Do more to discourage states and local governments from diverting 911 fees, CTIA said in a filing posted Monday in docket 20-291. Comments were due Monday on a notice of inquiry (see 2009300050) approved 5-0 in September. It is critical that the $2.6 billion in 9-1-1 fees collected annually from wireless consumers be used for their intended purpose of improving 9-1-1 services,” CTIA said. Further action could include “providing guidance as to what expenditures qualify as ‘in support of’ 9-1-1 and encouraging other federal agencies to condition grant funding on non-diversion of 9-1-1 funds,” the group said: “Simply identifying diverting states has not been sufficient.” Refrain from rules putting new requirements on carriers, including reporting diversion under FCC truth-in-billing rules, the association asked.

T-Mobile has a buy one, get one free offer on the LG Wing 5G smartphone, arriving Nov. 6. The dual-screen phone works on 600 MHz and 2.5 GHz 5G spectrum, in addition to T-Mobile’s LTE network, said the company. It has a 6.8-inch, 2220 x 1080 main OLED display and a second 3.9-inch OLED screen, enabling two apps to run concurrently. A 64-megapixel camera headlines the triple camera array. The BOGO offer is available to new and existing customers for $41.67/month over 24 months, said the carrier.

5G is a “once-in-a-decade opportunity” to expand iPhone's "large, loyal and growing install base" and appeal to Android "switchers," said Apple CEO Tim Cook on a Thursday investor call. Apple is supporting the 5G rollout with the strongest iPhone lineup "we've ever had by far," he said. But supply shortages crossed categories. On whether iPhone supply will be able to meet demand through the rest of the year, Cook said supplies “are constrained today,” not surprising for the start of a launch, but it’s hard to predict when supply will free up. Supply is also constrained for the Mac, iPad and Apple Watch. China is ahead of the U.S. in 5G infrastructure rollout, with 600,000 base stations forecast by year-end, Cook said, “so we’re entering the market at a very good time.” The company has been collaborating with 5G carriers globally to ensure iPhone “has great throughput,” coverage, battery life and call quality, he said. On how Apple is preparing for the next wave of COVID-19, Cook said it's prioritizing safety first, turning stores into an “express storefront.” Apple also put more people answering phones “because a lot more people are reaching out to us that way.” The direct-to-consumer online store has remained operational through the pandemic, he noted. Chief Financial Officer Luca Maestri referenced uncertainties about the company's decision not to provide fiscal Q1 guidance. Apple posted record fiscal Q4 revenue Thursday for the period ended Sept. 26, despite delays that pushed the latest iPhones into fiscal Q1, said Maestri. Q4 revenue rose 1% year on year to $64.7 billion, with product revenue slipping to $50.1 billion from $51.5 billion a year ago, while services rose to $14.5 billion from $12.5 billion. All product categories grew double digits in the quarter, except for iPhone, due to the phones' delayed launches into October and November. In the quarter, iPhone sales were $26.4 billion, Mac sales grew to $9 billion, iPad sales to $6.8 billion, and wearables, $7.9 billion. Paid subscriptions grew more than 35 million sequentially, up 135 million from a year ago, said Maestri. Apple is on target to reach 600 million paid subscriptions by year-end. The stock closed down 5.6% at $108.86

The Department of Transportation's three-year unmanned aircraft systems Integration Pilot Program “successfully concluded” and will be replaced by the new Beyond program, Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao said Friday. “The IPP propelled the American drone industry forward, allowing for unprecedented expansions in testing and operations through innovative private-public partnerships across the country,” she said: “Now, the BEYOND program will build upon this success, tackling the next big challenges facing drone integration.” The program says its top challenge is rules for beyond visual line of sight operations that are “repeatable, scalable and economically viable with specific emphasis on infrastructure inspection, public operations and small package delivery.”

