCC should "reject any argument for modification," said Apple, Broadcom, Cisco, Google, Hewlett Packard, Intel, Meta, Microsoft and Qualcomm in joint comments. The record didn't show that NAB’s "underlying assertion was, or is, accurate," said the Wi-Fi Alliance, saying there's "no connection" between ENG devices operating at the 2.4 GHz and 6 GHz bands. Don't create "any spectrum carveout based on the evidence offered to support such a carveout," said ACT | The App Association.

Linksys highlighted affordability in announcing two new WiFi 6 mesh systems Tuesday. The Hydra 6 ($179) and Atlas 6 ($149) routers deliver the performance needed for “the influx of devices on home networks,” said Alan Cohen, vice president-marketing, head of product. The Atlas 6 works best with internet service plans up to a gigabit and handles 25 devices in a home up to 2,000 square feet, it said; the Hydra 6 covers 25 devices in a space over 2,000 square feet. Combining more routers expands the number of devices that be Wi-Fi-connected, plus the operating range.

Congress might want to look at a shorter, two-year spectrum auction authorization for the FCC, rather than a 10-year reauthorization, as that would give lawmakers time to also set up a future spectrum pipeline for 5G beyond this year's 2.5 GHz auction, American Action Forum Director-Technology and Innovation Policy Jeffrey Westling blogged Tuesday. A shorter authorization also would make it easier for Congress to channel auction proceeds into such priorities as Next Generation 911 since the auctions would be considered new revenue for Congressional Budget Office scoring after the reauthorization expires, he said.

Comments are due June 21, replies July 19, regarding mobile carriers that participate in wireless emergency alerts report on metrics aimed at evaluating the end-to-end performance of WEAs, the FCC Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau said in a docket 15-91 public notice Monday. The agency adopted the WEA Further NPRM 4-0 in April (see 2204210050).

SpaceX took its argument for removing the multichannel video distribution and data service encumbrance from the 12 GHz band (see 2205130050) to the FCC commissioners. Representatives spoke with an aide to Commissioner Geoffrey Starks about ending the proceeding on allowing terrestrial mobile service in the band, per a docket 20-443 ex parte post Monday.

Comments will be due June 21, replies July 19, on a Further NPRM on improving wireless emergency alerts, says a notice for Friday’s Federal Register. Commissioners approved the FNPRM last month, expressing some support for imposing reporting requirements on carriers (see 2204210050).