Comments are due Feb. 21, replies March 23 on an FCC NPRM proposing to remove existing nonfederal secondary radiolocation and amateur allocations in the 3.3-3.55 GHz band and to relocate incumbent nonfederal operations out of the band (see 1912300029), says Wednesday's Federal Register: Such proposals "are an initial step toward potential future shared use between federal operations and flexible use commercial services.”

Tech companies urged the FCC to let Wi-Fi share the 6 GHz band. Cisco, Google, HP Enterprise, Microsoft and Qualcomm representatives met aides to Commissioners Brendan Carr and Geoffrey Starks, said a filing posted Friday in docket 18-295. "Quickly resolve any outstanding issues in a manner consistent with our previous advocacy and" issue an order "for unlicensed use throughout the band,” they asked. Meanwhile, in meetings with aides to Carr and Starks, iRobot said a proposal to “introduce Wi-Fi in the 6 GHz band at the power levels being discussed in this proceeding would render ultra-wide band devices inoperable due to the interference that would be caused,” the company said: The 2 billion UWB devices in use are "estimated to increase to 3.1 billion by 2025.”

Educational broadband service advocates disagreed with the Wireless ISP Association and Wireless Communications Association that the FCC should reject a Nov. 25 petition by the Schools, Health & Libraries Broadband Coalition and others seeking changes to rules for the 2.5 GHz band (see 2001030048). “Opponents fail to grapple with the fundamental problems in the EBS Order,” replied SHLB and others. “Like the EBS Order itself, they offer no response to Educational Petitioners’ argument that commercial carriers lack sufficient incentive to deploy 2.5 GHz spectrum to close the digital divide and homework gap. Instead, they parrot the Order’s flawed logic and unsupported findings to conclude that there is no longer any need -- or demand -- for EBS.” The Consortium for School Networking, State Educational Technology Directors Association, American Library Association, National Digital Inclusion Alliance, Nebraska Department of Education, Utah Education and Telehealth Network and Council of Chief State School Officers also signed the filing, posted Thursday in docket 18-120.

Wireless Infrastructure Association officials discussed its petition asking the FCC to make further changes to wireless infrastructure rules (see 1910300027), in meetings with aides to Commissioners Mike O’Rielly, Brendan Carr and Jessica Rosenworcel. The FCC sought comment on the petition last year (see 1911210054). “Discussions pertained to the applicability of the Spectrum Act to state and local authorities and relief for compound expansions under Section 6409(a),” WIA said, posted Wednesday in docket 19-250.

The FCC Office of Engineering and Technology seeks comment on two waiver requests. OET asked for comment on a waiver request by Zebra of Part 15 of the commission’s rules to allow the company to certify a version of its Dart positioning system for operation in the 7125-8500 MHz range. “Zebra states that its system, which presently operates as an ultra-wideband device in the … band, is used to track small battery-operated tags attached to persons, assets, or safety equipment over a range of 100 meters to an accuracy of less than 30 centimeters,” OET said. Comments are due Feb. 3, replies Feb. 18. OET sought comment with the same dates on a Vayyar Imaging request for limited waiver of Sections 15.255(b)(2) and 15.255(c)(3) of FCC rules allowing Vayyar to obtain a grant of equipment authorization for its V60G interactive motion sensing device in the 57-64 GHz band. “Vayyar states that the V60G is designed for a variety of 3D interactive motion-sensing applications such as touchless control, medical/safety alerts, vital sign monitoring, and environmental management,” OET said. Both notices were in Wednesday’s Daily Digest.

The Department of Hawaiian Home Lands asked for a waiver of entity eligibility rules to apply for 2.5 GHz licenses during the upcoming tribal window (see 2001140059). “While the Commission expressly included Hawaiian Home Lands within the definition of tribal lands eligible for the Tribal Window, the Report & Order omitted native Hawaiians from the list of eligible applicants for the window, and therefore excluded them from the opportunity to access this spectrum,” the department said in FCC docket 18-120, posted Wednesday. National Tribal Telecommunications Association members met with the FCC Office of Native Affairs and Policy about the band. “NTTA representatives inquired about the timing of licensure for the 2.5 GHz spectrum offering and the need for education for Tribal entities on this issue, and the need for a new category of Tribal broadband carriers for the provision of Universal Service Fund support,” the group said.

Rules requiring national wireless carriers to meet a vertical location accuracy metric of plus or minus 3 meters for 80 percent of indoor wireless E-911 calls for z-axis capable handsets take effect March 16, following Federal Register publication. The FCC requires nationwide carriers to deploy dispatchable location or z-axis technology that meets this metric for 80 percent of calls in the top 25 markets by April 3, 2021, and in the top 50 markets by April 3, 2023. The agency approved the mandate in November over a dissent by Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel (see 1911220034). A second notice sets the comment dates for an accompanying Further NPRM. Initial comments are due Feb. 18, replies March 16.

The FCC auction of licenses in the 37, 39 and 47 GHz bands was at $7.23 billion after five bidding rounds Tuesday and 51 total rounds. Five more rounds are scheduled for Wednesday. The auction started Dec. 10.

Ad Hoc Refiners Group members met Wireless Bureau staff on concerns about FCC-proposed realignment of the 900 MHz band (see 1907030028). “Conduct testing in congested markets or in test beds reflecting adjacent channel 3 x 3 MHz LTE operations and site-based 900 MHz to determine the potential for harmful interference” and “establish a narrowband reserve of at least 20 narrowband channels for future expansion critical 900 MHz systems,” the group said, posted Tuesday in docket 17-200. “In many areas of the country in which 900 MHz band is not intensely utilized[,] the risk of adjacent channel interference from the 3 x 3 MHz LTE operations is less likely, and 900 MHz site-based channels are adequate.”

Seven critical infrastructure groups warned of harmful interference from unlicensed operations without automatic frequency control in the 6 GHz band. The Edison Electric Institute, American Gas Association, American Public Power Association, American Water Works Association, National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, Nuclear Energy Institute and Utilities Technology Council submitted the FCC report. They said in docket 18-295 that members' “continued, unimpeded access is paramount.”