Operator‑billed 5G service revenue will reach $315 billion next year, up 60% from $195 billion in 2022, reported Juniper Research Monday. Rising revenue will be driven by the continued migration of cellular subscribers to 5G as operators minimize or remove premiums over 4G offerings, Juniper said. Despite economic challenges, Juniper forecasts more than 600 million new 5G subscriptions will be created in 2023. Growth of 5G will be “resilient against this economic downturn,” Juniper said, due to the “vital importance of mobile Internet connectivity today.” More than 80% of global operator‑billed revenue will be attributable to 5G connections by 2027, it said.

The FCC should stay its Ligado order because of the National Academies of Sciences report on interference threats to Iridum's satellite system from Ligado emitters (see 2209090032), Iridium representatives told FCC Office of Engineering and Technology acting Chief Ron Repasi, per a docket 12-340 filing last week. A stay would give the agency time to reconsider the pending petitions on Ligado "and evaluate other paths forward," Iridium said.

The FCC Wireless Bureau approved six more licenses Monday in the 900 MHz broadband segment awarded to PDV Spectrum. Five were in Missouri, one in Kansas. 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).

Executives from Dish Network and RS Access told the FCC “the 12 GHz band represents 500 megahertz of spectrum that is well-suited for terrestrial, two-way 5G use cases, while still protecting satellite operations,” said a filing posted Monday in docket 20-443. In a meeting with staff from the Office of Engineering and Technology and Wireless Bureau, the “parties discussed the various engineering analyses submitted in the record that demonstrate higher-power terrestrial operations in the 12 GHz band can co-exist with non-geostationary orbit satellite systems and [direct broadcast satellite] operations, and urged the Commission to unlock the power of 5G-ready spectrum in this band.”

Sierra Nevada Corp. (SNC) asked the FCC to act on its 2018 proposal to use 95 GHz spectrum for enhanced flight vision systems (EFVS) on aircraft. The Haystack Observatory at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology raised objections (see 2203250061). “Time is now of the essence for the FCC to act,” said a filing posted Friday in docket 19-140. “SNC’s customers require regulatory certainty and the reassurance that will only come when permanent rules for EFVS radar are put into place,” the company said: “The international community is waiting for FCC action. The International Civil Aviation Organization and the European Union have been engaged in efforts to provide spectrum protection for EFVS in the millimeter wave bands, including 95 GHz. … By acting now, the FCC can take the lead on these international efforts.”

Representatives of the Alliance for Automotive Innovation urged action on cellular vehicle-to-everything waiver requests, in meetings with FCC Office of Engineering and Technology staff and an aide to Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel. The group cited new estimates from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration “that 9,560 people died in motor vehicle traffic crashes during the first quarter of 2022, which would represent a seven percent increase as compared to the same time period during 2021 and represent the highest number of first quarter traffic fatalities since 2002,” said a filing posted Friday in docket 19-138. Approving the waivers and resolving 5.9 GHz interference concerns would “expedite the availability of V2X to the driving public, increasing roadway safety,” the alliance said.

CTIA urged the FCC to take costs into consideration as it considers an NPRM on wireless emergency alerts and the emergency alert system, set for a commissioner vote Thursday (see 2210060062). “CTIA understands the Commission’s interest in continuing to examine alerting security and avoiding false alerts,” said a filing posted Thursday in docket 15-94. “The Commission will need to carefully consider the costs and benefits of new authentication requirements,” CTIA said: “Developing new cryptographic standards to enable authentication capabilities would require a much larger investment of time and resources than what is currently contemplated in the Draft Alerting Security NPRM. Moreover, such requirements could negatively impact the timely and reliable delivery of WEAs.”

Fixed-wireless provider Starry announced Thursday it's cutting its workforce by 50%, or more than 500 workers, and imposing a freeze on hiring and nonessential expenditures. Starry said it's refocusing on “dense urban markets with multi-tenant buildings” and withdrawing from the FCC’s Rural Digital Opportunity Fund program. The company also withdrew full-year guidance for 2022. “The aggressive measures we announced today were needed to curtail our cash burn while we pursue strategic options,” said CEO Chet Kanojia: “This is an extremely difficult economic climate and capital environment, and at present we don’t have the capital to fund our rapid growth. … Today is a very tough day for our Starry team, but I want to be clear: Starry remains open for business.” Starry stock dropped 16.67% to close at $1.10.

Low-flying drone radars aren't an interference risk for incumbents and should be allowed in the 60 GHz band, Amazon said in a filing posted Thursday in docket 21-264. “The Commission should formally recognize that new drone use cases conducted near ground level differ greatly from traditional commercial aviation use cases,” Amazon said: “A drone package delivery operating near ground level operates much more like a last-mile delivery truck than a cargo plane. The current one-size-fits-all standard fails to account for these unique differences, and the rules and restrictions specifically tailored to traditional commercial aviation should not apply to drone operations near ground level.”

CTIA supports a proposed notice of inquiry on the 12.7 GHz band, teed up for an FCC commissioner vote next week (see 2210060062), said a filing posted Thursday in docket 22-352. “By focusing on high power, exclusive use licenses, the Commission can provide certainty and predictability to licensees, which are needed to continue driving innovation and investment in network development and deployment,” CTIA said: “Allocating flexible, exclusive use licenses in the 13 GHz band could play a key role in supporting rapidly growing consumer and business needs for next-generation mobile broadband services.”