Apple ranks highest in customer satisfaction among suppliers of smartwatches, and Samsung holds the same distinction in fitness-band devices, J.D. Power said in two reports released Tuesday. They measure overall satisfaction with smartwatches and fitness trackers among a total canvass of about 6,000 consumers who bought one or both of those devices in the past 12 months, said the researcher. Overall customer satisfaction with smartwatches is 847 (on a scale of 1,000), it said. But nearly two in 10 indicated having experienced one or more problems with their smartwatch, with short battery life as the leading complaint, it said: “When customers experience one or more problems with their smartwatch, there is a significant 21-point drop in overall satisfaction.” Overall customer satisfaction with fitness band devices across all brands is 829 on a scale of 1,000, it said. Ease of use (cited by 48 percent of consumers) in the main purchase consideration in choosing a particular brand of fitness tracker, followed by price (40 percent), brand reputation (38 percent) and positive reviews (36 percent), it said.

The FCC should take into account the benefits to competition of innovative offerings by competitive carriers, as the agency prepares its annual report on competition in mobile (see 1606010023), T-Mobile said in a letter to Wireless Bureau Chief Jon Wilkins. T-Mobile said it has rolled out numerous innovative programs in a series of “uncarrier” initiatives, and its larger competitors have noticed and in some cases followed. The FCC should be “mindful of actions that might inhibit or limit the ability of competitors like T-Mobile to offer innovative products and services to consumers,” the carrier said. “Development of original and creative consumer offerings that result in tangible benefits for consumers should be encouraged, not stymied by theoretical concerns. As history has shown us, adopting pro-competitive policies that encourage innovation will benefit not only T-Mobile customers, but all consumers throughout the mobile wireless market.” The letter in docket 16-137 didn't mention T-Mobile’s zero-rated Binge On offering, the subject of an FCC probe (see 1604260054).

The FCC spectrum frontiers order, set for a vote Thursday, is critical for 5G, but the FCC could still get things wrong if it’s not careful, wrote Gregory Vogt, visiting fellow at the Free State Foundation. FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler “decided to propose proceeding to an allocation of additional spectrum without further study on how 5G is to be deployed in the U.S.,” Vogt wrote Monday. “This is a wise market-oriented decision that is somewhat uncharacteristic of the current Administration and FCC.” But Vogt said the commission still could move in the wrong direction. The agency “should be cautious” that its work is not “undermined by (1) failing to move rapidly to an auction and actual deployment; (2) maintaining unworkable spectrum sharing arrangements; or (3) manipulating the auction procedures or spectrum screens that skew competition,” he said.

The FCC World Radiocommunication Conference Advisory Committee plans its opening meeting Aug. 2 at 11 a.m. in the FCC Commission Meeting Room, said a public notice. The next WRC is scheduled for 2019. The WRC last met in November in Geneva. “The Advisory Committee’s objective is to provide the FCC with advice, technical support and recommended proposals for the WRC-19,” the FCC said Friday. “At its initial meeting, the Advisory Committee will consider formation of its Informal Working Groups (IWGs), assignment of WRC-19 agenda items to the IWGs, scheduling and other organizational matters.”

CTIA President Meredith Baker met with all five FCC members to lay out the group’s concerns headed into Thursday commissioner meeting, which will consider the spectrum frontiers order, said a filing in docket 14-177. “CTIA expressed support for moving forward to make the 28, 37, 39, and 64-71 GHz bands available to support innovative 5G and Internet of Things technologies,” the filing said. “CTIA urged the Commission to adopt policies that prioritize licensed, exclusive use spectrum and provide the flexibility to innovate. CTIA explained that such actions will enable wireless providers to improve service for U.S. wireless consumers, foster development of the Internet of Things, and extend this country’s global 4G leadership position into 5G services.” Baker said the rules as proposed by Chairman Tom Wheeler adequately protect satellite incumbents in the 28 GHz band. “Despite satellite operators having only limited rights to use of this spectrum, both the Commission and the wireless industry in this proceeding have made significant accommodations to satellite incumbents,” the filing said. “These options are especially noteworthy, CTIA explained, in light of satellite companies’ stated intentions to compete directly with terrestrial mobile providers in the provision of broadband services.” Baker also warned against imposing cybersecurity rules, the filing said: “CTIA described the wireless industry’s consistent track record of deploying and integrating cyber security protective measures without need for onerous government intervention.” Baker is a former FCC commissioner. CTIA also reported on call between Brian Josef, CTIA assistant vice president-regulatory affairs, and Brian Regan, Wireless Bureau associate chief. “CTIA discussed the potential negative implications of adoption of a complex sharing arrangement for the lower portion of the 37 GHz band together with an operability requirement that spans the entire 37 GHz band,” the filing said.

