The FCC reconsidering denial of TerreStar's waiver (see 1711130052) would speed up making more spectrum available for wireless medical telemetry service, company officials told Chairman Ajit Pai, General Counsel Tom Johnson and Commissioner Brendan Carr, said a docket 16-290 posting Tuesday. Waiver would give channel 37 WMTS users another capacity option while alleviating congestion in the 1.4 GHz WMTS spectrum band, it said. It would create an interference-free environment for WMTS spectrum that doesn't have the adjacent and co-channel interference threats associated with channel 37 and allow more use of the 1300-1390 MHz spectrum. The company seeks waiver of a requirement it show substantial service for all its paired 1392-1395 and 1432-1435 MHz and unpaired 1390-1392 MHz band licenses by April 23; it wants to use the spectrum instead for wireless medical telemetry.

Facilitate broadband deployment by clarifying FCC rules limiting local authority over broadband infrastructure work apply to deployment of new or replacement equipment on existing towers and base stations and requiring cost-base fees for eligible facilities requests, the Wireless Infrastructure Association petitioned for declaratory ruling and for rulemaking in docket 17-79 Tuesday. "Rectify an unnecessary barrier to broadband deployment due to the divergent treatment of compound expansions around wireless facilities,” WIA announced. The petition for declaratory ruling said a shot clock should begin with applicants seeking local authorization and should bar conditional approvals. “Action on these petitions will help expedite the siting process so that the U.S. can continue to lead the world in wireless innovation,” said David Weisman, WIA chairman.

The full 1200 MHz of the 6 GHz band should be opened to unlicensed use, though coexistence between indoor low-power Wi-Fi and indoor broadcast auxiliary services and low-power auxiliary stations needs to be worked out, NCTA, Charter, Comcast and Cox representatives told an aide to FCC Chairman Ajit Pai, per a docket 18-295 posting Monday. Cablers said low-power indoor use of the 6 GHz sub-bands doesn't require automated frequency coordination (AFC). They seek light-touch AFC rules focused on protecting incumbents, and not requiring staged AFC deployment, specifying funding means or deciding if AFC should be centralized or decentralized. On C-band clearing and protecting uplink operations there, the industry discussed an antenna restriction for outdoor access points akin to what the agency adopted for the U-NII-1 band to limit aggregate noise at C-band uplink receivers. The cable reps opposed a cap on aggregate interference.

Bosch said CTIA makes no new arguments beyond what's in an FCC spectrum horizons high-band order on why the regulator shouldn't reverse its refusal to make available for U.S. unlicensed use the internationally harmonized 123-140 GHz. The company "seeks a single addition to, but no other modification" to the 2019 order. Other than 120-123 GHz, the rules didn't make such a big swath available, the automotive technology manufacturer replied to the association's opposition. The company said applications could include object detection; vehicle driver state sensors; gesture control and recognition for inside vehicles; home automation systems; and high-resolution obstacle detection for industrial robots in the millimeter-wave range. Also consider, here or separately and soon, OK'ing ultra-wideband device operation (see 1908190029) including around 122 GHz, the company asked in docket 18-21. The mmWave Coalition backed CTIA's concerns on not changing the "compromise path" of creating four unlicensed bands and an experimental license for above 95 GHz. "Bosch’s use of 'internationally harmonized spectrum'" apparently refers to longstanding ITU "general allocations for various radio services rather than services rules for more detailed use," said the coalition, which includes Global Foundries, Keysight Technologies, National Instruments, Nokia and NYU Wireless, in a filing posted Tuesday: "Create transparent rules for short range large bandwidth unlicensed sensors in spectrum above 95 GHz at much lower powers than the Commission authorized in the initial unlicensed bands." CTIA declined to comment now, beyond its Aug. 15 opposition.

Zens announced a wireless charger with 16 overlapping charging coils, which it said gives owners of Qi-based devices “complete freedom of placement.” Users can position two Qi-based devices anywhere on a charging pad, it said.

The FCC Wireless Bureau issued a protective order for confidential and proprietary information filed in the C-band proceeding, said an order posted Monday in docket 18-122.

For Ford to put cellular vehicle-to-everything in all new models starting in 2022, it asked the FCC chief for the agency to soon OK a 5G Automotive Association waiver request (see 1906260062) for C-V2X operations in the 5.9 GHz band. Approving 5GAA's request "would help remove the most significant regulatory roadblock standing in the way" of stakeholders deploying C-V2X, Ford said representatives including Chief Government Relations Officer Mitch Bainwol told agency Chairman Ajit Pai. As regions worldwide seek to facilitate "deployment of C-V2X, a grant of 5GAA’s waiver request would help improve the global competitiveness" of the U.S. "while ensuring American consumers have access to the same modern safety technologies," the company said, posted Monday in docket 18-357. Bainwol used to run RIAA.

Apple and Samsung fraudulently market their smartphones “as emitting less RF radiation than that set by law and as being completely safe to carry and use on or in close proximity to the human body,” alleged a complaint (in Pacer) in U.S. District Court in San Jose Friday seeking class-action status. “Recent testing” found that the “potential exposure for an owner carrying the phone in a pants or shirt pocket was over the exposure limit, sometimes far exceeding it -- in some instances by 500 percent,” it said. The complaint relies on tests the FCC-accredited RF Exposure Lab did on 12 smartphone models for the Chicago Tribune in the past year. The iPhone X and iPhone 8 emitted RF radiation “above the federal limit of 1.6W/kg,” it said. “When tested at 2 millimeters, the Samsung Galaxy S8 exceeded the federal limit by more than 500 percent.” The Tribune published results Aug. 21, reporting the FCC was investigating. Apple and Samsung “have failed to take steps to prevent this excessive RF radiation exposure” or to warn the public, the complaint said: The companies are guilty of negligence, breach of warranty, consumer fraud and unjust enrichment. Plaintiffs seek “actual damages, the costs of medical monitoring, restitution and injunctive relief.” Apple and Samsung didn’t respond to emails. Also Monday, an FCC spokesperson declined comment.

CEO Issa Asad and other Q Link executives met with FCC Commissioner Mike O’Rielly, aides to Chairman Ajit Pai and Commissioner Geoffrey Starks, and Wireline Bureau staff on a pending petition by CTIA, the National Consumer Law Center and others to pause December implementation of Lifeline minimum service standards, pending a market study. “Q Link is part of a wide and deep coalition of stakeholders supporting the Joint Petition’s request to pause any increases in the mobile broadband minimum service standard and to retain full Lifeline support for standalone voice and voice-centric bundles until the Commission can study the impact of such changes on access to and affordability of Lifeline services for low-income consumers and report on such findings,” it filed, posted Friday in docket 17-287. “Failure to grant the Joint Petition would result in less broadband for Lifeline subscribers.”

An IEEE committee supported Bosch's petition for an FCC "early” and ”comprehensive” review of Part 15, Subpart F regulations on ultra-wideband devices and systems (see 1907190010). The petition has gotten mostly a favorable response (see 1908190029). The IEEE 802 Local Area Networks/Municipal Area Networks Standards Committee noted that when the FCC approved UWB rules in 2002, it characterized them as “ultra-conservative” and said it planned to review them over time. “Extensive industry experience now confirms the characterization by the Commission,” the IEEE committee said in RM-11844: “UWB has been widely used and proven to cause no harmful interference.”