Texas Instruments requested an FCC waiver Wednesday for its single-chip vehicle radar systems operating in the 60-64 GHz band. The systems “enable interior cabin sensing capabilities for use while the vehicle is in motion, including hand gesture detection, seat belt reminders, and driver vital sign monitoring,” TI said: When the vehicle is stopped, they enable “occupancy detection, including child presence detection and intruder detection.” The waiver would allow operations at a maximum +10 dBm transmitter conducted output power, +13 dBm peak effective isotropic radiated power and +13 dBm/MHz peak power spectral density.

The FCC Wireless Bureau said Thursday that 50 more tribal applications to use the 2.5 GHz band for broadband passed initial review and are accepted for filing. So far, the FCC has granted 216 licenses. The tribal window to apply for licenses closed Sept. 2 with more than 400 applications (see 2009030012).

A T-Mobile spokesperson confirmed a Raymond James report that it's using Nokia customer premises equipment in its fixed-wireless internet offering, as announced Wednesday (see 2104070047). T-Mobile is targeting 500,000 customers by the end of the year. “The size of the launch is encouraging, and includes an emphasis on rural/underserved areas that might make for low-hanging fruit,” said Raymond James in a Thursday note to investors.

Verizon recalled Ellipses Jetpack mobile hot spots imported by Franklin Wireless due to fire and burn hazards, said the Consumer Product Safety Commission Thursday. Verizon received 15 reports of devices overheating, including six reports of fire damage to bedding or flooring and two reports of minor burn injuries. The hot spots were sold at Verizon stores nationwide and other stores April 2017-March for $50-$150. The recalled devices are in a dark navy plastic oval housing with Verizon printed below the display window, and the paired charger has a sticker on the wire that says: “Compatible: FWC MHS900L, Model: FWCR900TVL, DC151030.” Consumers should power the unit off and keep it away from combustibles until it can be returned to Verizon. Users who need the hot spot for internet access should plug it in and power it on to receive two automatic over-the-air software updates that enable an ID number to be viewed on screen and prevent the device from charging while powered on. When it's not in use, they should turn it off and unplug it, CPSC said. Owners can call Verizon toll-free at 855-205-2627 or go online at www.EllipsisJetpackRecall.expertinquiry.com for information on receiving a free replacement device, said CPSC.

Verizon, Tracfone and America Movil defended Verizon’s proposed $7 billion buy of the low-cost carrier, saying it will mean more competition in the U.S. prepaid market. T-Mobile’s Metro and AT&T’s Cricket “have significant competitive advantages over TracFone as flanker brands of mobile network operators,” said a filing posted Thursday in docket 21-112. “TracFone has lost nearly 20 percent of its customers in recent years, while Metro and Cricket have roughly doubled their subscribers -- largely at the expense of TracFone -- over the same period,” the filing said: “TracFone’s continuing subscriber losses and eroding share of the prepaid segment show how hard it is to compete on a standalone basis.”

The FCC Wireless Bureau approved waivers sought by the Paskenta Band of Nomlaki Indians and the Lower Sioux Indian Community General Council, allowing them to use 2.5 GHz spectrum under the FCC’s tribal window. The Paskenta Band in California got a waiver for a parcel “previously owned in fee by the Tribe and placed into trust in October 2018,” and the Lower Sioux in Minnesota for “small areas of off-reservation trust lands.” Trust lands aren't otherwise eligible under the FCC’s rules. Both orders were in Wednesday’s Daily Digest.

T-Mobile announced Wednesday it's beefing up its outreach to rural America, hiring 7,500 new employees in small towns and rural communities and offering $25 million in grants for rural development projects. The carrier also offered free upgrades to a Samsung Galaxy A32 5G smartphone for consumers who trade in any mobile phone. T-Mobile took a swipe at Verizon and AT&T, offering customers with limited data plans unlimited 5G plans, at the same price or lower. “Over the past few years, billions of dollars have been spent to build 5G networks,” T-Mobile said: “Billions more have gone for breathless ads touting the promise of a 5G-powered future. But for most people, 5G has been a total nonevent.” T-Mobile also bowed a home broadband offering at $60 a month. “T-Mobile is just starting to press its advantage,” New Street’s Jonathan Chaplin told investors. He sees the broadband offer as mostly attractive to consumers “in the parts of the country not served by upgraded fixed technology.”

Approve Verizon’s buy of Tracfone only with conditions that protect Lifeline customers, the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights and a coalition of public interest and other groups urged the FCC. “We consider a robust Lifeline program to be a top priority for the civil and human rights coalition,” said the leadership group in a filing posted Wednesday in docket 21-112: “The current record is devoid of any detailed plans for a long-term, robust investment in quality Lifeline services post-transaction.” The Lifeline program “allows our nation’s most vulnerable and marginalized communities to access vital communications services that would otherwise be unaffordable,” the coalition said: “During the COVID-19 pandemic, communications services have been more critical than ever, and the high level of unemployment that has resulted from it underscores the necessity of the Lifeline program.” The coalition includes Common Cause, Communications Workers of America and the United Church of Christ.

T-Mobile has the fastest 5G network nationwide, reported independent research firm umlaut Tuesday. Umlaut focused on 10 major markets and took 35.2 million samples. “T-Mobile shows clearly faster average 5G download and upload speeds in all measured cities than the other operators,” umlaut said: The carrier’s “5G ‘Ultra Capacity’ download speed exceeds 170 Mbps in average, and goes up to 260 Mbps per market.”

Lumen and T-Mobile said Tuesday they’re working together, combining T-Mobile’s 5G network with Lumen’s Edge Computing platform, to serve business customers. “Enterprises would have the ability to extend applications across a range of environments, including hundreds of thousands of on-net enterprise locations on the Lumen fiber network, with T-Mobile’s industry leading 5G network,” they said.