The FTC took several actions to preserve competition in the technology sector and protect consumers from companies that misrepresent security features and privacy policies, and from mobile phone companies that engage in cramming, throttling and have hidden in-app charges, said the FTC’s 2014 Annual Highlights Report released Wednesday by Chairwoman Edith Ramirez. The FTC filed eight amicus briefs on issues including children’s online privacy and held 16 workshops and conferences on issues including big data and mobile device tracking, an FTC news release said. “With over 150 law enforcement actions taken and $640 million in consumer redress ordered, we marked the FTC’s centennial year with vigorous efforts to protect consumers and promote competition in a dynamic and continuously evolving marketplace,” Ramirez said.

The total impairment to 600 MHz licenses in partial economic areas near the Mexican and Canadian borders at a clearing target of 126 MHz would be about 13 percent of MHz/pops nationwide, said an AT&T study the company discussed in a meeting with FCC officials, said an ex parte filing made Tuesday in docket 12-268. With a target of 84 MHz, impairment would be 11.6 percent, it said. “AT&T discussed these results along with the proposals that AT&T has made in its comments in this proceeding, particularly AT&T’s recommendation that the Commission should avoid repacking any U.S. based broadcasters in the 600 MHz band,” the carrier said. “The unavoidable impairments represented by the TV allotments held by Canada and Mexico already will cover a substantial percentage of the MHz/pops in the 600 MHz band.” The FCC’s proposed auction methodology is based on the assumption that the blocks offered for sale will be fungible, AT&T said. “Accordingly, the Commission should offer only one class of spectrum in the clock phase, with no or very light (perhaps 10 percent or less) impairments, to make the objects in the clock phase workably fungible.”

The Wi-Fi Alliance asked the FCC to “maximize” use of the TV spectrum for unlicensed operations as it finalizes rules for the TV incentive auction. The alliance said in a filing the FCC’s record demonstrates broad recognition of the importance of unlicensed spectrum. “Overly conservative requests to protect particular services, beyond what is necessary to reasonably guard against harmful interference, should not defeat the opportunity to create additional critical capacity for unlicensed applications,” the group said. There's disagreement about the protection licensed wireless services require from adjacent unlicensed devices, the group said. “On one side, V-COMM suggests that an out-of-band emission limit of -89 dBm/100 kHz into 600 MHz downlink spectrum and a 5 megahertz buffer is required for white space devices operating at the permitted 40 mW power level,” the alliance said. “These limitations would effectively eliminate the ability for white space devices to use the guard bands and duplex gap.” The filing was posted by the FCC Wednesday in docket 12-268. Also in the docket, representatives of wireless mic maker Shure said the company “reaffirmed” support for the FCC’s proposal to authorize wireless microphone operations in the 600 MHz duplex gap and guard bands, in a meeting with FCC officials. “Shure reemphasized that the duplex gap and guard bands would provide urgently needed spectrum for wireless microphone users given the looming repurposing of the broader 600 MHz Band,” Shure said.

CEA expanded the show floor for International CES Asia, running May 25-27 in Shanghai, China, after underestimating exhibitor interest in the first-year show, it said Tuesday. CES Asia added some 6,500 net square feet to the show floor, which had 91,500 net square feet in February. New exhibitor additions include BesTV, Cadillac, China Mobile, Lincoln, OnStar, Samsung and Volkswagen, CEA said. Audi CEO Rupert Stadler will deliver a preshow keynote at 5 p.m. May 24, and additional keynotes will be announced in coming weeks, CEA said.

A Juniper Research study puts the advertising spend on smart watches at $69 million by 2019, up from $1.5 million this year, the company said Tuesday. Growth in smart watch advertising will be driven by high-profile brands including Apple entering the category and will correlate to increased consumer acceptance of wearable technology, the report said. The emergence of an additional consumer screen would likely stimulate interest among advertisers, though until a user threshold is reached most ad spends are likely to take the form of ad hoc campaigns, it said. Brands will need to develop advertising formats designed for the limited real estate of a smart watch screen, and behavioral differences between smartphone and smart watch usage are likely to challenge advertisers, Jupiter said. “With consumers viewing smartwatch screens for seconds rather than minutes, advertisers will have markedly less time to engage their audience,” it said.

