In an effort to speed completion of the 800 MHz rebanding, the FCC Public Safety Bureau ruled that a wide number of licensees that never filed timely completion reports are now deemed to have completed the process with no further avenue to challenge cost reimbursement or seek larger payments. The order covers licenses held by companies, states and cities. North Carolina and Colorado hold the largest number of licenses covered by the order. “The rebanding process has taken substantially longer than originally contemplated,” the bureau said Monday in docket 02-55. “Rebanding has substantially alleviated the interference risk to public safety, and the process is now nearing completion.”

The Intelligent Transportation Society of America and others asked to extend the April 6 deadline to comment on proposed changes to rules for the 5.9 GHz band. ITS America cited the “unprecedented disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic,” in a filing posted Monday in docket 19-138. The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials sought a 90-day delay. “State Departments of Transportation are on the front lines trying to maintain current operations of the transportation system as well as respond to nearly hourly and daily requests from Governor’s and other leaders needs for changes and exemptions to current regulations,” the group said. The Alliance for Automotive Innovation supported AASHTO's request.

APCO asked the FCC act on its petition for clarification on potential changes (see 2002070057) to vertical location accuracy rules, in replies. Comments "confirm the need for the clarification" and "indicate that confusion over the requirements is even more extreme than APCO anticipated,” APCO said, in a filing posted Friday in docket 07-114. “Worse than debating how to demonstrate compliance, the carriers seem poised to argue for interpretations that would substantially weaken the z-axis requirements.”

Automated frequency coordination (AFC) in the 6 GHz band doesn’t need to be complex to be effective, tech companies told the FCC. Apple, Broadcom, Cisco, Facebook, Google, Intel, Microsoft, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Qualcomm and Ruckus signed a letter, posted Friday in docket 18-295. The companies argue AFC should be reserved for standard-power devices operating indoors and outdoors. “Unnecessarily burdensome AFC requirements could greatly increase the cost of AFC implementations, delaying the availability of AFC-controlled devices, limiting innovation, and driving up costs for consumers,” the companies said: “Our companies strongly support the Commission’s long history of light-touch, technology-neutral and innovation-friendly decision-making, especially with respect to unlicensed operations.” Rules should be targeted and concise and “emphasize security and robust interference protection," they said.

Technology-neutral regulation is critical to efficient use of the 6 GHz band, Qualcomm officials said in calls with an aide to FCC Chairman Ajit Pai, Chief Technology Officer Monisha Ghosh, and Office of Engineering and Technology staff. “Licensed spectrum deployments rely on time synchronization to support advanced techniques for efficient spectrum use, and, in unlicensed spectrum, time synchronized access is a key enabler to supporting advanced techniques that use coordinated, highly flexible, spatial sharing to provide more predictable access, and thus, improved throughput and latency,” Qualcomm said in a filing posted Thursday in docket 18-295: Under their proposed rule, “time-synchronized access does not disadvantage any user, including those using devices employing asynchronous access.”

Tech companies said very-low-power devices, which don’t require automatic frequency control, are critical as the FCC looks at Wi-Fi in the 6 GHz band. VLP devices can be used for augmented- and virtual-reality, headphones, game controllers, keyboards, hearing aids and other applications, said Apple, Broadcom, Facebook and Google in a filing posted Thursday in docket 18-295. “The VLP device class would ensure that the 6 GHz band supports a class of technologies that our companies see as central to the next generation of wireless innovation -- personal area networks,” the companies said: “Not only are higher powers unnecessary for these devices, they are counterproductive because personal area devices are smaller and battery-driven, requiring extreme energy efficiency.” The four and other companies, including Cisco, Intel, Microsoft, Hewlett Packard Enterprise and Qualcomm, proposed “a simple rule to identify a class of fixed client devices for certification purposes” in a second filing. CTA spoke with aides to Pai about the band: “CTA has a keen interest in ensuring the availability of spectrum needed to enable the widespread adoption of connected devices and services.”

AT&T began closing 40% of company-owned retail stores Wednesday in response to COVID-19, blogged AT&T Communications CEO Jeff McElfresh. Closures will continue as the carrier concentrates resources on select stores to meet the immediate service needs of customers, including first responders and healthcare providers. The carrier cut back store hours to 11 a.m.-7 p.m. local time and is closing all stores on Sundays. It cut back call center capacity due to leave accommodations for employees with children in schools that have closed or who are at a higher risk for contracting COVID-19. The company implemented interactive voice response messaging encouraging self-help tools at att.com. Field technicians will prioritize repair and service for existing customers, followed by broadband installations for healthcare providers, it said. Boost Mobile announced Thursday customers will automatically receive free international calling rates from the U.S. to Level 3 countries defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention -- and then waive reconnection fees -- through April 30. Customers on an unlimited data plan get 20 additional GB of mobile hot spot access on their plans, and tiered plans get 20 more GB free. Earlier this week, Sprint said it's closing stores (see 2003170051), as did other telecoms. AT&T said Thursday its consumer home internet wireline and fixed wireless broadband customers can use unlimited internet data. It will continue to offer internet access for qualifying limited income households at $10 monthly and expanded eligibility to the Access program to households participating in the National School Lunch Program and Head Start. It's offering customers new to Access two months free.

The FCC will allow 3.65 GHz licensees whose licenses expire starting April 17 to wait until Oct. 17 to transition from Part 90 to Part 96 gear, it said in an expected move (see 2003160049). The FCC said it can take the action without delaying the June citizens broadband radio service or the December C-band auction. “This is a logical delay of the transition during the pandemic to ensure that current licensees, like [wireless ISPs] and electric utilities, can keep their eyes on the ball when it comes to helping consumers,” said Chairman Ajit Pai: “We can allow this flexibility while still maintaining a reasonable timeline for this transition.” The Wireless ISP Association had been seeking relief and applauded the change. “For now, it prevents thousands of rural customers from losing service -- something especially important given the role Internet connectivity will play in keeping us safe and in touch with the world during the COVID-19 pandemic,” WISPA said.

The FCC can take several steps to help with the coronavirus, including acting on an E-rate petition “clarifying that schools can wirelessly extend E-Rate subsidized connections to students at home,” Microsoft officials told an aide to Commissioner Geoffrey Starks, said a filing posted Wednesday in docket 02-6. The FCC should also act on changes to the technical rules for TV white space devices provide an expected waiver of citizens broadband radio service transition requirements (see 2003160049).

The Hearing Loss Association of America and the Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center on Technology for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing at Gallaudet University said they support proposals in a January NPRM on whether the FCC should update its hearing aid standards (see 2001300041), but other steps are needed. The FCC should “continue to require in-store testing of handsets for consumers with hearing devices,” the groups told an aide to Commissioner Mike O’Rielly. Until “100% of the handset offerings” are hearing-aid compatible, “in-store testing is a necessary first step for consumers to have a chance to ensure that the device they purchase is in fact compatible with their hearing devices.” The FCC should also require manufacturers and providers to “‘refresh’ and provide ‘differing levels of functionality’ for HAC handsets,” they said, in a filing posted Wednesday in docket 20-3.