The FCC warned a Medina, New York, man to stop operating a TV antenna that allegedly is interfering with transmissions by Verizon and other carriers, after Verizon complained. Clyde Holloway “operated a radiofrequency device in his residence that caused harmful interference to a Commission licensee and refused to permit an agent of the FCC Enforcement Bureau to inspect the premises to identify the source of the interference,” said a Friday citation by the Enforcement Bureau: “We therefore direct Holloway take immediate steps to cease and desist from operating devices that cause harmful interference to licensed radio communications. If Holloway fails to comply with these laws, he may be liable for significant fines up to $22,021 per day.” Holloway couldn't be reached for comment.

Utilities Technology Council President Sheryl Osiene-Riggs and others from the group said, “Utilities need access to interference-free spectrum with sufficient capacity and coverage for reliable private internal communications to address a variety of new and increasing demands and challenges,” in a meeting with FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel, said a filing posted Friday in docket 18-295. They said: “At the same time, they need access to funding to accelerate broadband deployment in unserved and underserved areas. They also need to be able to protect their communications networks and ensure the reliability and integrity of their infrastructure as well as the safety of their personnel and their operations, particularly during emergency response.” UTC repeated concerns about Wi-Fi interference in the 6 GHz band.

The FCC Wireless Bureau deemed “acceptable for filing” the applications of additional tribal entities to use the 2.5 GHz band for broadband, made during a 2020 tribal window. The FCC said Friday it has already granted 328 licenses to Tribes or tribally controlled entities to use the band. “That an application has been accepted for filing means that the application, upon initial review, is complete and contains sufficient information to be accepted for processing and further review, including a required period during which public comment on the application is sought,” the notice said. The applications were filed by the Native Village of Unalakleet, Skagway Village, the Alaska Tribal Spectrum, the Chilkoot Indian Association, the Native Village of Igiugig and Nikolai Village, all in Alaska. Petitions to deny are due March 14, oppositions March 24 and replies March 31.

Shipments of millimeter-wave-enabled handsets will grow from 14% of 5G smartphones sold in 2021 to 43% by 2026, reported ABI Research Thursday in a white paper. It projects 5G smartphone shipments will top a billion handsets globally in 2024, expanding to 1.3 billion in 2026, of which nearly 560 million will be mmWave-capable. The “impetus” behind mobile mmWave “continues to build with a number of regions and countries targeting deployments, broadening across North America, Europe, and Asia-Pacific, and gaining support from a growing number of chipset suppliers,” said ABI analyst David McQueen. “This ecosystem expansion, along with resolving the inherent complexity and high costs of implementation, will aid the extensive growth of 5G mmWave smartphones.”

Federated Wireless answered questions from the FCC Office of Engineering and Technology on its bid to be an automated frequency coordination system operator in the 6 GHz band, but asked that many of the details be given confidential treatment, in a filing posted Thursday in docket 21-352. Federated said its proposed system is similar to one it operates in the citizens broadband radio service band. “The confidential information details the functioning of the Federated Wireless AFC in the 6 GHz Band, and Federated Wireless and other AFC operators will compete vigorously on the basis of the services provided through these products,” the company said.

Mavenir urged the FCC to adopt open and interoperable interfaces for radio access networks, disputing claims that agency action isn’t ripe. The FCC took comment on open RAN last year, with next steps unclear (see 2108270039). “Some of the comments and ex parte materials in the record wrongly suggest … that it would be premature for the Commission to act on open and interoperable RAN interfaces because they suggest that the technology is not ready for deployment and further testing and standards development are required,” Mavenir said in a filing posted Wednesday in docket 21-63. “This argument is circular and confuses the issue,” the company said: “Open interfaces and interoperability are concepts, not technologies to be developed; they are methods of creating and ensuring competition, and they are not associated with any specific technology or technical standard.” It would make no sense for the commission “to wait until after a market is competitive before requiring that it be competitive, at which point no requirement would be needed," Mavenir said.

The FCC Office of Engineering and Technology approved a waiver sought by Liberty Defense Holdings of Part 15 ultra-wideband rules to allow marketing and operation of its swept frequency UWB surveillance system. OET sought comment in July 2019 (see 1907250045) on the Hexwave system, which uses active 3D imaging “to detect weapons, explosives, and other threats using a UWB surveillance technology operating in the 6.0-10.6 GHz band.” OET said Wednesday the system will “protect Americans against threats in public venues and other high-traffic areas, in furtherance of the public interest, and that operation of this device under the specified waiver conditions poses no greater risk of causing harmful interference to communication services than those devices already permitted under the existing rules.”

The FCC’s Wireline Bureau gave itself an extra 45 days to act on applications in an FCC program to cover the cost of ripping and replacing Huawei and ZTE gear from wireless networks. The new deadline is June 15. The FCC said last week applicants requested $5.6 billion, nearly three times the $1.9 billion allocated (see 2202040066). The bureau said Wednesday it received 181 applications and 162 of those were found to be eligible and acceptable for filing. The applications cover the disposal of “approximately 24,000 units of covered communications equipment and services across approximately 8,400 … locations,” a notice said. The bureau said it needs more time “given the number and complexity of the applications filed.”

Acconeer urged the FCC to “move quickly” on revised rules for short-range radars in the 60 GHz band, the topic of a July NPRM (see 2107130066). CEO Lars Lindell and others from the company spoke with Office of Engineering and Technology staff, said a filing posted Wednesday in docket 21-48. “Acconeer emphasized the great and growing demand by customers to use its 60 GHz sensor for use cases beyond what waivers presently allow,” the company said.

The COVID-19 pandemic put more pressure on Wi-Fi to grow quickly, but expanding home and business networks raised complications for all users, speakers said at the Fierce Wi-Fi Summit Tuesday. “The pandemic has just put pressure points on areas that we didn’t even realize we would have pressure points,” said Patricia Kellaghan, senior director-products at Breezeline, which offers a managed Wi-Fi service. “We’ve had these massive lifestyle shifts, and they’re not temporary, they’re going to be permanent, and they’re going to continue to evolve,” she said. Customers are demanding better in-home connectivity, she said. “We really need key, strategic, forward-leaning partners who are pushing on the product road map so we can continue to keep up with demand and stay relevant,” she said. Breezeline had to move to more self-installation by customers, she said. Its products “have to be easy to use, they have to be easy to install, they have to put control in the customers’ hands,” she said. “The pandemic certainly has accelerated our deployment,” said Richard Squire, Liberty Global director-connectivity strategy. The company had a 30%-40% jump in connected devices when the pandemic started two years ago, he said. Wi-Fi needs to be simple for customers, he said: “This is really complex stuff, and ... we want to make it as simple as possible for our customers to use.” Because of regulatory and technical limits, no single access point (AP), “no matter how strong,” can cover the whole of many homes, said Bill McFarland, chief technology officer at gear-maker Plume. That means most need Wi-Fi extenders, but that “greatly complicates the problem of Wi-Fi management,” he said. “We need to make decisions about the frequency channels and channel bandwidths that will be used, how the APs will be connected to each other, which is effectively the routes and topologies, and to which AP and which on frequency band each client device in the home should connect,” he said: The Wi-Fi system needs to consider traffic loads, signal strengths, data rates, interference and the effect of Wi-Fi congestion.