APCO Chief Counsel Jeff Cohen urged the FCC to “proceed as soon as possible” on rules requiring location-based routing for wireless calls to 911 (see 2309110042), in a meeting with an aide to FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel. Cohen also raised related rules on next-generation 911 communications, said a filing posted Monday in docket 21-479. “The Commission must approach rules for NG9-1-1 in a manner that promotes a common understanding of the public safety community’s goals and expectations for NG9-1-1 and does not conflict with the comprehensive vision and definitions outlined in pending federal NG9-1-1 funding legislation,” APCO said: “The single most important step the Commission can take would be to adopt requirements for achieving interoperability between originating service providers and 9-1-1 service providers, and among 9-1-1 service providers.”
The FCC Wireless Bureau sought comment Friday on the 3.45 GHz Clearinghouse Search Committee’s selection of Summit Ridge Group to manage the clearinghouse (see 2305030037). The notice asks whether the selection satisfies criteria established by the commission and the bureau. Comments are due Oct. 10, replies Oct. 20, in docket 19-348.
DirecTV slammed Dish Network’s advocacy of revised rules for the lower 12 GHz band (see 2309110061), saying the risk of harmful interference to its direct broadcast satellite system were never addressed. “Any good-faith technical analysis would show massive interference to DBS customers across the country if high-power terrestrial services are authorized,” said a filing posted Friday in docket 20-443. “Rather than submit an analysis that will doom its attempt to radically expand its [multichannel video distribution and data service] licenses for free, DISH instead baldly asserts that ‘Sharing Between Fixed and DBS Services Will Be Simple to Manage,’” DirecTV said: “DISH bases this on its ‘ability to avoid interference from its own base stations into its own DBS customers,’ though it holds licenses for only 82 of the nation’s 214 MVDDS Markets.”
Nick Weaver, CEO of eero, which builds home Wi-Fi systems, and Amazon representatives met with an aide to FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel on how eero “is leveraging the latest developments in wifi technology to improve customers’ home network experience while also keeping those customers’ networks safe and secure,” said a filing posted Friday in docket 18-295. Weaver also “expressed support for the pending 6 GHz proceeding that will allow for further innovative uses of unlicensed spectrum,” Amazon said. Wi-Fi advocates expect a vote in coming months on part of the changes proposed by the FCC in a 2020 Further NPRM on 6 GHz rules (see 2309180050).
Members of the ATIS Hearing Aid Compatibility Task Force asked for approval of a waiver sought by the group (see 2304060053) before a Dec. 5 compliance deadline, in a meeting with an aide to FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel. “Timely grant of the Waiver Request will keep the industry on the path to achieving 100% HAC for wireless handsets, while also incorporating testing to ensure that handsets have volume control,” said a filing posted Friday in docket 15-285: “Record support for the Waiver Request is unanimous.”
The 4.9 GHz Coalition told the FCC it continues to develop its proposal that the commission designate the four agency-certified public safety frequency advisory committees as the national band manager for the spectrum (see 2304140040). Since making the recommendation, the coalition “has continued to collaborate in developing the organization that would undertake national band manager responsibilities,” said a filing posted Friday in docket 07-100. “The framework for that entity has been drafted by the 4.9 GHz Coalition and could be implemented in short order,” the coalition said: “Three of the public safety coordinators have already worked together to develop a set of coordination protocols for 4.9 GHz. They are ready to begin coordinating 4.9 GHz if that is the decision of the FCC.” The filing was signed by the American Petroleum Institute, Enterprise Wireless Alliance, Forestry Conservation Communications Association, International Municipal Signal Association, National Sheriffs’ Association and Utilities Technology Council.
The FCC certified Red Technologies to join the ranks of spectrum access system administrators in the citizens broadband radio service band for a five-year period. The Wireless Bureau and Office of Engineering and Technology also approved Red to support spectrum manager leasing for priority access licenses and to use Key Bridge’s environmental sensing capability to protect federal operations in the 3.55-3.65 GHz portion of the band. The approval was made in consultation with NTIA and DOD, the Friday notice said.
Midland Radio asked the FCC to launch an NPRM on allowing general mobile radio service devices to operate “with improved range, reliability, and safety for end users.” Midland said a July order (see 2307240048) granting the company a waiver directed it to file the petition “so that the waivers granted to Midland will be available to all GMRS users through amendments to the Commission’s rules.”
TerreStar said Thursday it changed its name to MidWave Wireless to “more accurately reflect its status as one of the largest independent mid-band spectrum holders” in the U.S. The company noted it holds mid-band spectrum assets covering more than 3.3 billion aggregate MHz-POPs. “It is clear that a broad range of industry innovations from IoT to private broadband to satellite-to-terrestrial networks require access to exclusive, flexible, mid-band spectrum,” said CEO John Kneuer: “MidWave Wireless is excited to explore how it can use its spectrum to advance these next-generation networks or in 5G networks currently being deployed.” MidWave said it has 8 MHz of “flexible-use, high-power spectrum” in the 1.4 GHz band and an indirect interest in 18 AWS-3 licenses, covering 19% of the U.S., including 10 of the 30 largest markets.
NTIA and DOD announced Thursday they awarded $3 million to the winning team of the final stage of 2023 5G Challenge, Lions-NewEdge-Mavenir-Radisys. It won a tie-breaker with a second team, Capgemini-JMA Wireless-QCT/Benetel, which also received a $3 million prize, NTIA said. “America needs to lead the way to a diverse, resilient, and competitive global telecommunications supply chain,” said NTIA Administrator Alan Davidson: “This year’s 5G Challenge winners, through their groundbreaking interoperability and mobility demonstrations, have provided a glimpse of that future.” The challenge offered $7 million in prizes.