The Competitive Carriers Association told the FCC most members under waiver are working to implement real-time text as a substitute for the traditional text telephony (TTY) services used by those with hearing or speech disabilities. Commissioners approved an order on a common standard for the transition in December 2016 (see 1612150048). T-Mobile “successfully implemented RTT” on its 4G LTE network in 2017, CCA said. Cellular South say it “will initially deploy an application-based over-the-top RTT solution in order to meet the Commission’s transition deadline,” CCA said. “The remainder of CCA’s members are likewise committed to working alongside the FCC, policymakers, and other stakeholders to advance communications services that will result in alternative TTY solutions,” CCA said. “A carrier['s] ability to achieve RTT deployment and comply with the additional requirements … is largely dependent on other participants in the wireless ecosystem, including but not limited to standards bodies and Original Equipment Manufacturers.” CCA updated the FCC, posted Monday in docket 15-178.

T-Mobile Chief Technology Officer Neville Ray questioned how big a role millimeter-wave spectrum, as being deployed by Verizon and AT&T, will play in 5G. In a video Ray posted Monday, as someone from T-Mobile slides close a glass door, the high-band signal drops completely. Millimeter wave “has great potential in terms of speed and capacity, but it doesn’t travel far from the cell site and doesn’t penetrate materials at all,” he blogged. “It will never materially scale beyond small pockets of 5G hotspots in dense urban environments.” Ray also said Verizon’s first 5G markets suffer from more than propagation shortcomings. Customers pay an extra $10 a month and “coverage is very spotty and unreliable,” he said: “Verizon won’t publish a coverage map or acknowledge how limited their strategy really is, but people quickly found that Verizon’s 5G was awfully hard to find, barely available at the places it was promised to be available, dropping repeatedly to 4G and disappeared if they stepped into a building.” Verizon and AT&T didn't comment.

Smaller carriers are lining up against Verizon, which asked the FCC to let it adopt a temporary, 60-day lock on 4G LTE handsets to ensure bona fide customers are purchasing the handsets. Verizon faces special restrictions because of the rules for the 700 C-block spectrum the carrier bought at auction. “This targeted, 60-day period will enable Verizon to determine whether a new device was obtained by a legitimate customer who makes the first payment on that device and that the payment clears processing,” it replied, posted Monday in docket 06-150. “This is similar to, though narrower than, the locking practices of other large U.S. wireless carriers, except that unlike all other carriers Verizon will unlock the device automatically at the end of the 60-day period, regardless of whether the device has been fully paid off.” The Rural Wireless Association said the FCC should reject the request. “When the Commission adopted its open access requirements in the 700 MHz Order, including the handset locking rule, it did so based on a complete record and with clarity,” RWA said. T-Mobile and other carriers opposed Verizon in initial comments. “Rules governing devices using the 700 MHz C Block were adopted based on a record that leaves little doubt about what the Commission intended,” T-Mobile said.

Apple had 36 percent, Samsung 34 percent of U.S. smartphone activations in March, while Motorola (with 10 percent) stole share from LG (11 percent), Consumer Intelligence Research Partners reported. Smartphone brand share is more variable than mobile operating system share, noted CIRP's Mike Levin: Samsung has typically had the highest share, from 30-39 percent depending on product launch calendars from March 2015-March 2019, he said, while Apple share varied from 29 percent-40 percent. “The most notable trend has Motorola taking share from LG and threatening to take over third place in the smartphone market,” said the analyst.

Sprint laid out its stance on the 2.5 GHz band and educational broadband service (EBS), in a Tuesday meeting with an aide to FCC Commissioner Geoffrey Starks. A year ago, commissioners approved 4-0 an NPRM seeking proposals for changes to the band, including a possible incentive auction (see 1805100053). There's "strong support across both the EBS community and commercial interests for ‘rationalization’ of existing EBS licensees to county-based licenses and ... that critical step in licensing 2.5 GHz spectrum would both close operational gaps and lead to more rural deployment,” Sprint said in docket 18-120 filing Thursday. There's "continued criticality of its leased 2.5 GHz spectrum and its long-standing mutually beneficial partnership with the EBS community which has enhanced Sprint's current 4G LTE deployment and will enable its 5G mobile deployment in nine major markets in the first half of 2019.”

Microsoft officials said they met with Chief Julius Knapp and others from the FCC Office of Engineering and Technology about the need for further changes to the TV white spaces rules. Among changes the company seeks are increasing the maximum height above average terrain of fixed white space devices from 250 meters to 500 meters, increasing radiated power in less congested areas from 40 to 42 dBm, permitting geofenced fixed operations on moving platforms and promoting the narrowband IOT, said a filing posted Friday in docket 12-268. "These improvements are the product of Microsoft’s experience with White Spaces technology including input from device manufacturers and rural broadband providers, as well as extensive discussions with other stakeholders," the company said.

NTIA is reopening the period for seeking appointment to the FirstNet Board. The deadline was Thursday to file an expression of interest. That was extended until April 26, said a notice for Friday's Federal Register.

More will be known when the FCC releases a list of winning bidders in the 24 GHz auction, Citi’s Michael Rollins told investors late Wednesday. The clock phase of the auction ended Wednesday (see 1904170047). “The most significant takeaway is that bidders in the 24 GHz auction placed a higher value on spectrum that could be aggregated to form a contiguous block larger than 200 MHz,” Rollins said. Average spectrum price in markets with “greater competitive bidding intensity was in the range of 1.5-2.5 cents per MHz-POP," he said.

The Enterprise Wireless Alliance filed a petition for rulemaking requesting that the FCC designate 800 MHz guard band spectrum as “green space” for incumbent business/industrial and land transportation (B/ILT) licensees that may be required to vacate T-Band spectrum “and for certain 900 MHz incumbents whose narrowband systems may need to be moved to replacement frequencies as part of a transition to create a 900 MHz broadband opportunity.” EWA announced the petition Thursday in a news release. “B/ILT T-Band incumbents deserve recognition of their plight,” said EWA President Mark Crosby. “For whatever reason, the Middle-Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act did not even recognize their presence in the band, which places their wireless investments and operations at future peril. B/ILT licensees do not deserve to be an afterthought.”

A group including Dish Network, small carriers, public interest and consumer groups and labor unions sent a letter to DOJ Antitrust Division Chief Makan Delrahim Thursday asking the department to block the T-Mobile/Sprint deal. T-Mobile and Sprint, meanwhile, had a key meeting at the DOJ Thursday to discuss their proposed transaction, industry officials said. “If allowed to proceed, this transaction would consolidate the nation’s wireless market from four to just three carriers, lead to price increases for virtually all wireless customers, substantially raise wholesale rates for smaller wireless carriers, and cause significant job losses -- all while failing to deliver the promised benefits of accelerated 5G deployment or expanded rural coverage,” the letter argues. “The parties have had more than 11 months to make a convincing argument that their deal is in the public interest and that it will not harm competition. To date, they have failed to make this case.” Among those signing on are the AFL-CIO, Common Cause, Communications Workers of America, Consumer Reports, The Greenlining Institute, Incompas, New America’s Open Technology Institute, Next Century Cities, the Open Markets Institute, Public Knowledge, the Rural Wireless Association and the Wireless ISP Association. The companies didn't comment. "An honest review of the facts clearly shows that this merger is in the best interest of American consumers -- the New T-Mobile will deliver the nation’s best 5G network, create more competition and drive jobs growth," A T-Mobile spokesperson said in response: "This opposition group is clearly focused on maintaining a status quo that benefits them, instead of truly improving things for consumers. We are confident the transaction will be judged on its merits."