Competitive carrier Smith Bagley Inc. asked the FCC to investigate data Verizon submitted for the FCC’s move to decide which parts of the U.S. are eligible for support under the Mobility Fund II program. “SBI would not be making this request if Verizon’s data had any colorable claim of accuracy, but the fact is that Verizon’s data submission glaringly, systematically, and implausibly overstates the extent to which Verizon is currently delivering 5 Mbps 4G LTE broadband in SBI’s Tribal and rural service areas,” SBI said, posted Thursday in docket 10-90. It said Verizon’s data raises concerns about the challenge process for truly unserved areas. Verizon didn't comment.

The annual global economic value of Wi-Fi is $1.96 trillion, with projections it will pass $3.47 trillion by 2023, a report commissioned by the Wi-Fi Alliance found, the group said Tuesday. In the U.S., Wi-Fi contributes $499 billion, to climb to $993 billion by 2023, it said.

Ericsson CEO Borje Ekholm, Ericsson North America CEO Niklas Heuveldop and other top executives met last week with FCC Chairman Ajit Pai to express support for many of his policies. “Given the need for hundreds of thousands of new base stations expected in the U.S., reducing the time involved in tower siting is critical for maintaining the lead in 5G,” said a filing posted Wednesday in docket 14-177. The company said an order scuttling 2015 net neutrality rules “clears away a cloud of uncertainty over network slicing, a key component of 5G.”

The Rural Wireless Association supports the FCC draft order on the 3.5 GHz citizens broadband radio service band "that would employ county-based license sizes for PALs in the 3.5 GHz CBRS auction, and believes that the use of county-based license sizes will allow rural providers to participate in the 3.5 GHz auction for Priority Access Licenses,” RWA said Tuesday in docket 17-258. “The choice of counties plus the inclusion of a 15 percent rural service provider bidding credit acknowledges the needs and realities of wireless broadband customers in rural America and will ensure that PALs remain affordable and accessible to the small, rural providers.”

Headed into the World Radiocommunication Conference next year, the U.S. needs support of nations in its region, FCC Chairman Ajit Pai told the International Institute of Communications in Mexico City Wednesday. “On some issues, like spectrum, we simply cannot go it alone,” Pai said. “The Americas region continues to steadily advance regional proposals for the WRC-19. We are also deeply focused on the upcoming ITU Plenipotentiary Conference. We will need to work together to set the course for the future work of the ITU.” Pai highlighted FCC work he said is cutting unnecessary regulation and making spectrum available for 5G. On infrastructure, the FCC’s goal is simple, Pai said: “We will not let today’s red tape strangle the 5G future. That’s why the FCC has reformed its wireless infrastructure rules, and why we’ll keep doing so.”

The FCC Wednesday released the names of companies that filed applications to bid in the agency’s first high-band auctions. Among those with applications to bid in the 28 GHz auction, which will occur first, are AT&T Spectrum Frontiers, Verizon, T-Mobile, U.S. Cellular, Frontier Communications and Windstream. AT&T, Verizon Wireless, Cox, Starry Spectrum Holdings, T-Mobile, U.S. Cellular and Windstream headline those with applications to bid in the 24 GHz auction, which will follow.

The NFC Forum announced Tuesday publication of four adopted specifications. Connection Handover Technical Specification 1.4 lets users define additional specific services when two devices are paired using other wireless communications technologies including Bluetooth or WLAN by a tap of an NFC-enabled device while the Personal Health Device Communication spec 1.2 defines the exchange of ISO/IEEE 11073 messages used for personal healthcare devices, it said. Updates were made to NFC Digital Protocol spec 2.1 and NFC Controller Interface spec 2.1, it said.

Verizon said it's working with Mutualink to offer improved interoperability for public safety communicators. It's "compatible with virtually any device and network, based on a software centric model," the carrier said Tuesday. Verizon seeks to maintain its first responder market position as FirstNet and AT&T campaign for customers (see 1808070037).

Air-Tel plans to appeal an FCC Wireless Bureau denial of a company petition for reconsideration of GPS as a radiolocation service (see 1810050030), outside counsel David Kaufman of Rini O'Neil emailed Monday.

Members of the WiMAX Forum asked the FCC to act on an NPRM proposing aeronautical mobile airport communications system rules. “Momentum ... continues to build for AeroMACS, including recent deployments in China, Portugal, and Brazil,” said a filing in RM-11793 on a Friday meeting with Rachael Bender, aide to Chairman Ajit Pai. “In China, for example, three airlines are currently using AeroMACS in the cockpit, and Aviation Data Communications Corporation recently announced plans to connect thirty Chinese airports with AeroMACS by 2019.”