Yahoo plowed into the smartphone market Thursday with an entry-level $49 handset that operates on parent company Verizon’s sub-brand 4G Yahoo Mobile wireless network. Later this year, Verizon’s 5G network will be included with all Yahoo Mobile plans and devices, it said. Consumers can buy Yahoo Mobile service with the iPhone 12 and 12 Pro through the online store now, and with the iPhone Pro Max and 12 Mini, due next month. The purple Yahoo Mobile ZTE Blade A3Y, stuffed with Yahoo apps, is paired with a $40 monthly unlimited talk, text and data plan, ad-free email account and 24/7 customer service, with no annual service contract. Through Yahoo Sports, users have access to live sports and a “Watch Together” feature that allows livestreaming of free NFL games with friends. The Android phone, with a 5.4-inch 720p display, has an 8-megapixel rear camera, 5-megapixel front camera, 2 GB RAM, a rear fingerprint sensor, face-unlock and a 2660 mAh battery. Verizon Media CEO Guru Gowrappan called the phone a “unique and valuable offering” with Yahoo’s “unified suite of products, trusted content, commerce and the reliability” of Verizon’s network.

Verizon is pitching a free month of YouTube TV, a Stream TV device and an Amazon smart home bundle in a promotion for Verizon 5G Home Internet, targeting customers in areas of Atlanta, Dallas, Denver and San Jose where service launches Nov. 5. Customers in parts of a dozen cities now have access to Verizon's 5G Home Internet. Nineteen cities, six stadiums and six airports have 5G Ultra Wideband, it noted. The Amazon bundle includes an Echo Show 5, Ring Stick Up Cam, Echo Dot and smart plug. The carrier is pitching the offering as “ideal for people working remotely, schooling at home or streaming their favorite shows.” Peak downloads are up to 1 Gbps, with typical download speeds of 300 Mbps. Service is $50 monthly for Verizon customers with a monthly mobile plan of $30 or more, $70 for non-Verizon customers. Customers can set up 5G Home Internet using “innovative new hardware” with augmented reality, Verizon said.

Act on an order allowing Wi-Fi use of the 5.9 GHz band, Michael Calabrese, director of the Wireless Future Program at New America, told aides to FCC Chairman Ajit Pai and Commissioner Geoffrey Starks. “By employing a firmware upgrade to existing equipment, this additional 45 megahertz can very quickly create the first and only gigabit-fast Wi-Fi channel at standard power that is unimpeded by the cost, complexity and delay of control by a geolocation database,” Calabrese said in a filing posted Wednesday in docket 19-138: “The ability to rapidly upgrade existing Wi-Fi routers to help families struggling to work, learn and stay connected to loved ones at home is even more critical for the duration of the pandemic.” The FCC votes Nov. 18 (see 2010280064).

CTIA countered a recent report by RTCA, formerly the Radio Technical Commission for Aeronautics, on interference risks to low-range radar altimeters posed by mobile use of the C band. “The Report is severely lacking in several respects: the underlying test data driving the conclusions has not been made available for review, the analysis is suspect, and its findings are unsupported,” CTIA said in an FCC filing posted Wednesday in docket 18-122. RTCA didn’t comment.

The U.S. isn’t losing to China on 5G, said Larry Kudlow, National Economic Council director, at a GSMA/CTIA 5G summit Tuesday. “America is doing very well on 5G,” he said: “People are always way too pessimistic. … Our technology advances are the best in the world; they remain so.” President Donald Trump directed him to push a free-market approach, and that hasn’t “wavered,” Kudlow said. “We are moving forward to auction off as much spectrum as possible, to get it across the country as fast as possible,” the economist said. “We’re working very hard dealing with privacy issues and security issues, and, of course, technological issues and market changes.” The U.S. is having success getting other nations, including Britain, Sweden, Australia and Japan, to reject Huawei equipment in their networks, he said. “The list is growing.” Kudlow stressed the importance of open radio access networks, with their emphasis on software over hardware. The Chinese Embassy and Huawei didn't comment.

The FCC Enforcement Bureau issued a $20,000 fine against Puerto Rican wireless ISP WiFi Services Caribbean for interfering with FAA terminal Doppler weather radar. The bureau proposed a $25,000 fine in April (see 2004220037). The WISP conceded the violation but asked for a lower fine, the bureau said. “After reviewing the record in this matter, including WiFi Services’ financial condition, we find that reducing the forfeiture to $20,000 is appropriate here,” said a Monday order.