The FCC Wireless Bureau allowed TerreStar to begin offering wireless medical telemetry services (WMTS) in the 1.4 GHz band, reversing an earlier order finding the licenses had been terminated. The company got 64 commercial wireless licenses in the 1.4 GHz band through secondary market transactions in 2008 and faced an April 23, 2017, buildout deadline. The FCC earlier rejected a waiver request. Last summer, TerreStar met with Chairman Ajit Pai and others at the agency asking for a rethink of earlier decisions (see 1908270027). “With the COVID-19 outbreak causing increased reliance on medical telemetry monitoring in hospitals and on telehealth in general, this action will help ensure that traditional health care facilities have more spectrum capacity to meet a surge of additional monitoring demands that may occur in emergencies,” the FCC said in a Thursday news release. The decision was based on “new information” raised by TerreStar, the American Society for Health Care Engineering of the American Hospital Association, GE Healthcare and Philips Healthcare on the “interference potential” to WMTS and “the need for additional WMTS spectrum for the benefit of public health and safety,” the FCC said. The decision will “permanently protect and expand” WMTS across the U.S., TerreStar said.

LightShed deemed Apple "neutral" Wednesday, saying 5G is unlikely to trigger a “supercycle” of iPhone sales, and consensus revenue and earnings estimates for 2021 are too optimistic. But carriers "will increase ad spend and use new network implementations to boost interest in 5G,” analyst Walter Piecyk told investors: COVID-19 “threatens our prediction of a stabilization in upgrade rates in 2020 based on near-term store closings and intermediate-term economic impacts.”

Extend the window for tribes to apply for free 2.5 GHz licenses, before an eventual auction, FCC Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel tweeted Wednesday. The window opened Feb. 3 and closes Aug. 3. “The FCC has an amazing one-time opportunity for Tribes in rural areas to access spectrum and build their own broadband networks,” Rosenworcel said: “But the window for action is during a national crisis. The agency has extended other deadlines. It should extend this one too.”

Rural Wireless Association representatives asked FCC Wireline Bureau staff about the timing of a prohibition on carriers receiving USF support to buy Huawei and ZTE equipment. RWA representatives expressed concern about how the FCC will interpret provisions of the Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Act and FY 2020 National Defense Authorization Act, said a filing posted Wednesday in docket 18-89. RWA asked whether the rule “goes into effect prior to August 14, 2020 pursuant to the 2019 NDAA or whether the FCC must develop a specific list of prohibited Huawei and ZTE equipment and services prior to March 11, 2021 pursuant to the Secure Networks Act." If the FCC concludes “USF support is akin to a loan and grant as defined under Section 889 of the 2019 NDAA, then RWA is concerned that its members may no longer be able to use universal service funding for the operation of Huawei or ZTE networks after August 13." Representatives of Mavenir, Nokia, Panhandle Telephone Co-op, Pine Belt Cellular and Strata Networks participated.

American Tower is seeing a small COVID-19 business impact, the company said Wednesday, reporting Q1 results. “Despite the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, we delivered a solid first quarter,” said CEO Tom Bartlett. “The resilience and stability of our business model, our investment-grade balance sheet, substantial liquidity and the secular global growth trends in mobile data usage will help us manage through the ongoing crisis.” Bartlett told analysts executives have been working remotely. “Our infrastructure is incredibly critical to ensure our tenants are able to keep their customers connected,” he said: In many markets, staff got “official priority definitions” so their work can continue “largely uninterrupted.” The company expects “temporary” delays in a few markets, he said. Bartlett said 5G trends include the cloud “coming closer to the edge” and deployment in a number of bands “depending on the specific area’s coverage and capacity requirements.” The variety of devices and apps “is expected to grow faster than we can possibly imagine,” he said. The company had almost $2 billion in revenue, up 9.9% over last year, and profit of $419 million, up 2.7%. “When most companies are pulling guidance, the fact that American Tower left its 2020 guidance basically unchanged … says a great deal,” MoffettNathanson’s Craig Moffett told investors.

The Wireless Bureau sought comment Tuesday on Garmin's request for declaratory ruling or waiver for a handheld device with a low-power, terrestrial Part 95 transmitter and an emergency satellite communications module. FCC rules otherwise prohibit such dual devices, the bureau said. Comments are due May 28, replies June 13 in docket 20-115.

The FCC Office of Economics and Analytics and the Wireless Bureau sought comment by May 4 on a waiver request by Comcast and Midcontinent Communications, which Comcast partially owns, allowing both to bid in the citizens broadband radio service auction. FCC rules “prohibit an entity from having a controlling interest in more than one short-form auction application,” said a notice in Tuesday’s Daily Digest on docket 19-244. “Absent the requested relief, Midco and Comcast would not be permitted to participate in the auction as two separate applicants.”

T-Mobile begins selling its cheapest 5G phone Tuesday for up to half off with a trade-in or added line, it said Monday. Price is $699. The Android smartphone operates on T-Mobile's 600 MHz network and is ready to go on 2.5 GHz spectrum as those markets ramp up, said the company: The OnePlus 8 has a 6.5-inch Full HD Plus display, a 4,300 mAh battery, triple camera and charges halfway in 22 minutes.

Former T-Mobile CEO John Legere notified the company he's resigning from the board of directors “effective immediately, to pursue other options,” said a T-Mobile SEC filing Friday. “Legere noted that he was not resigning because of any disagreement with management or the Board on any matter,” the filing said. Legere left as CEO April 1. His term was to expire June 4.

Reply comments filed by Friday raised concerns about the FCC proposal to reallocate the 5.9 GHz band, mostly for Wi-Fi. Comments are due Monday. “Reallocation of this spectrum will result in unnecessary deaths that otherwise would have been prevented through connected and automated vehicles,” the Institute of Transportation Engineers said in docket 19-138: “A broad cross-section of transportation safety experts and stakeholders has clearly objected to anything less than the current 75 MHz of bandwidth.” The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials said reallocation “will result in unnecessary deaths that otherwise would have been prevented through connected and automated vehicles.” The National Federation of the Blind also opposed changes: “For many blind Americans, the prospect of fully autonomous vehicles … represent[s] a new era in transportation efficiency and independence.” The Alliance for Automotive Innovation Thursday said the auto industry is committed to deploy at least 5 million radios on vehicles and roadway infrastructure within five years if the FCC preserves all 75 MHz of the 5.9 GHz band for safety (see 2004230054).