ATIS said it's developing the North American requirements and high-level architecture specifications for an LTE-based earthquake early warning system (EEWS) on cellular networks. “This effort was spawned in support of California's proposed EEWS and is anticipated to initially focus more broadly on a solution for the west coast of North America,” ATIS said in a news release. “The work will address use cases, end-to-end system requirements and architecture, mobile device behavior requirements, and security considerations. It will also include an analysis of existing standards to determine if additional enhancements may be required.” The FCC recently sought comment on how quickly carriers could transmit warnings (see 1605100054).

Shure explained its opposition to an FCC order extending the Section 15.2031 prohibition on standard antenna jacks and connectors to wireless mics. “Wireless microphones are not practical candidates for aftermarket power amplifiers and as such do not create concerns regarding human safety or interference due to designs utilizing standard connectors,” Shure said. “Application of the Part 15 antenna connector rule to unlicensed wireless microphones would significantly inhibit manufacturing, raise consumer costs, and cause user confusion, thus complicating the transition of wireless microphones to the new 600 MHz band plan as a result of the broadcast Incentive Auction.” Body-worn wireless mics are often affixed “on or under the performer’s clothing or costume, mounted on an instrument, or, in theatrical productions frequently hidden in the performer’s hair,” the company said. “The microphone is then connected by a cable to a compact, body-worn transmitter that is also often concealed. The microphone and transmitter system must maintain an extremely small form factor to avoid restricting the performer’s freedom of motion.” There is little possibility anyone would affix a high-gain antenna to a Part 15 wireless mic, Shure said in docket 14-165.

A Commerce Department Inspector General audit of FirstNet found that the authority needs to do a better job of managing interagency agreements (IAAs). The audit gave FirstNet a mostly clean bill of health but said its processes on IAAs should be improved. The FirstNet CEO should “develop and document procedures to explain the roles and responsibilities of FirstNet offices involved in the IAA closeout process and identify internal standards for initiating and executing closeouts,” the IG said. The CEO also should document procedures that explain the steps to effectively track FirstNet IAAs, the audit said. The IG said FirstNet responded to its recommendations and that response was attached to the report. “FirstNet agreed with our findings, noting that they have either already implemented, or are in the process of implementing, corrective action to address the … recommendations,” the IG said.

The FCC released an order making an additional change to its Part 5 experimental radio service (ERS) rules, which were substantially updated in a May 2013 order. In that order, the FCC decided not to expand the eligibility for medical testing experimental licenses to entities other than hospitals and health care institutions. Last year, a Further NPRM examined changes to the rules (see 1507080050). Medtronic pressed the FCC to act on new rules that would make medical device manufacturers eligible for medical testing experimental licenses (see 1510290037). The medical device maker said changing the rules would help “ameliorate the disparity between those medical device manufacturers eligible for Medical Testing Experimental Licenses and those eligible for Program Experimental Licenses." The latest order said only Medtronic filed comments on the rule change. Nonetheless, commissioners agreed: “Because clinical trials conducted under the medical testing experimental license or as a market trial may be tested in these restricted bands, there is no reason to impose greater frequency restrictions on program licensees conducting basic research on the same devices,” the FCC said. “This rule change also will establish parity between all qualified medical device manufacturers and developers -- whether they are health care institutions or medical device manufacturers -- as to permissible frequencies of operation for conducting basic research and clinical trials with RF-based medical devices.”

The FCC Public Safety Bureau provided guidance Thursday to public safety agencies on roaming in Canada, the use of U.S. base station repeaters while in Canada and Canadian public safety licensees seeking to communicate through base station repeaters in the U.S. “Our guidance is based upon recent arrangements and understandings reached by Bureau staff with officials from Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED),” the bureau said in a public notice. “The licensing guidance we provide below applies to any public safety licensee operating a Private Land Mobile Radio (PLMR) system in any frequency band authorized under Part 90 of the Commission’s rules.” The bureau said first responders operating mobile or hand-held radio equipment along the U.S.-Canada border may communicate through base station repeaters located in the other country provided they obtain written consent from the licensee of the repeater. The repeater must be properly licensed in the country in which it's located, the host licensee must maintain control and is responsible for operation of its base station repeater at all times and a licensee must obtain “written consent from the host licensee before permitting its first responders to communicate with a base station repeater in the other country,” the bureau said.

The FCC Wireless Bureau sought comment Thursday on an application by Alaska’s General Communication Inc. for waiver of channelization and other limitations so GCI can use 6 GHz spectrum for wireless backhaul. The company sought authorization to deploy common carrier fixed point-to-point microwave service using 60 MHz channels across the three upper 6 GHz sub-bands at various sites in rural Alaska, as well as for microwave paths directly connected to those sites, the bureau said. “GCI operates TERRA, which it states is the first terrestrial … middle-mile network in western Alaska,” said a bureau notice. “TERRA is a hybrid fiber-microwave network that provides broadband to more than 70 isolated, mostly Alaska Native, communities, many of which, according to GCI, are separated by vast distances and cannot be reached by road. GCI states that it continues to upgrade and expand TERRA, but the backbone paths of the microwave system are nearing capacity.” Comments are due July 15, replies Aug. 1, in docket 16-209.

The June FCC order addressing accreditation of testing labs (see 1606150051) formally takes effect July 29, it said in Wednesday's Federal Register.

Broadband service providers need to invest in advanced home Wi-Fi systems, such as Wi-Fi mesh networks, or run the risk of customer churn, said an ABI Research report Wednesday. It forecast more than 831 million households will have residential Wi-Fi networks in 2021. Mesh networks improve Wi-Fi coverage by relying on multiple access points in the home, said analyst Khin Sandi Lynn, but their cost could price some residential broadband users out of the market. A Wi-Fi mesh system with three access points ranges in price from $300 to $500, said Lynn.

Amazon, which failed with the Fire Phone to find a market for its company-branded smartphone, is taking a different route through its Prime program. The company said Wednesday Prime members can buy unlocked Android smartphones at discounted rates in exchange for being pitched personalized offers on the phone’s lock screen. The concept was successful with tablets and e-readers, said Laura Orvidas, vice president-consumer electronics. She said most Fire and Kindle buyers chose the advertising-supported lower priced version vs. the no-ad option.

IEEE and the IEEE Standards Association formed a working group on standards for communications between manned, unmanned, civil and commercial aircraft, IEEE said in a news release. “The growing utilization of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) is driving a need to ensure safety through increased situational awareness and direct air-to-air communications for all types of aircraft,” said Kamesh Namuduri, chair of the IEEE Aerial Network Communications Working Group. “The work ahead is of utmost importance.” The working group launched a web page and will meet starting in September, IEEE said.