Provisionally winning bids in the 28 GHz auction climbed to nearly $690 million Thursday. Of 3,072 licenses for sale, 2,938 have winning bids. The auction has two final bidding rounds Friday before going on hiatus until Jan. 3 (see 1812140018). The auction is the FCC’s first of high-band spectrum for 5G.

The GSMA welcomes the Arab Spectrum Management Group releasing use of 3.3-3.8 GHz to mobile broadband. It "will increase the availability of the right type of harmonised spectrum for 5G deployment across the Arab world and help accelerate ultra-fast 5G network rollouts in the region,” GSMA said Thursday. The ASMG represents 22 Arab countries and coordinates on spectrum management between Arab nations and the ITU’s World Radiocommunication Conference.

Members of the mmWave Coalition met staff to urge the FCC act on rules for bands above 95 GHz. “Wideband communications and THz spectroscopy uses above 95 GHz offer new opportunities not available in lower bands,” the group said Thursday in docket 18-21. “THz spectroscopy offers unique noncommunications short range sensing capabilities and is in actual use today even though regulatory status is ‘fuzzy.’” In February, commissioners approved 5-0 an NPRM on spectrum above 95 GHz for new services and technologies (see 1802220048). Julius Knapp, chief of the Office of Engineering and Technology, was among those who met with the group.

Chief Technology Officer Neville Ray said only T-Mobile is serious about rolling out 5G everywhere. “There’s a LOT of hype about 5G right now … and some real BS that’s being peddled,” Ray blogged Thursday. He took a shot at Verizon, the first to launch 5G with a fixed offering (see 1812180003). “Verizon’s intentions for 5G are for it to be only available in very limited areas,” he said. “They only use millimeter wave spectrum, which covers less than a square mile from each tower and gets blocked by doors, windows, walls, trees, cars. ... They’ll only provide 5G to a few small pockets of a few urban centers.” AT&T got slammed, too. It's "so worried about how limited their 5G footprint will be that they’ve renamed their existing LTE network ‘5G Evolution,” he said. “They’re calling their super limited mmW deployment ‘5G+.’ I’ve heard they even have plans to show a 5G network indicator for LTE on consumers’ devices to hide the fact that actual 5G will be scarce.” Verizon didn't comment. “We’ve said we’ll have nationwide 5G in 2020 on a network that includes both high- and low-band spectrum,” responded an AT&T spokesperson. “We’re live with standards-based, mobile 5G in a dozen markets and have announced the next cities as well. We’ve already announced that we’ll have three 5G devices by mid-2019 that use a mix of high- and low-band spectrum.”

Two-thirds of organizations plan to deploy 5G by 2020, and some will need 5G more quickly than many communications service providers can deliver it, a Gartner survey found. In the “short to medium term,” organizations wanting to “leverage” 5G for various uses won’t be able to “fully rely on 5G public infrastructure for delivery,” it said Tuesday. Of 185 organizations, IoT communications “remains the most popular target use case” for 5G, with 59 percent expecting 5G-capable networks to be widely used for that. The next most popular use case is video, chosen by 53 percent. For IoT communications, 5G “is uniquely positioned to deliver a high density of connected endpoints -- up to 1 million sensors per square kilometer,” said Gartner.

The FCC Public Safety Bureau extended until June the deadline for Long Beach, California, to build four channels needed for its 700 MHz trunked public safety network. The one-year extension serves "the underlying purpose of the rule governing extensions, which is to avoid spectrum hoarding but still provide an adequate time to construct a large, complex communications system,” said Wednesday's order. “The City has adequately explained the conditions which prevented it from completing construction by June 17, 2018.” The bureau also reinstated Yauco, Puerto Rico's license to use three VHF stations in its public safety network. The construction deadline was March 20 and the licenses were terminated when Yauco didn’t provide notification the stations were in operation. The city said problems caused by Hurricane Maria last year, “including damage to license records and the lack of electrical power,” meant it didn’t file on time.

The FCC Public Safety Bureau dismissed a petition for reconsideration from the Washington State Department of Transportation, after WDOT challenged termination of a public safety license for 934.625 MHz. The bureau said WDOT didn’t meet a Feb. 28 construction deadline. “WDOT may file a new, properly coordinated application for a license if it desires to use its previously licensed frequency,” said Wednesday's order. “If WDOT needs to operate while a new application is pending with the Commission, it may file a request for special temporary authority.” The bureau similarly dismissed recon petitions by Broward County, Florida, and Cromwell, Connecticut (see here and here). On Broward, four of the six licenses involved got an extension until Dec. 31.

A National Highway Traffic Safety Administration final rule streamlines application and review processes for self-driving vehicles. Manufacturers must petition to apply for temporary exemption if a proposed new vehicle doesn’t comply with federal motor vehicle safety standards, it announced. The rule eliminates a provision the agency deem a petition complete before publishing summary notices for comment. It's effective 30 days after Federal Register publication. Also Tuesday, the Department of Transportation sought comment on integration of vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communications technologies into transportation. It wants feedback, also 30 days after FR publication, on “issues ranging from the use of alternative and emerging communications technologies to support V2X, to the challenges associated with achieving interoperability while accommodating technological change.”

As the shipping window narrowed for pre-Christmas delivery Tuesday, manufacturers and carriers offered smartphone deals, we found in our review. Samsung stretched free delivery to orders over $50 placed by noon EST Thursday. It's offering up to $300 back for customers buying the Galaxy Note9 on AT&T, Sprint and Verizon networks ($699) and $200 off $799 for T-Mobile and U.S. Cellular customers. The S9 and S9+ also had deals. Target put the spotlight on discounted Apple products, offering a $100 gift card to customers buying the latest iPhone, the XR. Apple didn’t respond to questions on reports of lagging demand for the new model. The gift card requires new line activation and an upgrade on AT&T or Sprint. Verizon offered three promotions, adding six months of Apple Music for free in addition to the Target $100 card. After Amazon last week extended free in-time-for-Christmas shipping to Tuesday, it delayed the deadline to Thursday, it emailed.

Aviation interests raised concerns about protecting aviation systems adjacent to the 3-7-4.2 GHz C-band, meeting staff from the FCC Wireless and International bureaus and the Office of Engineering and Technology. Representatives of the Aerospace Industries Association, General Aviation Manufacturers Association, Aviation Spectrum Resources, Lockheed Martin, Airline Pilots Association, Helicopter Association International, Garmin, Collins Aerospace and International Air Transport Association attended. Industry representatives discussed "aviation industries’ concerns regarding harmful interference from potential new 5G applications in the … band to aviation systems operating in the adjacent 4200-4400 MHz band,” said a filing posted Tuesday in docket 18-122. AT&T, T-Mobile and the C-Band Alliance have made proposals for repurposing at least part of the band for wireless broadband, not just satellite (see 1812180042).