The Wireless Infrastructure Association pressed for changes to infrastructure rules (see 1910030017), in meetings with aides to FCC Chairman Ajit Pai and Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel. “WIA discussed the applicability of the Spectrum Act to state and local authorities, and the need for the Commission to harmonize its rules to allow for limited compound expansions when collocating or replacing equipment on existing towers,” the group said in docket 19-250, posted Tuesday: “These reforms will help improve public safety, and they will help speed deployments and 5G upgrades.”

Wilson Electronics urged FCC Wireless Bureau staff to adopt criteria that would allow use of consumer signal boosters (CSBs) in spectrum being opened for 5G. “CSBs can play a significant role in the rollout of new 5G networks” and should be permitted in the 600 MHz and 2.5 GHz bands “which will assist carriers in densifying their early 5G networks,” Wilson said, posted Tuesday in docket 10-4. Wilson said high-frequency bands “present propagation challenges that can be overcome with the use of CSBs.” It said the FCC should act to eliminate the personal-use exemption for small businesses, as it has for residences (see 1806190052). “Affordable CSBs provide the best solution for improved in-building cellular connectivity for most small businesses" in the U.S., the booster maker said.

Tech companies met staff from the FCC Office of Engineering and Technology on the 6 GHz band, making their ongoing case (see 1907220026) the agency should authorize use of the band indoors without automated frequency control. The issue loomed large when the regulator took comment earlier this year (see 1903180047). New information “supplements the proceeding’s already deep record demonstrating that the introduction of [radio local access network] devices into the 6 GHz band will not cause harmful interference to FS [fixed service] links,” the companies filed, posted Tuesday in docket 18-295: “The effect of RLAN devices on fixed-service receivers, even accounting for rare deep-fade events, is minimal and does not rise to the level of harmful interference.” Apple, Broadcom, Charter Communications, Cisco, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Marvell Semiconductor, Qualcomm and the Wireless ISP Association sent representatives.

Seventy percent of developers worldwide expect 5G to “dominate” in their nations within the next two years, found Evans Data’s survey. In North America, 80 percent developers of developers said 5G will dominate in two years. In the Europe, Middle East and Africa region, 32 percent predict 5G dominance within a year.

We found high demand for the iPhone 11 Saturday, in canvassing stores. At the West 14th Street Apple store, we could play with demonstration models of the three series 11 iPhones but were told we would have to join a line of more than 30 customers hoping to score one from dwindling inventory. A screen shot of other Apple Store locations in the New York area showed the model we were looking for -- a 256 GB iPhone Pro in midnight green was sold out in six locations -- while supplies were in low single-digit in three more. The salesperson cautioned that a yellow icon with an exclamation point next to stores likely meant “by the time you’d get there, they’d be gone.” At a Verizon Wireless authorized retailer, the only 11s were waiting for customer pickup. We were told there we could order the 11 Pro and pick it up in six days. We called a Verizon company store and were told the green version of the 11 Pro would be back in stock in November. That store had only the base 11 model in stock, opposite of what larger trends showed. Shortages in New York focused on the higher-end models, we found. Apple didn’t respond Monday to questions. Before Apple's Thursday launch of the iPhone 11 trio, analysts predicted little customer interest in the latest series because the handsets aren't 5G-capable (see 1909100068).

Commercial mobile service providers may join an end-to-end wireless emergency alert test by the El Segundo, California, Office of Emergency Management, the FCC Public Safety Bureau decided Monday. El Segundo plans an Oct. 17 test, 10-10:30 a.m. PDT. The FCC conditioned the waiver on adequate public outreach. The test “will enable the city to test its emergency operations plan, earthquake plans, and crisis communications plan and … help it to better understand the capabilities and geographic range of WEA to further integrate its mass notification systems,” as required by state law, the bureau said. Also, the bureau cleared mobile providers to participate in a WEA test by the Virgin Islands Territorial Emergency Management Agency (VITEMA) on Oct. 17 at 9 a.m. throughout the U.S. Virgin Islands. The test "will be helpful and timely as VITEMA navigates hurricane season, particularly in light of the severe damage caused to the U.S. Virgin Islands by hurricanes in 2017," the bureau said.

