Utah legislators passed a bill to increase prepaid wireless contributions. The House voted 70-0 Thursday after the Senate voted 27-0 Monday. SB-225 would require prepaid wireless to contribute 1.2% of sales for state USF. It modifies the existing rule that prepaid providers remit 60 cents monthly per access line to the Utah Public Service Commission. It would increase the prepaid wireless 911 surcharge to 3.7% from 3.3%. Rates would take effect Jan. 1.

The Public Safety Bureau seeks comment through March 27 in docket 19-351 on how the recently enacted Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Act (HR-4998) will affect FCC proceedings under new supply chain rules designating Chinese telecom equipment makers Huawei and ZTE as posing a national security threat. The companies dispute the initial designation (see 2003040030). HR-4998, which President Donald Trump signed last week (see 2003120061), allocates $1 billion to help small U.S. communications providers remove from their networks Chinese equipment determined to threaten national security. It bars federal funds buying communications equipment or services from any company that's a national security risk to U.S. telecom networks. The FCC wants feedback on “whether and how [HR-4998] should inform our consideration of the designations of Huawei and ZTE.”

FirstNet named Edward Parkinson executive director (see also personals section, this issue). He has led the organization in an acting capacity since October 2018. Parkinson replaced Mike Poth, who was CEO for about three years. Some officials at the time called for quick action to maintain stability (see 1809270049). Parkinson previously led state outreach efforts as executive director-external affairs. He joined FirstNet in 2013 after helping as a House Homeland Security Committee staffer to write legislation for its establishment. FirstNet Chairman Edward Horowitz said Thursday the authority did a “comprehensive and thorough search” before making the decision.

The American Petroleum Institute asked the FCC not to act on a proposal to reconfigure the 900 MHz band to allow for broadband until proponent Anterix “has undertaken the necessary work and conversations to understand the impact of its proposals on the critical narrowband communications of API members.” API and members met Commissioner Mike O’Rielly, an aide to Chairman Ajit Pai and Wireless Bureau staff, said a filing posted Thursday in docket 17-200. Members such as ExxonMobil and Phillips 66 use their 900 MHz narrowband channels around the clock “for emergency and safety communications,” the group said: “The amount of spectrum at stake is small, but critical to API members’ narrowband communications and to safety inside and outside of their facilities.” The proposal got mixed reviews in comments last year (see 1907030028).

CTIA and three major wireless carriers pledged to work with the FCC and follow best practices, in response to Communications Security, Reliability and Interoperability Council recommendations on diameter protocol security. Comments were posted through Thursday in docket 18-99 (see 2002100038). Sprint, which is being bought by T-Mobile, didn't file. “As the wireless sector races to Standalone 5G, it is important to mitigate legacy risks, especially during the transition,” CTIA said: CSRIC’s recommendations “are a vital part of providers’ security efforts.” Stand-alone 5G won’t use diameter but instead hypertext transfer protocol secure (HTTPS) versions 2 and 3 to carry signaling information, the group said. Diameter security hasn’t been a problem, CTIA said: “CTIA and its members are still seeing few, if any, attacks ... [and] they typically occur overseas, which is a testament to the effectiveness of U.S. providers’ efforts.” While non-stand-alone deployments “will continue to rely on Diameter protocol, 5G security enhancements will result in a more secure user plane,” the group said. Verizon said it implemented most of the CSRIC best practices and continues to “refine our Diameter-related security practices.” Work continues, Verizon said, with “substantial cross-carrier collaboration and information sharing.” T-Mobile “implemented the carrier-specific recommendations that are applicable to its business and network architecture.” AT&T “shares the Commission’s interest in protecting Diameter from malicious actors and stands ready to work cooperatively, including providing more detailed information in an appropriate, confidential manner,” the carrier said.

The FCC Wireless Bureau approved a limited waiver sought by Aviation Spectrum Resources of sections 87.173(b) and 87.263(a) of rules to allow use of two 25 kHz channels in the 136.000-136.4875 MHz band for data link communications using FCC-licensed aeronautical en route service stations. As noted by the company, “the waiver will facilitate ‘the early deployment of advanced aeronautical communications systems, thereby enhancing aviation safety and improving efficiency,’” the bureau said. The company must coordinate with the FAA on the channels' selection, the bureau said in docket 19-180. The company sought waiver in May (see 1905150029).

Broadcom and Intel demoed unlicensed very low-power technology in the 6 GHz band for FCC Chairman Ajit Pai, Commissioners Mike O’Rielly and Brendan Carr and an aide to Commissioner Geoffrey Starks, said a filing posted Wednesday in docket 18-295. The FCC is expected to consider an order on the spectrum in April (see 2003050058). Broadcom said it showed “how 6 GHz devices can help consumers experience the full power of their home internet connections as wireline providers invest to bring them gigabit broadband” and “the importance of the 6 GHz band to Wi-Fi 6 and rapidly enabling 5G services.”

