The National Association of Tower Erectors' Women of NATE met FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr on “broadening nationwide telecom career path opportunities, workforce development and training, growth of women in technology, and the opportunities afforded,” said a Wednesday release. The group also discussed tower safety.

Qualcomm took the wraps off its Snapdragon 855 mobile platform for 5G wireless networks. The platform supports 5G for sub-6 GHz and millimeter-wave bands, it said. The 802.11ay-based platform supports up to 10 Gbps Wi-Fi and beefs up support for TrueWireless Stereo Plus for headset and hearables by optimizing for low latency between left and right earbuds. Lower power consumption allows longer listening time between battery charges. Phones for the first time can play back HDR10+ content, and improved H.265 and VP9 decoding efficiencies will enable longer viewing times per charge, it said. Video capture supports 4K 60 HDR10, HDR10+ and Hybrid Log Gamma with portrait mode (bokeh), 10-bit color depth and Rec. 2020 color gamut. Chipsets are sampling with commercial availability slated for first half 2019.

AT&T will have a 50 percent increase in the capacity of its wireless network in 2019, driven by the FirstNet build, AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson said Tuesday at a UBS conference. FirstNet is already available in one one-third of the U.S., he said. “I have really, really high expectations in terms of what [FirstNet] does for our 5G deployment, what it does for network quality and capacity over the next few months and then just a new business market for us.” Stephenson also expressed excitement over AT&T’s pending deployment of 5G. “I'm probably about as energized about 5G as any technology innovation that we've ever deployed,” he said.

United Parcel Service supported a petition by Aviation Spectrum Resources asking the FCC to allow aeronautical operational control communications (CPDLC) in the lower 136 MHz band (see 1810170021). The change would support the FAA’s move to next-generation communications, UPS said: “NextGen promises a long list of public benefits, including increased flight safety, reduced flying time, reduced fuel consumption and reduced emissions.” Collins Aerospace also commented in support. ASR noted the petition received unanimous support, including from the Air Line Pilots Association, Delta Airlines, Frontier Airlines, Harris and JetBlue. The filings were posted Tuesday and Wednesday in RM-11818.

A court revised briefing dates for tribal challenges to a March wireless infrastructure order in United Keetoowah Band v. FCC, No. 18-1129. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit Tuesday granted (in Pacer) a Natural Resources Defense Council motion, making NRDC and United Keetoowah Band petitioners' replies due Jan. 11, Blackfeet Tribe Jan. 14. The respondents' brief remained due Wednesday (the FCC closed to honor the late President George H.W. Bush) and the joint brief for their supporting intervenors remains due Monday, the court noted (in Pacer).

Dish Network and the Communication Workers of America separately told the FCC that nothing in a revised economic model for T-Mobile buying Sprint should lead to approval (see 1810150031), in redacted filings posted Wednesday in docket 18-197. “Five months after their Public Interest Statement was filed and subsequent to the end of the comment cycle in this proceeding, the Applicants now have come forward with a completely new merger simulation model prepared by a new group of economists,” CWA said: “The merger will not increase employment, will not result in better service to rural America, is not justified by Sprint’s alleged competitive weakness, and is not necessary for the rollout of advanced 5G services.” Dish said, “Like the Applicants’ previous economic analysis, this new and belated effort fails.” The FCC’s informal 180-day clock resumed Tuesday at day 55. T-Mobile Chief Financial Officer Braxton Carter said at a UBS conference Tuesday the companies have filed more than 25 million pages of documentation at DOJ. “We are extremely respectful of the process” and have tried to keep it nonpolitical, Carter said. The companies’ econometric model was “in the SEC's own words … the most intensive and complicated model that they've ever seen,” he said. The model demonstrates that combing the networks will mean an eight-fold increase in capacity and 15-fold increase in speeds “versus what either of us could do on a standalone basis, creating a truly differentiated 5G experience here in the U.S.,” he said.

Two groups asked the FCC to waive requirements that 3650-3700 MHz licensees complete the transition to Part 96 citizens broadband radio service rules by April 17, 2020. "In light of the delays in opening the 3550-3700 MHz band for commercial service under the CBRS rules and the uncertainty created by the subsequent and ongoing rulemaking proceeding, Licensees will require more time," petitioned the Wireless ISP Association and the Utilities Technology Council, posted Monday in docket 18-353. They requested extension through Jan. 8, 2023, when "the last 3650-3700 MHz license expires."

Mobility Fund Phase II challengers submitted data for 20.8 million broadband speed tests in 37 states and certified challenges to grid cells containing 122,980 square kilometers presumptively ineligible for support before the process closed Nov. 27, said an FCC public notice in docket 10-208 and Tuesday's Daily Digest. It said 21 entities submitted and certified valid challenges. A window for responses will be announced later.

The FCC Public Safety Bureau granted waiver to the Virginia Department of Emergency Management for wireless emergency alert tests in Williamsburg, Newport News and several counties within range of two power stations (see 1811300008). The order conditions waiver on full implementation of outreach described by VDEM.

C Spire urged the FCC to reject T-Mobile buying Sprint, it said Monday in docket 18-197 on a meeting with an aide to Chairman Ajit Pai. T-Mobile wrongly says C Spire made false claims about refusing to meet (see 1811200040), C Spire said. “Serious concerns about the negative competitive impacts of the Proposed Transaction have been exacerbated by the refusal of T-Mobile to meet with C Spire in the period since the Petition was filed." Rules don’t prevent the companies from negotiating agreements or settling differences, it said. T-Mobile is spreading a “false narrative that it has been a cooperative roaming partner,” said C Spire, saying it roams there only “because of the lack of a reasonable alternative in the respective geographic area, not because the T-Mobile offering is fair and competitive.” If the FCC OKs the deal, require fair and reasonable wholesale roaming and MVNO agreements, C Spire asked. T-Mobile didn't comment Tuesday.