Sprint told the FCC that five 800 MHz licensees, one classified as public safety, must be retuned. “Sprint and the remaining licensees … continue to make progress in completing all of rebanding,” the carrier said, posted Thursday in docket 02-55. License Acquisitions is in a dispute with the FCC on whether it must relocate licenses, which has slowed retuning in eight regions, Sprint said. In October, commissioners approved 5-0 streamlined rules and procedures for the final stage of the rebanding (see 1910250036).

With CES next week, CTA urged the FCC Thursday to open the 6 GHz band for sharing with Wi-Fi and other unlicensed devices. Amid moving to 5G, "demand for connected devices, higher-speed applications, and more data-intensive services" continues growing, CTA said in docket 18-295. “Consumers increasingly rely on devices that run on unlicensed spectrum.” Chairman Ajit Pai is expected to circulate a 6 GHz item, most likely for the March commissioners’ meeting (see 1912310039).

The Wi-Fi Alliance assured members of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission that Wi-Fi in the 6 GHz band won’t pose a threat to power companies. Last month, all three FERC commissioners wrote the FCC to express concerns (see 1912190082). “Wi-Fi Alliance recognizes the need for and supports rigorous protection of electric utilities and other critical incumbent operations in the 6 GHz band,” said a filing, posted Tuesday in docket 18-295. “To the contrary, there is no question that unlicensed devices operating in the 6 GHz band must protect existing operations. That is why Wi-Fi Alliance supports mandatory testing and certification of all [automated frequency coordination] systems prior to implementation in the 6 GHz frequency band.” The alliance proposed “a comprehensive set of regulatory parameters for AFC systems and recommended that AFC systems must demonstrate their ability to fully protect licensed incumbent fixed service links such as those used by electric utilities,” the group said: “One of the components of AFC certification will certainly be testing and evaluation -- processes the FCC has recently undertaken with respect to similar geo-location database-driven spectrum access solutions in the 3.5 GHz band.” Wi-Fi advocates see the 6 GHz band as critical to meeting growing demand for unlicensed spectrum (see 1906250015).

Drones can safely use the 960-1164 MHz and 5030-5091 MHz bands if they use spectrum access system (SAS) technology like that employed in the citizens broadband radio service band (see 1912270039), Federated told the FCC. Federated is an approved SAS administrator for CBRS. “SAS technology … readily adapts to other frequency bands and can be leveraged to maximize spectrum utilization while implementing incumbent protections and priority access regimes that address the unique characteristics of each band,” Federated said in docket 19-356, posted Friday. This sharing regime is made possible because “SAS technology is built upon a dynamic cloud-based database that ... provides real-time coordination and manages access on a protected basis for priority users while simultaneously supporting coexistence among secondary users.”

The FCC received comments through Monday asking that 3.3-3.5 GHz be retained for amateur use. Commissioners approved an NPRM 5-0 on clearing the 3.1-3.55 GHz band at their December meeting (see 1912120063). Amateur operators raised concerns before any comment deadline in docket 19-348. “Reallocating Amateur services out of the 3.3 and 3.5 GHz sub-band will have a detrimental effect on the operation of these networks and a negative impact on the agencies being served,” said Allison Hollier, member of a radio club that provides communications for a number of agencies in the Johnson County, Texas, area. “We’re doing good here with our own money and volunteers. Commercial industries have nothing but their own interests at heart.” Hollier said. Nita Sanders, an amateur operator in Florida, raised similar concerns. “This is the only available band to do experimental work in weather pulse radar,” she said. Several commenters noted the Amateur Radio Emergency Data Network (AREDN) uses 3.3-3.55 GHz band. “AREDN utilizes the … spectrum to provide a high-speed mesh data network that bridges the gap between government and non-government organizations,” said Scott Underwood, a California operator: “This network, which exists today, provides invaluable video situational awareness, voice, and data emergency communications. Through the use of FCC-licensed amateur radio operators, these technologies bridge our Government emergency operations centers with hospitals, school districts, transportation, disaster relief, and faith-based organizations.”

Comments are due Jan. 27, replies Feb. 11 on a petition seeking an FCC ruling that consumers have a right to revoke consent from receiving unwanted marketing text messages from carriers “at any time by any reasonable means; and that wireless providers must honor these revocation requests immediately” under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act. Petitioner Lucas “Cranor contends that, although cellular carriers are not required to obtain consent from their cellular subscribers prior to initiating autodialed calls or texts for which the subscriber is not charged, they must nevertheless honor requests to opt out of such communications,” the Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau said Friday in docket 02-278.

In a C-band clearing and transition, cable operators need to be eligible for funds to cover the cost of interconnecting existing earth station/headends with an earth station/super-headend or with a managed video service provider, or for some fiber-based means of video backhaul, America's Communications Association told FCC officials including Wireless Bureau Chief Donald Stockdale and Office of Economics and Analytics acting Chief Giulia McHenry, according to a docket 18-122 posting Friday. It said an initial C-band order should declare fiber is an acceptable use of MVPD earth station operator relocation funds and that MVPD earth station operators should be able to access these funds in advance of incurring their costs. It estimated the cost of using fiber to receive video programming over the next decade would be comparable to the cost of being repacked into a smaller portion of the C band -- $3.7 billion and $3.1 billion, respectively.

Microsoft representatives updated FCC Commissioners Brendan Carr and Jessica Rosenworcel on the company’s Rural Airband Initiative and “discussed how White Spaces technologies provide broadband access to underserved and rural Americans,” said a filing posted Tuesday in docket 18-295. The company sought action on its May request for a Further NPRM on the TV white spaces (see 1905030050). “We noted that adopting the proposals in the petition would expand rural broadband access, facilitate connected school buses and agricultural vehicles, advance the internet of things including precision agriculture, and support other connectivity solutions,” Microsoft said.

Southern Linc and Cellular South representatives asked the FCC Public Safety Bureau staff to grant Colorado's Boulder Regional Emergency Telephone Service Authority (BRETSA) petitions for declaratory ruling or rulemaking on interoperability on the FirstNet network. The BRETSA request has been controversial (see 1910150038). Grant of the declaratory ruling would be “an important milestone in prompting FirstNet to interoperate with communications systems used by public safety agencies,” the companies said in a filing posted Tuesday in docket 19-254: Approving an NPRM would “begin the process through which the Commission can establish clear interoperability standards for public safety communications systems. Without such standards, deployment of FirstNet across the country will lead to situations in which communications systems are no longer interoperable when they are needed most, especially during natural disasters and emergencies.”

Pivotal Commware got a partial for waiver of FCC industrial signal booster labeling requirements for its Echo 5G signal booster, despite opposition by AT&T and T-Mobile and other booster makers (see 1910080012). The Wireless Bureau noted the opposition in a Thursday order in docket 19-272. “We find that a limited waiver permitting the following alternate label is warranted,” the bureau said: “WARNING. This is not a CONSUMER device. This device may not be sold at retail. You MUST have an FCC LICENSE or express consent of an FCC Licensee (or express consent of your service provider) to operate this device. Antennas must be installed at least 20 cm (8 inches) from any person. Unauthorized use may result in significant forfeiture penalties, including penalties in excess of $100,000 for each continuing violation.” The bureau also imposed various conditions, including a requirement the device be obtained “exclusively from the FCC licensee that is the user’s service provider.”