The Automotive Safety Council filed in support of proposed FCC rules that would allow vehicular radar operations in the 76-81 GHz band (see 1504080035). “ASC supports the proposal to extend the frequency band available for vehicular radar usage,” the group said. “This will support wider sweep bandwidth needed for certain high resolution radars for short range applications, which is a key enabler for some advanced safety features (such as pedestrian detection / protection).” The comments were filed in docket 15-26. “As with radar technologies operating within the 76-77 GHz band, expanding the operational range to 76-81 GHz will only further increase the availability of safety technologies for vehicles, while also promoting future comfort and convenience systems available through autonomous vehicle driving,” Mercedes-Benz USA said.

NTIA, the FCC and other federal agencies have made “substantial progress” toward the goal the administration set in 2010 of making 500 MHz of spectrum available for wireless broadband in 10 years, NTIA said in its Fifth Interim Progress Report, released Tuesday. Between October 2010 and September 2014, NTIA and the FCC recommended or identified for study for potential reallocation up to 589 MHz of spectrum, NTIA said. NTIA highlighted AWS-3 spectrum and the AWS-3 auction, the 3.5 GHz shared spectrum band and unlicensed use of 5 GHz spectrum. The report sets out goals for the year ahead, including the evaluation of actual federal spectrum use in five bands covering 960 MHz of spectrum. “In cooperation with the FCC and other stakeholders, NTIA will develop sharing options to accommodate new and innovative broadband applications and devices in the 5 GHz bands,” NTIA said. “With the benefit of public comment, NTIA and the FCC will further refine the definition of the Model City concept to promote innovative spectrum-sharing technologies. The FCC will continue efforts toward making spectrum above 24 GHz available for mobile services.”

The FCC Wireless Bureau sought comment on an April 1 request by AT&T for permission to use Power Spectral Density (PSD) measurements in complying with the commission’s radiated power limits for 800 MHz cellular operations in parts of Missouri. “AT&T specifically proposes a PSD limit of 250 watts/MHz in non-rural areas and 500 watts/MHz in rural areas, and includes a study that purports to show that implementing PSD-based power limits in the Cellular Service would not cause harmful interference to public safety deployments,” the bureau said. The bureau asked for comment “particularly with respect to any potential adverse impact on public safety operations in the adjacent bands and neighboring Cellular licensees.” Comments are due April 30, replies May 11. The FCC asked similar questions in a November further NPRM focused on further streamlining cellular service rules.

The FCC released the agenda for its workshop with NTIA on a model city program on spectrum sharing technologies. The workshop kicks off Wednesday at 1 p.m. at FCC headquarters. It continues the next day with remarks scheduled by FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler. The workshop will “explore different aspects of the Model City including the concept, scope, governance, process, technical considerations and funding alternatives,” the FCC said Monday. The program was recommended in a report by the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (see 1404070044) and would pick one or more cities that agree to streamline regulations to allow for more ready testing of innovative uses of spectrum. City officials in Chicago and Washington, D.C., told the FCC last year they would be interested in taking part in the program (see 1409030034).

The FCC Public Safety Bureau released a public notice offering what it said was further clarity on the process by which it will accept applications for expanded coverage or additional channels from public safety licensees that decide to remain in the 800 MHz Expansion Band, at 815-816/860-861 MHz. The applications will be “subject to pre-coordination” and will be accepted only on or after a filing date established by the Public Safety Bureau and the Wireless Bureau, upon completion of band reconfiguration in each National Public Safety Planning Advisory Committee region, the bureau said.