Verizon said it completed its 5G radio specification, the first U.S. carrier to do so. “The specification provides guidelines to test and validate crucial 5G technical components,” Verizon said in a Monday news release. “The development of the specification allows industry partners such as chipset vendors, network vendors, and mobile operators to develop interoperable solutions and contribute to pre-standard testing and fabrication.” It called the step a milestone toward the development of a complete 5G spec. Verizon said its pre-commercial 5G testing is continuing in in New Jersey, Massachusetts and Texas. The company's goal “is to accelerate the pace of innovation and to accelerate when the industry can deliver benefits of fiber functionality wirelessly to customers,” the carrier said. “During the testing process, Verizon has validated numerous 5G technology enablers, such as wide bandwidth operation of several hundred MHz in size, multiple antenna array processing, and carrier aggregation capabilities that are substantially different from 4G.” Verizon said propagation and penetration testing across residential single and multi-dwelling units in field locations "has validated the feasibility" of using high-frequency spectrum as part of 5G. The carrier has said repeatedly it plans to lead the U.S. as 5G is deployed (see 1607050062).

The Wi-Fi Alliance named Alexander Roytblat, the longtime World Radiocommuncation Conference director at the FCC, senior director-worldwide regulatory affairs. “In this newly created role, Roytblat will lead Wi-Fi Alliance engagement with regulatory bodies around the world,” the alliance said in a Thursday news release. Roytblat was vice chairman of the U.S. delegation to the 2003, 2007 and 2012 WRCs.

The FCC must devise rules in its spectrum frontiers order to protect fixed service (FS) wide-area licenses in the 37.5-40.0 GHz band, said wireless backhaul company FiberTower in a filing in docket 14-177. Introducing upper microwave flexible use service (UMFUS) transmitters in the band is a threat to FS incumbents, FiberTower said. “As amply demonstrated in the record … FS base station and remote module operations are -- from a propagation standpoint -- highly similar, if not identical, to proposed UMFUS operations,” the company said. “In other words, UMFUS is a natural and inextricably intertwined development of the FS. Thus, long-standing protections for terrestrial licensees must be preserved, if not strengthened.”

Wearable devices of various types will be a $30 billion global market this year, with about a third of that “coming from newly popular products including smartwatches and fitness trackers,” IDTechEx said in a Thursday report. Though the research firm sees the market growing to more than $150 billion by 2026, that significant growth won’t come without “shake-ups in several prominent sectors, with commoditization hitting hard, and product form factors changing rapidly,” it said.

The FCC established a pleading cycle on a proposed spectrum transfer of PCS and AWS-1 licenses between Sprint and U.S. Cellular (USCC). “Applicants assert that the proposed transaction would enable more efficient operations that would help meet the demands of their customers for broadband wireless services. In those markets where either Sprint or USCC gains additional spectrum, the Applicants claim the proposed transaction would provide added capacity and improved data throughput speeds,” the FCC said in a Thursday public notice. No customers or facilities are affected, just spectrum, the agency said. By the FCC’s calculation, the swaps include spectrum in 49 counties in all or parts of 14 cellular market areas in parts of Illinois, Kansas, Michigan, Virginia and Washington, the PN said. The spectrum covers “close to one percent of the population of the United States,” the agency said. The FCC said Sprint owns enough spectrum in seven of the covered counties that the deal requires enhanced review in those counties. Petitions to deny are due at the FCC July 28, oppositions Aug. 4, replies Aug. 11. The FCC also sent a request to Sprint asking a series of questions about the deal.