Representatives of the Open Technology Institute at New America and Public Knowledge spoke with an aide to FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel, urging the agency to complete work on issues raised in a 2020 Further NPRM on the 6 GHz band (see 2004230059). “We urged the Commission to finalize the two key issues that remain pending in the 6 GHz FNPRM in a robust way that avoids the risk of creating a new ‘Wi-Fi digital divide,’” said a filing posted Tuesday in docket 19-295: “Both the authorization of Very Low Power (VLP) devices and higher power for indoor-only use (LPI) are particularly crucial for digital equity and inclusion, for continued U.S. leadership in next generation Wi-Fi, and for virtually all consumers, businesses and community anchor institutions.” The groups led a recent letter to Rosenworcel raising those concerns (see 2308030061). Southern Co. representatives, meanwhile, raised concerns in a call with an aide to Commissioner Nathan Simington. “To the extent the Commission may be moving forward to expand unlicensed use of the 6 GHz band to include VLP operations, it must first put the details of its proposals out for public comment to receive necessary input and information from stakeholders and to comport with the requirements of the Administrative Procedure Act,” they said.
NTIA’s Commerce Spectrum Management Advisory Committee will meet Sept. 21, starting at 1 p.m. EDT, said a notice for Wednesday’s Federal Register. The meeting will be at the Verizon Technology and Policy Center, 1300 I St NW, Suite 500 East, Washington, D.C. CSMAC last met in July (see 2307180076).
Correction: SiriusXM first identified interference and brought to the FCC’s attention the device that was the subject of an AT&T complaint at the FCC (see 2308280048). SiriusXM doesn't operate wireless signal boosters.
Stage three testing is nearly complete and stage four testing is underway in NTIA’s $7 million 2023 5G Challenge, the agency said Tuesday. The third round of testing separated the contestant radio unit (RU) subsystems from the central unit and distributed unit pair (CU+DU) subsystems. “Six pairs of contestants were accepted for Stage Three,” NTIA said (see 2306050058): “Three pairings successfully interoperated, meaning their components all worked together to successfully make a 5G phone call. Two contestants’ network components did not pass while one pair is still within their testing window.” The three pairings that passed are Capgemini CU+DU and QCT/Benetel RU, Mavenir CU+DU and NewEdge RU and Radisys CU+DU and Lions RU, NTIA said.
AT&T asked the FCC to block use of a signal booster it says is causing interference with operations in 2.3 GHz spectrum. The booster amplifies transmissions in the wireless communications service band “directly in contravention of the Commission’s rules,” said a filing Friday in docket 10-4. “This booster somehow cleared the FCC certification process without this apparent violation being observed or addressed,” AT&T said: “In addition to taking prompt action to halt the sale of this booster in the United States, the Commission should re-examine its equipment certification procedures to ensure a mistake of this nature cannot be repeated.” SiriusXM discussed the booster in a June filing. AT&T representatives spoke with staff from the Wireless Bureau and Office of Engineering and Technology.
The FCC Office of Engineering clarified Monday that the period for a public trial of automated frequency coordination systems, before approval, runs 45 days, not the 30 days described in last week’s public notice (see 2308250061).
T-Mobile highlighted its progress on network slicing using its 5G stand-alone network. “This summer, we reached a huge milestone, pulling off the country’s first use of 5G network slicing for remote video production on a commercial network,” Chief Technology Officer John Saw said Monday. At a Red Bull’s Cliff Diving event in Boston, T-Mobile used slicing “to boost Red Bull’s broadcasting capabilities,” Saw said: “This customized slice gave the broadcast team supercharged wireless uplink speeds so they could easily and quickly transfer high-resolution content from cameras and a video drone circling the event to the Red Bull production team in near real-time over T-Mobile 5G.” T-Mobile hit uplink speeds of up to 276 Mbps, he said.
Public Knowledge supports FCC moves last week launching a process for testing the automated frequency coordination systems that will manage access to 6 GHz band spectrum by standard-power unlicensed devices (see 2308250061) and hopes for continuing progress, emailed Kathleen Burke, PK policy counsel. “The pending [6 GHz] order before the FCC has taken longer than expected,” she said: “We would rather the Commission take its time and get things right than rush ahead with compromises that would limit the opportunities this band has to offer.” PK hopes the commission will move forward on its proposed rules on low-power indoor and very-low-power operations “without adding cumbersome mitigation measures that would unnecessarily increase the cost of next-generation WiFi and VLP devices, potentially creating a WiFi digital divide,” Burke said.
The FCC Public Safety Bureau sought comment Monday on a request by the North Carolina State Highway Patrol (NCSHP) to use extra 800 MHz channels for its communications. The patrol wants to use two 800 MHz specialized mobile radio pool channels, 856.5375 and 859.0375 MHz, and associated mobile units on the mobile transmit side of the SMR channel pairs, at 811.5375 and 814.0375 MHz. Comments are due Sept. 12, replies Sept. 27. In its waiver request, NCSHP “proposes to operate two trunked 800 MHz channel pairs to supplement and enhance ‘limited coverage’ areas of Surry County,” the bureau said: “NCSHP indicates that ‘[d]ue to the lack of Public Safety Spectrum and proximity of several other 800 MHz users, it is not possible for the State Highway Patrol to provide adequate coverage for Emergency Responder radio systems from frequencies within the 800 MHz Public Safety allocation.’”
Rural Wireless Association officials urged the FCC to accelerate reimbursements for removing unsecure equipment from carrier networks, in a meeting with Wireline Bureau staff. “RWA encouraged the FCC to find ways to expedite the reimbursement process” and “reported that at the rate invoices are being processed, it will take approximately 17 years to finish the Reimbursement Program,” said a filing posted Friday in docket 18-89. RWA detailed what it claims are problems with the rip-and-replace program. “When a modification request is submitted, the entire application is locked, even when the modification is unrelated to certain aspects of the application,” the group said. “There have been significant delays in reviewing submitted invoices, with instances of over 30 days before an invoice even gets picked up for an initial review” and carriers are having difficulty getting questions answered, RWA said: “It appears to RWA’s members participating in the Reimbursement Program, that the Fund Administrator is severely understaffed and needs more help to administer this complex program in a timely fashion.”