Commissioners OK'd proposing fines against IOU Acquisitions and Air-Tel for allegedly using radiolocation service (RLS) licenses in the 3300-3650 MHz band for other unauthorized purposes. “Over the course of several years, the Companies apparently used these licenses not to provide RLS service, but rather to provide an unauthorized wireless data transmission service in the same band,” said Friday's FCC order. “The Companies apparently did so by intentionally altering the settings of wireless equipment to operate outside of authorized frequency bands. The Companies did not cease providing their unauthorized service until after the Commission commenced an investigation.” Staff proposed a penalty of $207,290 against IOU and $327,290 against Air-Tel. The Colorado-based companies didn’t comment. Staff said they launched an investigation in April 2017 after a complaint.

Carriers pitched 5G with day one of Apple iPhone Xs and Xs Max smartphone (see 1809120055) preorders, even though Apple isn’t expected to have a 5G-capable phone before 2020. Apple headlined the Super Retina screen, including the "largest display ever” on an iPhone, faster Face ID, the A12 Bionic chip, the dual camera system and improved water resistance. AT&T, Sprint and Verizon led with preorder options for the iPhones and the Apple Watch Series 4, due to ship Friday, and gave Oct 19 preorder and Oct. 26 availability dates for the iPhone XR. Retailers got in on it, too. AT&T Wireless featured unlimited data and streaming media add-ons. The carrier also mentioned its introduction of mobile 5G “on the horizon,” saying it’s expected to be available in 12 cities this year and at least 19 in early 2019. After promoting its 5G service, AT&T said the iPhone Xs and Xs Max are using AT&T’s LTE-LAA network technologies, capable of offering a “theoretical peak speed of up to 1 gigabit per second” in 15 markets “and counting.” Verizon summarizing the week's news listed preorders for iPhone Xs and Xs Max last in a series of company news items behind 5G and Hurricane Florence (see 1809140037) updates. “THIS IS BIG. 5G is here” took top billing. The company noted the world’s first commercial 5G service launches Oct. 1 and that it began taking preorders for 5G Home in Houston, Indianapolis, Los Angeles and Sacramento at FirstOn5G.com. Sprint and T-Mobile, seeking government OK to combine, also had promotions here and here. Fifth-generation was much discussed at conferences last week on both coasts: 1809140023 and 1809130043.

FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr will be in Arizona Friday to meet with local leaders about “the smart infrastructure policies they are putting in place to pave the way for next-gen connectivity and opportunity in communities” across the state, his office said. In Gilbert, Carr will meet with Mayor Jenn Daniels “who has helped her community be one of the first in Arizona to streamline the deployment of small cells, which are the building blocks of 5G,” said a news release.

Verizon got FCC permission to run tests using the 3.5 GHz citizens broadband radio service band in Manhattan, Brooklyn and other locations in New York. “Field tests will be conducted in a production network, in a highly controlled field environment, in order to assist in the development of commercial products,” Verizon said. “The testing will benefit the public interest by enabling the pre-commercial testing of new products outside of a lab environment but in a controlled and managed manner.” Verizon said it wants to look at radio propagation characteristics of 3.5 GHz for outdoor installations, end-to-end CBRS architecture and of inter-band carrier aggregation between 3.5 GHz and licensed bands.

The FCC Wireless Bureau Thursday froze applications for new or expanded use of 900 MHz band frequencies, effective immediately. The bureau noted it sought comment in an August 2017 notice of inquiry on the future of the band (see 1708070043). The NOI looks at whether “any rule changes may be appropriate to improve spectrum efficiency or expand flexibility in the 900 MHz band in order to better serve private land mobile radio users’ current and future communications needs,” the bureau said. “The purpose of this freeze is to preserve the current landscape of authorized operations in the 900 MHz band pending Commission action as part of its ongoing inquiry into potential rule changes to promote next generation technologies and services in the band.” The docket is 17-200.

Macro towers, not just small cells, remain critical to wireless deployment, American Tower executives said in a meeting with an aide to Commissioner Mike O’Rielly. The American Tower officials said the FCC should add language on the importance of macro towers to the wireless infrastructure item slated for a commissioner vote Sept. 26 (see 1809110030). “Some local governments have a mistaken belief that existing macro towers may no longer be necessary in light of the coming deployment of small cells,” the two company officials said Thursday in docket 17-79. “This viewpoint might inadvertently be bolstered by the Draft Order’s emphasis on the anticipated extent of small cell deployments without also indicating the important role that macro towers play in increasingly heterogeneous network configurations.”

Mobile shopping will dominate the upcoming holiday season, delivering 68 percent of all e-commerce traffic, Salesforce reported. For the first time, more orders and visits to e-commerce sites will be made on phones -- 46 percent -- than on any other device. Mobile traffic will peak on Christmas Eve, the software maker said Wednesday. Eighty-three percent of shoppers ages 18-44 say they use phones to shop while in a store, said analyst Rick Kenney.

Sprint said Wednesday it's launching a new version of its plug-and-play “small cell,” the Sprint Magic Box Generation 3. Sprint first launched its Magic Box last year for homes and small businesses (see 1705030046). The new version offers speeds “up to 25 percent faster than the previous model, with an even quicker start-up process,” Sprint said. “The smaller footprint and improved antenna provides customers more location flexibility without the need to place the device directly in a window." It will be available by year-end, Sprint said.

The Federal Railroad Administration is making available at least $46 million for positive train control systems grants, said a notice in Wednesday's Federal Register. This is the balance of the $250 million PTC Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements Program that remained after selections were announced in August. “This expedited solicitation will provide commuter and intercity railroads an additional opportunity to request grant funds for positive train control,” FRA Administrator Ronald Batory said. “By reissuing these funds, FRA is showing our continued commitment to work with railroads and suppliers in fully implementing PTC.” Applications are due 5 p.m. EDT on Oct. 12

Wireless Infrastructure Association CEO Jonathan Adelstein met with FCC Chairman Ajit Pai and Commissioner Michael O’Rielly to urge approval of the infrastructure item scheduled for a vote at the Sept. 26 commissioners’ meeting. “Continue streamlining the wireless broadband siting process to enhance capacity on 4G networks and spur the deployment of next-generation 5G,” the group said in docket 17-79. WIA members face problems applying for eligible facilities requests (EFRs) under Section 6409 of the Spectrum Act, the group said. “Such hurdles include jurisdictions refusing to issue permits (such as building and highway permits for right-of-way work) to construct EFRs that have been ‘deemed granted,’ abusing the exception for concealment modifications, denying the applicability of Section 6409 to their siting process, placing improper conditions on permits, forcing providers to agree to contractual prohibitions against use of EFRs, and using ‘amortization’ requirements to evade EFRs." American Tower officials supported the order, meeting Wireless Bureau staff. It “welcomed the Draft Order’s provisions preserving local governments’ ability to address aesthetic concerns, its adoption of shorter shot clocks for small wireless facilities and its codification and clarification of Section 332 shot clocks applicable to small cells and macro sites,” the company said.