The GPS Innovation Alliance met with FCC Office of Engineering and Technology Chief Julius Knapp and others at OET on the group’s objections to Bosch saying the FCC should launch an "early” and ”comprehensive” review of Part 15, Subpart F regulations on ultra-wideband devices and systems (see 1907190010). GIPSA previously stated its concerns (see 1909040045). “The rule changes proposed in the Petition would eliminate important interference protections for GPS that were developed as a result of a rigorous public process that included extensive technical studies and analyses,” said a filing in RM-11844: “The Petition does not provide sufficient facts, data or analysis to justify a substantial revision of the rules and does not adequately address how interference to GPS would be mitigated.”

The FCC said 39 companies filed short-form applications to bid in the auction of high-band spectrum in the upper 37, 39 and 47 GHz bands, which starts Dec. 10. Among those with complete applications are T-Mobile and U.S. Cellular and numerous smaller carriers, including Blue Ridge Wireless, East Kentucky Network, Horry Telephone Co-op and Alaska Wireless Network. The FCC said 10 companies filed short-form applications deemed incomplete. They include Docomo Pacific, Nsight Spectrum, Union Telephone Company, Windstream Services and Zebra Microsystems. The Office of Economics and Analytics and the Wireless Bureau released the public notice Monday. Those filing incomplete applications have until Oct. 22 to address deficiencies. Upfront payments are due that same day. In the initial high-band auctions, Verizon, U.S. Cellular and T-Mobile were the big bidders in the 28 GHz auction, AT&T and T-Mobile in the 24 GHz auction (see 1906030063).

T-Mobile and Sprint likely have a better chance of prevailing in the state challenge to their deal than an objective legal analysis would suggest, New Street’s Blair Levin told investors this weekend. The broader deal with DOJ includes the sale of assets to Dish Network so it can launch a wireless competitor. “Underneath the legal framework is a question that we believe the judge will constantly be asking himself: are American consumers better off in the long-run with the proposed DISH and T-Mobile business plans or are they better off with Sprint going through some kind of unspecified financial restructuring, sale of assets, and other business moves?” Levin wrote. T-Mobile CEO John Legere and Dish Chairman Charlie Ergen will be “compelling witnesses for the former,” Levin said: “To the best of our knowledge, there will not be any businesspersons arguing in detail for the latter. That asymmetry, we believe, will be a major dynamic in the trial and the key reason we see the odds as closer than traditional antitrust analysis would suggest.” A trial on the case against the deal by state attorneys general starts Dec. 9 in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York (see 1909300033). The FCC, meanwhile, approved a waiver Monday allowing Sprint to bid in the December auction of high-band spectrum in the upper 37, 39 and 47 GHz bands. T-Mobile earlier got a similar waiver (see 1908270033). The FCC dismissed as moot waiver requests by the two carriers and Dish of the same rules for the related asset sale agreement among the three companies. The Office of Economics and Analytics and Wireless Bureau said in docket 19-59 that waiver isn’t necessary.

Alaska’s Arctic Slope Telephone Association Cooperative agreed to pay a $45,000 fine and implement a compliance plan to end an investigation of alleged violations of tower safety rules, the FCC said Friday. The company failed to do daily inspections of lights on three of its antenna structures and didn’t display the correct antenna structure registration number (ASR) at the base of one of its towers, the Enforcement Bureau said. “Failing to inspect antenna structure lighting undermines the Commission’s duty to ensure that towers do not pose a threat to air safety,” it said: “Failing to display the correct ASR number exacerbates this problem by diminishing the Commission’s ability to identify the antenna structure owner when attempting to remedy lighting outages.”