A single-round, sealed-bid format is critical for wireless ISPs to bid in an eventual 2.5 GHz auction, WISPA said in calls with aides to FCC Commissioners Brendan Carr and Geoffrey Starks. “The vast majority of WISPA’s 700-plus members are very small fixed wireless internet service providers” who “lack the resources to hire auction consultants and inhouse counsel,” said a filing posted Thursday in docket 20-429. Most have never participated in an FCC auction, the group said: “There is equal unfamiliarity with both auction designs. To these potential bidders, who lack experience with spectrum auctions and the resources to hire consultants, a single-round, sealed-bid auction is much easier to understand than a simultaneous, multiple-round auction.” WISPA noted a single round auction would also be quicker and makes sense in a band where “the lack of fungibility contrasts with other spectrum auctions where the licenses are typically offered for an unencumbered area … in equal-size spectrum blocks.”
The 5Gfor12GHz Coalition urged the FCC to open the 12 GHz band for 5G before action by Congress allocating money for broadband deployment. The record “confirms broad support for opening up the band for terrestrial 5G without the need for a re-auction,” said a Thursday filing in docket 20-443. “As this legislation moves through Congress, it is imperative that the Commission readies its spectrum resources and network positioning to quickly turn these allocated funds into real, accessible, and high-speed Internet connections for unserved and underserved Americans -- especially those in rural and urban areas,” the group said. The band offers 500 MHz of “contiguous spectrum ideal for accelerating the 5G mobile and wireless networks, improving opportunistic access to spectrum, and strengthening the capacity of Wi-Fi and other unlicensed services,” they said.
The Hispanic Chamber of Commerce urged FCC OK of Verizon's buy of Tracfone, in a letter posted Wednesday in docket 21-112: “With access to Verizon’s network and resources and increased 5G and international roaming capabilities, a stronger TracFone backed by Verizon will be positioned to compete more aggressively.”
The FCC Wireless Bureau released revised questions for the commercial operator license examination for Element 7 global maritime distress and safety system (GMDSS) operators, after seeking comment in June (see 2106080035). This “reflects state-of-the-art technologies and the current duties and responsibilities,” the bureau said Wednesday: Testers “may begin using the new question pool immediately or may continue to use the old questions for a period of six months.”
The Wireless Innovation Forum warned of potential problems with data in the universal licensing system, which is to be used for locating fixed microwave links in 6 GHz under FCC rules for automated frequency control. “There are inherent issues with the ULS and some of the data contained in it,” including blank, conflicting and uncollected data, WInnForum said. Members of the forum reported on a call with FCC staff, in filings posted Wednesday in docket 18-295.
The FCC 3.45 GHz auction hit $893 million in gross bids Wednesday, its second day, up from $672.4 million Tuesday (see 2110050068).
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit formally remanded (in Pacer) 2019 RF safety rules to the FCC for further work Tuesday, based on its August decision in Environmental Health Trust v. FCC (see 2108130073).
Ericsson, working with PowerLight Technologies, said Monday it showed a 5G millimeter wave base station can be powered wirelessly, through a laser beam. The technology converts electricity into high-intensity light, converted back to electricity at the base station. Ericsson noted the technology has been shown to work for smaller devices like cellphones. “The ability to safely transfer power across distances without having to be connected to the power grid eliminates one of the big obstacles we have when building new cellsites,” said Kevin Zvokel, Ericsson North America head-networks.
New Street’s Jonathan Chaplin predicts a $25 billion 3.45 GHz auction. “This assumes Verizon drops out and AT&T, T-Mobile, Dish [Network], and others bid aggressively,” the analyst told investors Monday. “If Verizon bids to win,” a $35 billion auction is possible, he wrote: If T-Mobile drops out, “the auction could fail.” The auction starts Tuesday.
The Multicultural Media, Telecom and Internet Council urged FCC OK of Verizon buying Tracfone, in a letter posted Monday in docket 21-112. MMTC noted it normally doesn’t weigh in on such transactions, but “the need to maintain competition and customer choices in this market to benefit the communities we serve convinces us of the need to take a stance.” Giving Tracfone access to the Verizon network “will enhance the quality of service, service plans, and product availability for low income customers,” the group said. Tracfone, meanwhile, cited T-Mobile’s recent move to offer Metro, its prepaid brand, at 2,300 Walmarts (see 2109130009). “Standalone TracFone is constrained in its ability to respond to our main competitors in the prepaid space at the same pace and with the same efficiencies,” the company said. “As a pure reseller, TracFone cannot pivot or adjust its offerings with the speed or agility necessary to compete with the offers of competitors like Metro, Cricket, and Boost that have the backing of a network operator.”