Initial comments demonstrate broad support for a proposal to introduce new, full-power, interstitial 12.5 kHz “offset” channels in the 809-817/854-862 MHz band, said the Enterprise Wireless Alliance in reply comments posted by the FCC Wednesday. EWA sought change in 2009 and the FCC asked for comment in February (see 1505130018). Replies were posted in docket 15-32. The comments filed “confirm that the Part 90 community has a keen interest in deriving highly efficient use from its limited spectrum allocations,” EWA said. “Virtually all parties support the availability of 800 MHz interstitial channels in the 800 MHz Mid-Band if appropriate protection is provided to adjacent 25 kHz bandwidth systems.” Some critics question whether the interstitial channels can be deployed without creating interference for 25 kHz channel licensees, the alliance said. “The Land Mobile Communications Council (LMCC) is close to completing a detailed matrix that will enable frequency advisory committees (FACs) that chose to coordinate these channels to make appropriate, consistent determinations as to the interference potential between interstitial and full channel systems.” The LMCC recommended some protections for incumbent users of the band based on rules already established by the FCC, including co-channel and adjacent channel separation and limits and antenna power and height. “Proceed conservatively and err, if at all, on the side of protecting the operations of incumbent 25 kHz systems,” LMCC advised the FCC.

IDC sees global smartphone shipments growing 11.3 percent in 2015, less than half the 27.6 percent growth the market experienced in 2014, the research firm said in a “tracker” report Tuesday. “While overall smartphone growth will continue to slow, many markets will have robust growth in 2015 and beyond, and worldwide shipment volumes are forecast to reach 1.9 billion units annually by 2019.” Though the firm sees iPhones dominating Android smartphones this year in terms of year-over-year growth -- 23 percent vs. 8.5 percent -- it forecasts that iPhones and Android devices will have fairly identical (7.3 percent vs. 7.5 percent) compound annual growth rates through 2019.

Hyundai became the first car company to launch Android Auto on production vehicles when it debuted the feature on the 2015 Sonata, it said in a Tuesday announcement. Android Auto will become available on other Hyundai models later this year, it said. Android Auto “brings a high technology experience” to Hyundai owners and improves safety, Hyundai said. For example, Android Auto helps keep drivers' eyes and attention on the road “by integrating the advanced driving-related functions of the user's smartphone with the familiar centralized screen, physical controls and microphone of their car,” it said. Under Android Auto, the smartphone's screen also becomes "locked," so drivers “are not tempted to look down and interact with their phones directly while Android Auto is in use,” it said.

Sennheiser representatives met with aides to all FCC members on the wireless mic maker's proposals for devices in the TV band, after the incentive auction, the company said in an ex parte filing in docket 12-268. The Sennheiser reps “disabused the myth that wireless microphone technology is not cutting edge or spectrally efficient” and “emphasized the importance of wireless microphones to one of our country’s most vital industries, content creation,” said the filing. It said Sennheiser highlighted the differences between wireless mics and white spaces devices “which allow wireless microphones to be good spectrum neighbors to incoming 600 MHz licensees and to not require control by a database.” Two clear UHF channels for wireless mics without white space devices “is a need not a want,” the company said.

Representatives of Spectrum Networks Group (SNG) met with FCC Wireless Bureau Chief Roger Sherman and others at the agency to discuss the FCC’s April rejection of its waiver request to use 900 MHz spectrum for an IoT network. SNG had wanted to use 900 MHz business/industrial/land transportation channels for a third-party service providing machine-to-machine communications (see 1504130062). “We described numerous instances where the Bureau has granted license applications” for similar use in the 900 MHz channels, SNG said. “We provided an update on M2M’s business plan. We also discussed potential alternative means for SNG and M2M to obtain licensed narrowband spectrum in support of its business and its network, either through new applications or rulemaking.” The filing was posted Tuesday in docket 14-100.

A merger of T-Mobile US and Dish Network would make a lot of sense (see 1505210046) for both, Recon Analytics analyst Roger Entner told us. “T-Mobile and Dish would be perfect partners,” Entner said. “T-Mobile has an increasing customer base that is using up more of its spectrum. Dish needs access to a network as it is facing the slow arrival of linear television to provide on-demand video services. Dish has almost as much spectrum as T-Mobile, including the much touted low-frequency spectrum but has not built a mobile network and hence has no mobile customers. It is unlikely that such a combination would raise significant concerns at the FCC and FTC as it would utilize spectrum that is currently warehoused.” A partnership between the two “would create a market solution to what the parties are currently trying to achieve through regulatory intervention,” Enter said. “The combined entity might bump against the spectrum screen in some markets and would have to divest spectrum,” he said. Even after divestiture, the combined company would have the second most spectrum in the U.S. after Sprint, ahead of Verizon and AT&T, he said.

Mobile Future laid down a marker, responding Friday to various FCC filings calling for a larger reserve set-aside for competitive carriers as part of rules for the TV incentive auction. “Restricting competition in the auction through set-asides will result in lower auction proceeds, jeopardizing the Commission’s ability to purchase the maximum amount of spectrum from broadcasters, and leading to less repurposed spectrum to meet skyrocketing consumer demand for mobile broadband,” Mobile Future said. “The issue of whether and how much spectrum to set aside for select carriers was exhaustively debated and decided last year.” Competitive carriers got a set-aside of 30 MHz in every market. Companies including Dish Network, Sprint and T-Mobile “do not need even more protection from bidding competition,” the group said. “Their filings simply revisit already settled policy decisions and fail to present any new facts to support a larger set-aside.”

The FCC sought comment on recommended policy positions that came out of the FCC World Radiocommunication Conference Advisory Committee (WAC) Wednesday (see 1505200052). “Based upon an initial review of the draft recommendations forwarded to the Commission, the International Bureau, in coordination with other Commission Bureaus and Offices, tentatively concludes that we can generally support most of the attached WRC-15 Advisory Committee draft recommendations,” the FCC said Thursday. Comments are due on the proposals June 11.

The FCC Wireless Bureau established a pleading cycle on AT&T’s proposed buy of two cellular A-block licenses in two cellular market areas (CMAs) in Illinois from Cellular Properties Inc. Petitions to deny are due June 19, oppositions June 29 and replies July 7. “Our preliminary review indicates that AT&T would be assigned 25 megahertz of cellular spectrum in eleven counties covering all of CMA 400 (Illinois 7-Vermilion) and part of CMA 402 (Illinois 9-Clay),” the bureau said of cellular market areas. “Post-transaction, AT&T would hold 101 to 173 megahertz of spectrum in total, and 31 to 68 megahertz of below-1-GHz spectrum, in these two CMAs in Illinois.” The bureau also sent letters to both companies asking additional questions on the deal.

The FCC set up a pleading schedule Thursday on AT&T’s proposed buy of three lower 700 MHz C-block licenses from East Kentucky Network. The licenses are located in Kentucky, Ohio and West Virginia, the Wireless Bureau said. The applicants "maintain that the proposed transaction would provide AT&T with additional spectrum that would enable it to increase its system capacity to enhance existing services, better accommodate its overall growth, and facilitate the provision of additional products and services in the geographic areas authorized under the three licenses.” Petitions to deny are due June 22, oppositions July 2 and replies July 10.