The FCC Enforcement Bureau warned NYC Mesh against further interference to Doppler weather radar at John F. Kennedy International Airport. The bureau said an investigation found devices mounted on the roof of buildings in Brooklyn and used by NYC Mesh to provide Wi-Fi were found to be causing harmful interference to the radar system, after the FAA complained. The devices operated at 5.590-5.677 GHz, the bureau said. The interference stopped after the FCC directed an NYC Mesh technician to tune them to a different frequency. “Continued operation of this device in a manner that causes harmful interference after your receipt of this warning constitutes a violation of” federal law and “could subject the operator to severe penalties, including, but not limited to, substantial monetary fines, in rem seizure of the offending radio equipment, and criminal sanctions including imprisonment,” the bureau said in the Wednesday letter. The company didn't comment.

Tech companies opposed a request for a 35-mile radius exclusion zone around RigNet's Gulf of Mexico 6 GHz sites (see 1911180046). “RigNet is incorrect that its exclusion proposal would have little cost,” said a filing posted Wednesday in docket 17-183: RigNet’s “specialized protection proposal would, in fact, significantly impact consumers nationwide and is completely unnecessary to prevent harmful interference.” Apple, Broadcom, Cisco, Facebook, Google, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Intel, Microsoft and Qualcomm were among signers. "Tech companies keep critiquing the scientifically backed and documented concerns that we and others have voiced with their unproven assertions and admonitions that interference won't be that bad,” responded Jamie Barnett, RigNet senior vice president-government service. “They've had plenty of time to provide actual data, so I think the FCC has to conclude that they cannot back up their claims." The same companies challenged data in a January CTIA filing “purporting to describe harmful interference for five real-world cases drawn from a search” of the FCC’s universal licensing system. CTIA’s examples “were not real-world at all” said a second filing: “They were created by cherry picking some information from ULS for real [fixed service] links, ignoring other relevant information, then replacing the rest with CTIA’s preferred values regardless of accuracy. CTIA did not disclose these alterations, much less justify them.” CTIA supports "introducing unlicensed operations in the lower portion of 6 GHz, so long as they protect the critical incumbents in the band,” emailed Scott Bergmann, senior vice president-regulatory affairs. “The record in the FCC’s proceeding makes clear that an Automatic Frequency Coordination mechanism is necessary to protect incumbents from both indoor and outdoor unlicensed operations. It’s time for the unlicensed community to take seriously their obligations to protect incumbents.”

Among comments posted in docket 19-138 by Monday's deadline, NCTA said the FCC is on the right track with recommending reallocation of the 5.9 GHz band. The agency is expected to move forward (see 2003090059). The NPRM proposes “a reasonable path forward to address the urgent need to put mid-band unlicensed spectrum to use while allowing [intelligent transportation] proponents a second opportunity to demonstrate that the marketplace will support connected vehicle technologies in this band,” NCTA said: Its proximity to other spectrum used for Wi-Fi “uniquely positions the band to help meet immediate and long-term needs for more unlicensed broadband spectrum.” Proponents of preserving the safety band also weighed in. “All vehicle-to-everything technologies rely on this band to communicate,” the National Association of City Transportation Officials said: “Shifting bandwidth towards unlicensed uses such as WiFi jeopardizes street safety while limiting cities’ ability to scale up testing and deployment of potentially life-saving V2X technologies.” Preserve "the entire 5.9 GHz Band for roadway safety applications,” said the National Electrical Manufacturers Association: “The 45 MHz in the middle of the Band should be retained for roadway safety applications in development and not allocated for unlicensed.” The Government Wireless Technology & Telecommunications Association is against reallocation. "Vehicle-to-everything (V2X) technologies are a vital tool in national transportation safety," it commented. “Allowing untested technologies and unlicensed devices to use the spectrum available for V2X technologies could negate the ability of these technologies to function.” Taking 60% of the band for Wi-Fi “will strand already-deployed V2X units and users, foreclose advanced safety features of the future, and compromise the technology’s lifesaving potential,” General Motors commented: “This proposal, which will only marginally benefit commercial, non-safety unlicensed uses, will likely end V2X.” New America’s Open Technology Institute and Public Knowledge said the FCC should open the band for Wi-Fi. “The virtually unused 5.9 GHz band has become a roadblock to an immensely valuable Wi-Fi superhighway comprised of contiguous wide channels capable of delivering gigabit-fast and affordable wireless connectivity,” the groups said: “Leaving the entire 5.9 GHz allocated for auto safety communication … would impose high costs on consumers with little return on the horizon.”