Microsoft is pleased the FCC’s draft proposal on wireless mics “takes into account the potential impact on white space devices,” company representatives told an aide to acting FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel. “Microsoft reviewed a series of wireless microphone proceedings and noted its view that for technical reasons, the Part 74 wireless microphone industry seems to care most about the UHF band operations rather than the bands authorized above and below,” said a filing posted Thursday in docket 21-115. Commissioners are to vote next week on the wireless mics NPRM (see 2104010056).

Qualcomm said it completed 5G data calls combining millimeter wave with frequency-division duplexing or time division duplex sub-6 GHz spectrum by using 5G stand-alone mode dual connectivity. It combined the company's Snapdragon X65 5G Modem-RF system and QTM545 mmWave antenna module inside a smartphone form-factor device, demonstrating the ability to aggregate low, mid- and high bands across global combinations, said the company Tuesday. Spectrum aggregation, including dual connectivity using mmWave and sub-6 GHz frequencies, is “critical to delivering multi-Gigabit speeds and massive capacity required for a new generation of consumer and enterprise applications,” said the company. Combining different types of radio spectrum will enable mobile 5G devices to achieve wired broadband-class speeds, even in challenging conditions such as crowded venues and transit hubs, it said.

Michigan’s Consumers Energy asked the FCC for special temporary authority to use Part 22 spectrum in four market areas while a more permanent application is pending. “This spectrum is used for Emergency communications, internal security, plant fire & EMS communications, fuel handling, plant maintenance as well as general use corporate voice communications,” said a Wednesday posting.

Despite concerns expressed by some 6 GHz incumbents (see 2103290028), the Wi-Fi Alliance said it has been active in the 6 GHz Multi-Stakeholder Group (MSG), in a call with an aide to FCC acting Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel. “Some 6 GHz stakeholders wrongly assert that Wi-Fi devices are urgently required to support interference testing,” the alliance said in a filing posted Wednesday in docket 18-295: “But the general issue of unlicensed device coexistence with incumbent services is not within the scope of the MSG’s work,” and the FCC addressed it in its April 2020 order.

Dish Network slammed T-Mobile’s defense of plans to close its legacy CDMA network at the end of this year in a filing posted Wednesday in docket 18-197. T-Mobile’s latest was posted Tuesday (see 2104120035). “T-Mobile makes no effort to challenge the central basis of DISH’s concerns: that the accelerated shutdown of the CDMA network likely will harm millions of Boost consumers, many who already face economic challenges,” Dish said. “This is because the harms are indisputable.” Dish wants the carrier to “honor the commitments it made to regulators under oath and keep the CDMA network operational until at least July 2023.” T-Mobile agreed to sell Boost to Dish as a concession to regulators as it sought approval to buy Sprint. Michael Calabrese, director of the Wireless Future Program at New America, spoke with aides to acting Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel on the group's concerns. “A pandemic emergency is the worst time possible for pre-paid mobile subscribers to lose cellular phone service, or for a rapid transition that reportedly faces the challenges of contacting customers and providing them with a new device, SIM card and/or software upgrade,” he said.

The FCC asked Verizon five pages of questions on its proposed buy of Tracfone. Tracfone got a shorter list of questions. Regulators are expected to take a long look at the deal, which has raised concerns, particularly since the prepaid carrier is a major provider of Lifeline service (see 2104050029). “Explain in detail the steps Verizon will take to continue to offer Lifeline service to existing TracFone Lifeline customers, including those currently on other networks,” said the Wednesday letter to Verizon. It asked how Verizon will compete for more Lifeline customers. The letters were from the Office of Economics and Analytics and posted in docket 21-112. OEA and the Wireless Bureau also handed down an order protecting proprietary and confidential information filed in the docket, with stricter limits on “particularly competitively sensitive information.” Verizon and Tracfone didn’t comment.

CTIA urged the FCC to act on its December petition for reconsideration of portions of the FCC's call authentication trust anchor second report and order, in a call with an aide to acting Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel. CTIA supports Rosenworcel’s “anti-robocall agenda and the Commission’s efforts to strike a careful balance between protecting legitimate calls and protecting consumers from illegal and unwanted robocalls, including calls from outside the U.S.,” said a filing posted Tuesday in docket 17-97: “The Foreign Provider Prohibition may risk upsetting this balance by compelling U.S. voice service providers to block legitimate traffic, especially from Americans travelling or working abroad that rely upon mobile wireless roaming services.”

Mobile operators are struggling to create average revenue per user (ARPU) uplift from 5G network upgrades as mobile data revenue in Q4 fell below $1 per gigabyte for the first time, reported Strategy Analytics Tuesday. Cellular data traffic grew 35% year on year in Q4, but total mobile service revenue inched up just 0.6%, it said. Weak service revenue growth in strong 5G markets -- South Korea and China -- “paint a challenging picture for consumer 5G value creation across the globe in 2021,” said the researcher. Subscriptions used on 5G networks grew from 2.1% in September to 3% three months later; China had 80% of global totals, it said. Speed-based, tiered unlimited data plans in Finland helped lift ARPU by 17% over the past five years, compared with a 15% decline across Western Europe, noted SA. “Volume-based data pricing is going to cause a headache for many operators conditioned to utility-based revenue or cost per unit thinking,” said Phil Kendall, director-service provider group. With the capacity gains offered by 5G “diluting value per Gigabyte, operators need ‘more for more’ pricing that offers revenue uplift through better experiences and richer content rather than through more data,” he said. Carriers need to “educate users away from high-volume low-cost plans and the idea that 150GB is meaningfully better than 100GB,” said analyst Josie Sephton. Consumers are picking price plans that fit their budget first, data usage requirements second, she said: “We are in a data pricing merry-go-round that needs to be reset.”

Information collection requirements included in the FCC’s wireless E911 location accuracy rules were approved by the OMB and take effect Wednesday, says that day's Federal Register.

Competitive Carriers Association representatives urged the FCC to create a new category of citizens broadband radio service devices allowed to operate at higher power levels than under current rules. “CCA’s initial analysis indicates that higher-power operations would increase the utility of the band … without increasing the risk of interference to other services,” said a filing posted Monday in docket 19-348: Higher power levels would “increase the array of use cases supported by CBRS spectrum, provide more technical and operational flexibility for users of the band, and improve wireless coverage in rural America.” CCA proposed allowing devices to operate at a maximum equivalent, isotropically radiated power of 62 dBm/10 MHz and allow user equipment to operate at 26 dBm. CCA spoke with aides to the four commissioners.