Spectrum sharing, such as the citizens broadband radio service model, makes entry much cheaper for new users than exclusive licensing and doesn't disrupt or displace national defense spectrum use, NCTA said Thursday. Citing a Brattle Group analysis earlier this month, NCTA said single-use licensing, particularly for the 3.1-3.45 GHz band, "would cost the government billions of dollars while not delivering enough taxable revenue to offset the cost." Brattle said the economic value of sharing the 3.1-3.45 GHz band would be close to $19 billion, while exclusive use result in a loss of $41 billion once DOD estimates of clearing costs are factored in.
The ATIS Hearing Aid Compatibility Task Force urged the FCC to approve a waiver sought by the group (see 2304060053) before a Dec. 5 compliance deadline. “Members of the HAC Task Force reiterate their commitment to working towards the goal that all new handsets will meet HAC requirements,” said a Wednesday filing in docket 15-285. They also “reiterate their commitment to working towards the goal of including Bluetooth connectivity as an alternative to telecoil coupling in a certain percentage of handsets.”
NTT and Qualcomm Technologies announced a partnership aimed at investing in and speeding the development of a “5G device ecosystem to facilitate private 5G adoption, which is critical to powering AI at the edge.” NTT and Qualcomm Technologies “will prioritize the development of 5G enabled devices to accelerate innovation with global enterprise customers, a critical catalyst in driving widespread enterprise adoption of private 5G,” the companies said Tuesday. “This collaboration is truly an exciting one because we are answering the demand we’re hearing from our clients,” said Shahid Ahmed, NTT executive vice president-new ventures and innovation.
Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo announced the appointment of Sean McDevitt, a partner with consulting firm Arthur D. Little, as a member of the FirstNet Authority board. McDevitt “brings 30 years of private sector experience specializing in business development, business expansion, leadership, account management, and client project delivery for telecommunications and technology sectors,” NTIA said Tuesday. He replaces former board Chair Stephen Benjamin, who left the authority after being named a senior adviser to President Joe Biden and director of the White House Office of Public Engagement (see 2303010031).
Dish Network filed at the FCC its methodology, mutually agreed to with the Wireless Bureau, for drive tests to measure compliance with the company’s 35 Mbps commitment. “This methodology follows industry standards adapted to DISH’s specific commitment and provides reliable and representative data without unduly burdening DISH, a new entrant into the wireless market,” said a filing posted Tuesday in docket 22-212. “It offers a statistical approach that will evaluate download speed data collected within DISH’s certified 5G coverage area based upon the predicted propagation model as set forth in DISH’s July 14 … 5G Buildout Status Report.” Dish said it will test 3,019 Hex-7 geographies. Within each Hex-7, the provider “will conduct a minimum of 24 total tests, including a minimum of 12 mobile tests and 12 stationary tests,” Dish said. The company said in June it met its initial commitment, covering 70% of the U.S. population (see 2306150010).
T-Mobile said Tuesday its network slicing “beta,” which uses its 5G stand-alone network (see 2308280046), is now available for use by developers nationwide. The program has also expanded to Android developers to optimize their video calling apps available on the Samsung Galaxy S23 series phones, T-Mobile said. “The moves make it easier for developers across the country to test their new and improved applications with the customized video calling network slice on T-Mobile’s 5G SA network using a commercial device,” the carrier said.
The FCC Wireless Bureau said it will host a workshop Nov. 2 on the environmental compliance and historic preservation review process required for building communications facilities supporting FCC-licensed services. The daylong workshop starts at 10 a.m. at commission headquarters. “FCC and other federal agency subject-matter experts will provide information on a range of topics related to the National Environmental Policy Act, the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA), and the FCC’s implementing regulations and related agreements,” the bureau said Tuesday: “FCC applicants (including licensees and registrants), those who construct or manage communications facilities for FCC licensees, environmental consultants, State Historic Preservation Office staff, Tribal Historic Preservation Office staff, and federal agencies that fund or permit wireless facilities are encouraged to attend.”
The FCC added a section on cybersecurity and supply chain risk management to the final Further NPRM on a 5G Fund. That was the biggest change from the draft, based on a side-by-side comparison. Commissioner Geoffrey Starks highlighted the additional security questions when the FNPRM was approved by commissioners last week (see 2309210035). The FCC also released comment deadlines -- Oct 23, for initial comments, Nov. 21 for replies. The FCC is seeking comment on “whether to require 5G Fund support recipients to implement cybersecurity and supply chain risk management plans as a condition of receiving … support,” the notice said. It notes a similar requirement in the FCC’s enhanced alternative connect America cost model order (see 2307240064). The FNPRM now asks about requiring submission of plans that reflect the latest version of the National Institute of Standards and Technology “Framework for Improving Critical Infrastructure Cybersecurity, and that reflects an established set of cybersecurity best practices, such as the standards and controls” established by the Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency or the Center for Internet Security. “Would it be appropriate for 5G Fund recipients to submit to [Universal Service Administrative Co.] their updated cybersecurity and supply chain risk management plans within 30 days of making a substantive modification thereto, as Enhanced A-CAM recipients must?” the FNPRM asks: “What are the differences (if any) between 5G Fund recipients and Enhanced A-CAM recipients that might warrant different approaches to ensuring cybersecurity?” The FNPRM was in Monday’s “Daily Digest.”
CTIA representatives met with aides to FCC Commissioners Brendan Carr and Nathan Simington on a draft order revising FCC Customer Proprietary Network Information rules and local number portability rules to address SIM swap and port-out fraud, said a filing posted Monday in docket 21-341. “Any new rules should be grounded in a flexible, reasonable, and future-proof approach that accounts for competing agency regulatory priorities related to service reliability, competition and consumer choice, public safety, and ensuring that providers can continue to offer a wide array of services to customers,” CTIA said.
The FCC said T-Mobile agreed to pay a $7.5 million civil penalty to resolve an Enforcement Bureau investigation of whether T-Mobile, doing business as Assurance Wireless, violated the commission’s Lifeline rules “regarding the submission of claims for ineligible subscribers due to non-usage after the effective date” of a 2020 consent decree. In 2020, T-Mobile agreed to pay a $200 million fine to address an investigation of waste, fraud and abuse connected with Sprint receiving Lifeline subsidies for 885,000 subscribers who weren’t using the service (see 2011040050). T-Mobile bought Sprint earlier that year. “In the absence of material new evidence relating to this matter, we do not set for hearing the question of T-Mobile’s basic qualifications to hold or obtain any Commission license or Authorization,” said an order in Monday’s “Daily Digest.”