Wi-Fi advocates defended the FCC’s April decision to allow unlicensed use of the 6 GHz band, in an amicus brief posted Tuesday at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit (in Pacer) in docket 20-1190. “The FCC has more than 30 years of experience managing unlicensed spectrum access, using rules and procedures similar to those" here, said Public Knowledge, the Benton Institute for Broadband & Society and New America Open Technology Institute. “The FCC has consistently and successfully nurtured the unlicensed ecosystem while protecting licensed services from harmful interference.”

Abandoning the current way of reviewing long-form applications for the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund Phase I auction would be "disruptive, time-consuming, and litigation-producing," the Wireless ISP Association told the FCC in a letter posted Tuesday in docket 10-90. WISPA argued other filings in recent weeks were "motivated by auction outcomes that they find unfavorable to their constituencies." It said requests to change the process would lead to delays in authorizing support. WISPA singled out NTCA-proposed changes.

Better Business Bureau's National Advertising Division asked T-Mobile to modify advertising claims, including that it offers “the best" and "most reliable 5G network” and the “best prices” for 5G. NAD said the challenged advertisements didn't "reasonably convey that the aspirational future benefits that will result from the T-Mobile-Sprint merger" aren't "presently available,” NAD said Tuesday. “While T-Mobile made certain commitments to the government as part of the merger approval process and is in the process of expanding and improving its 5G service, the complete integration of the T-Mobile and Sprint networks is not expected to occur for between three to six years.” The ads cited stopped airing in July, but "we’ll continue to make sure consumers know that T-Mobile’s 5G network … is delivering unprecedented reach and more coverage than anyone else,” a T-Mobile spokesperson said.

Don't open a window to consider authorizing additional volunteer examiner coordinators (VECs) to prepare and administer amateur radio operator exams, the American Radio Relay League told the FCC in a Monday posting. Replies were due Friday in docket 21-2 on a January Wireless Bureau notice (see 2101050040). “Amateur examination opportunities have been and continue to be plentiful,” ARRL said: “Additional VECs would have no effect on the number of examination opportunities or available examiners.”

Apple led the field of smartphone vendors in Q4 for the first time since 2016, grabbing 20.8% share on strength of the iPhone 12 series, reported Gartner Monday. Apple’s sales grew 14.9% to 79.9 million units. Overall, global sales of smartphones to end users fell 5.4% to 384.6 million in Q4 as consumers largely “remained cautious” in spending and delayed some discretionary purchases, said analyst Anshul Gupta. But 5G smartphones and pro-camera features “encouraged some end users to purchase new smartphones or upgrade their current smartphones.” Samsung quarterly shipments fell 11.8%, for 16.2% share. Samsung held its full-year lead, though it suffered a year-on-year decline of 14.6% in shipments to 253 million as it faced “tough competition” from regional smartphone vendors Xiaomi, Oppo and Vivo, said Gupta. Apple and Xiaomi were the only two of the top five with growth. The ban on use of Google applications on Huawei smartphones hurt the Chinese smartphone maker, which had a 41% plunge in Q4 shipments. Availability of lower end 5G smartphones and innovative features will fuel upgrades in 2021, said the analyst.

CTIA representatives deemed it important to “continu[e] to expand the spectrum pipeline,” in calls with aides to FCC acting Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel and Commissioner Brendan Carr, said a filing posted Monday in docket 19-348. “CTIA identified the 3 GHz band as a 5G priority band, which would enable device, network equipment, and chip manufacturers to build to globally harmonized, international specifications.”

FCC commissioners approved an order 4-0 incorporating 2019's American National Standards Institute standard into its rules and making it the exclusive testing standard for determining hearing aid compatibility after a two-year transition. The FCC sought comment last year (see 2001300041). The agency now extended the volume control deadline, to coincide with the start of the standard, and made technical changes. The order was released Monday in docket 20-3. “We improve accessibility by updating our … rules to ensure that people with hearing loss have access to the newest devices built with the latest technical developments and standards,” said acting Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel: “This action is especially important right now with the deployment of 5G underway. It is imperative that this new service is built for all.”

Aerospace and defense industry representatives, led by the Aerospace Industries Association, told FCC Office of Engineering and Technology and Wireless Bureau staff they will need access to the entire 3.1-3.55 GHz band regardless of a proposed 3.45-3.55 GHz auction (see 2102190046). Industry “has long had access” to the band “on an experimental basis to conduct testing, research, and development for manufacturing and production of radars and other systems used by their customers,” said a Friday posting in docket 19-348. Boeing, L3Harris, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman and Raytheon were on the call.

T-Mobile urged a 2.5 GHz auction this year, using a simultaneous multiple-round bidding approach, in a call with FCC auction staff. “Reject proposals to use a single-round, sealed-bid auction format with pay-as-bid pricing, which will encourage speculation and produce economically inefficient results,” said a filing posted Friday in docket 18-120. “There are no impediments to an auction of the 2.5 GHz band in 2021.”

UScellular may have spent $1.46 billion in the C-band auction, suggested a footnote in its Friday investor presentation accompanying Q4 results. Executives on a quarterly call declined to comment, saying the footnote was intended only to provide “context.” After Dec. 31, “UScellular committed to purchase wireless spectrum licenses for approximately $1,460 million inclusive of associated costs, subject to regulatory approval,” the footnote said. Companies are barred from commenting on auction results until 10 business days after they're announced by the FCC. Winners must make 20% deposits. A UScellular spokesperson didn’t comment.