NCTA and CableLabs urged the FCC to follow up on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit’s December decision upholding the FCC’s 6 GHz order (2112280047) by finalizing rules proposed two years ago on higher power use of the band by devices operating indoors (see 2004230059). By acting on the 6 GHz Further NPRM, “the Commission can quickly deliver expanded benefits to consumers because many 6 GHz” access points “that are already being deployed will be tunable to that higher power level,” said a filing posted Monday in docket 17-183. The groups made their case in a call with an aide to Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel.
Aviation Spectrum Resources urged the FCC to launch a rulemaking on service and licensing rules in the 5030-5091 MHz band enabling safety-related unmanned aviation system command and control. Comments filed last year in response to a record-fresh public notice (see 2110130044) demonstrate “a range of UAS spectrum needs and reinforces the support for the Commission to take timely actions to meet those needs,” the company said in a filing posted Monday in RM-11798: “The Commission should not attempt to solve all the spectrum requirements of the UAS industry in a single proceeding, as the ideal of a comprehensive solution would likely stand in the way of seizing the opportunity to make real and needed progress in the near term.”
New FCC rules for TV white spaces devices, requiring them to check a database at least once hourly, are effective May, 2, said a Friday Federal Register notice. Commissioners approved an order making the change 4-0 before the January FCC meeting (see 2201270034).
The FCC sought comment Friday on the Competitive Carriers Association's request for a 60-day extension of a requirement to apply the affordable connectivity program discount to all internet plans by April 15. Comments are due April 8, said a Friday Wireline Bureau notice in docket 21-450. “While CCA’s member companies who participate in the ACP have worked diligently to be ready for the … deadline, the deadline has not provided enough time for all members to make the necessary modifications to their systems,” CCA said: “Work is underway, but some necessary adjustments will not be complete. … A limited, temporary extension of the deadline by 60 days will allow providers to ensure that all their internet plans are ready and will have little impact on consumers.”
The FCC Office of Engineering and Technology opened a new docket Friday, 22-137, for filings on the draft notice of inquiry on receiver performance teed up for the April 21 FCC meeting (see 2203310065).
T-Mobile representatives discussed issues faced by wireless as the agency tackles digital discrimination, in virtual meetings with aides to FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel and Alejandro Roark, Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau chief. “Wireless signals do not travel along streets or follow traditional residential patterns,” said a filing posted Thursday in docket 22-69: “In determining whether broadband deployment is equitable, we urged the Commission to consider the massive investment the company is making, as well as the once-in-a-generation buildout that will happen over the next few years as a result of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. The so-called digital divide could be greatly diminished or even eliminated over the next few years.”
Nova Labs received $200 million in funding from investors led by Tiger Global and Andreessen Horowitz for its Helium Network, which offers “decentralized wireless networks powered by crypto incentives,” CEO Amir Haleem blogged Wednesday. “The funding will enable Nova Labs to invest in the Helium ecosystem through hiring additional development resources, accelerating continued wireless protocol support, and building new applications on top of the Helium Network,” Haleem said. In October, Dish Network became “the first major carrier to utilize the Helium Network’s crypto incentive model,” he said: “Today, telecommunications companies like Deutsche Telekom, Liberty Global, NGP Capital back Nova Labs as investors.” The network “consists of more than 682,000 Hotspots built by third-party manufacturers” and is “used daily by companies ranging from titans of the Fortune 500 to local businesses,” he said.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit declined a request for a panel rehearing of a February decision upholding the FCC's 2021 changes to over-the-air reception devices (OTARD) rules in a case brought by Children’s Health Defense (see 2202110059). The brief order was issued Wednesday, two days after appellants sought rehearing (see 2203280056).
Southern Linc asked the FCC for a waiver until April 3, 2026, to deploy z-axis technology for providing vertical location information for wireless 911 calls throughout its network. The carrier said it’s the only Tier III non-nationwide provider required to meet a deadline of Sunday because it serves customers in a top 25 market. Southern Linc’s “limited resources as a smaller Tier III provider, and the unavailability of a compliant vertical location solution altogether present unique and unusual factual circumstances that make full compliance with the applicable deployment deadlines unfeasible,” said a filing posted Wednesday in docket 07-114.
Mobile money transactions hit a record $1 trillion last year, reported GSMA Wednesday. “The industry enjoyed a substantial increase in the number of registered accounts, up 18% since 2020 reaching 1.35 billion globally,” it said: “The volume of person-to-person transactions were up to more than 1.5 million every hour.” Mobile money transactions are playing an especially important role in low- and middle-income countries, GSMA said. Merchant payments “were instrumental in the growth of the mobile money industry in 2021” nearly doubling to $5.5 billion in transactions monthly, GSMA said.