The Alliance for Telecommunications Industry Solutions proposed practices that would help carriers improve the geographic accuracy of wireless emergency alerts. The document was shared with shareholders but hasn’t been made public, an ATIS spokesperson said. FCC Chairman Ajit Pai praised the development Wednesday: WEAs “are a more powerful public safety tool than ever before, but I’ve been clear that more should be done to improve the geographic accuracy of these life-saving messages." Pai asked ATIS’ Wireless Technologies Systems Committee to develop the best practices in September (see 2009100010). A few weeks later, ATIS said it was preparing a white paper (see 2010010055). The report “presents a detailed explanation, accompanied by illustrations, of the broadcast characteristics and other factors that drive the results of the cell/sector selection by the Commercial Mobile Service Providers when building the broadcast for a given alert,” ATIS said. “The white paper is part of a robust standardization effort around WEAs that ATIS is leading.”

Increase power levels for 6 GHz devices while requiring standard-power access points (AP) operating with effective isotropic radiated power higher than 36 dBm to “have the capability to cease transmission immediately upon notification” of interference, Nokia asked FCC Office of Engineering Technology staff, said a filing posted Tuesday in docket 18-295. In practice, the higher-power links could operate successfully to maximize the benefits of unlicensed operations in the band while addressing concerns regarding causing harmful interference to fixed service (FS) incumbents,” the filing said. “Various use cases could leverage the higher power APs.”

Extend the deadline for comments about 4.9 GHz for at least a month, if not two, the Land Mobile Communications Council asked the FCC. Dec. 30 doesn’t “provide sufficient time for interested parties to develop thoughtful input on the novel 4.9 GHz State Band Manager concept proposed in the FNPRM or the Commission’s recommendations for maximizing efficiencies in the coordination,” said a filing posted Tuesday in docket 07-100. Commissioners approved an order 3-2 (see 2009300050).

The FCC C-band auction crested above $10.5 billion Tuesday, a week in and 20 bidding rounds completed. Bidding picks up Wednesday with four more scheduled rounds.

NTIA scheduled “industry roundtable listening sessions” Jan. 28 and Feb. 25 at 10 a.m. EST on plans for a secure 5G strategy, says Wednesday's Federal Register. The Biden transition team didn’t comment on this post-inauguration scheduling. The Commerce Spectrum Management Advisory Committee plans its final meeting of the Trump administration Jan. 14 at 1 p.m. EST, said Monday's FR.

AT&T is well positioned on 5G, Igal Elbaz, senior vice president-wireless technology, told a virtual Oppenheimer investor conference Tuesday. “Over the last several years, we invested north of $130 billion in our network, added capacity, added coverage,” he said: “We put our spectrum to work. We've modernized our network. We built a nationwide 5G network. We built FirstNet. So that investment paid off.” AT&T is at 80% of its FirstNet build and “several months ahead” of schedule, he said. AT&T has the spectrum it needs for 5G, he said. “The years before we launched … we've done a lot of trials and we have a lot of understanding of the capabilities, how it works." The carrier’s use of citizens broadband radio service spectrum is “mainly in part of our fixed wireless in rural America” as part of the FCC Connect America Fund, he said.

The Edison Electric Institute supported the FCC’s proposal to open the 3.45-3.55 GHz band for flexible-use wireless services but said the FCC should adopt rules patterned on those in the adjacent citizens broadband radio service band. “Electric companies are undergoing increased demand for communications networks primarily because they are undertaking a process of grid modernization, which entails the increased use of automation and remote monitoring and control,” said a filing posted Friday in docket 19-348.

Broadcom’s wireless revenue in fiscal Q4, ended Nov. 1, was 31% of its semiconductor business and up 43% sequentially from Q3, with the launch of the “new-generation flagship phone by our large North American OEM customer,” said CEO Hock Tan on an investor call Thursday, in obvious reference to the iPhone 12. Broadcom announced multiyear agreements in January to supply Apple with $15 billion in wireless components and modules. Wireless revenue declined 9% year-on-year, due to the one-quarter delay in ramping up “production of that program,” said Tan. Broadcom now expects fiscal Q1 “to be up over 50% year-on-year,” he said.

NATOA General Counsel Nancy Werner spoke with an aide to FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr on the continuing opposition of local and state government groups to proposed revisions to over-the-air reception devices rules, said a filing posted Thursday in docket 19-71. The U.S. Conference of Mayors, the Texas Coalition of Cities for Utility Issues, Boston, Dallas, Los Angeles and other cities and counties signed the filing. The FCC proposed changes in an NPRM last year (see 1906050014).

AT&T could be in a much better position in the C-band auction if it had proceeds from a DirecTV sale to put toward spectrum purchases, New Street Research analyst Jonathan Chaplin wrote investors Thursday. While AT&T has $8.7 billion for spectrum, a $16 billion DirecTV sale would leave it an additional $9 billion for spectrum after paying down debt, he said. That could give it 29% of the available spectrum, instead of 15%, he said. If it can't sell DirecTV at an adequate price, AT&T might have to look at steps such as selling equity, he said. AT&T didn't comment. Dish Network Chairman Charlie Ergen told investors last month that a DirecTV-Dish deal is “inevitable” at some point (see 2011060043).