Schools and public interest groups said the FCC should extend by 60 days comment deadlines on a May NPRM on the future of the 2.5 GHz band (see 1805100053). The Catholic Technology Network and the National Educational Broadband Service Association earlier sought 45-day extension (see 1806180041). “Joint Stakeholders require additional time to respond fully, given the broad scope of the NPRM, the complexity of the issues it raises, and the challenges of a summer comment cycle for educators,” said a filing in docket 18-120. “provide enough time to build a thorough record for its ultimate decision by ensuring that all interested parties have sufficient opportunity to develop and submit responsive comments.” The Schools, Health & Libraries Broadband Coalition, North American Catholic Educational Programing Foundation, Voqal, Educators and Broadband Providers for American Rural Communities, School Board of Broward County in Florida, Florida Gateway College, Florida Atlantic University, Miami-Dade County Public Schools, Public Knowledge and Open Technology Institute at New America signed. Comments are due July 9, replies Aug. 6.
The Electronic Privacy Information Center lacks standing to compel the FAA to create drone privacy rules, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit ruled Tuesday. In its 2016 lawsuit against the FAA, EPIC said the FAA Modernization Act identified "privacy as an important issue to address" in a comprehensive plan to integrate drones into the national airspace (see 1702280006). “The speculative nature of the injury alleged means that EPIC has failed to show that these rules caused either a substantially increased risk of harm or a substantial probability of harm in light of that increased risk,” wrote Judge David Sentelle in the opinion with Judges Merrick Garland and Raymond Randolph. “The FAA has not impaired or injured EPIC’s activities.” EPIC will keep pushing for drone privacy safeguards at the agency, the group said Tuesday. "The ruling speaks for itself," an FAA spokesperson said.
Amazon joined the Dynamic Spectrum Alliance as a charter member, the alliance said Monday. Other members include Google, Facebook, Microsoft, Nominet and Adaptrum. “Our products and services are smarter, faster and more convenient because we have access to unlicensed wireless spectrum,” said Brian Huseman, Amazon vice-president public policy.
Smartwatches in 2022, possibly by 2020, “will make today's smartwatches seem quaint" because adding cellular connectivity and integration with IoT devices enables more efficiencies and “steady" market growth in coming years, IDC analyst Ramon Llamas said Monday: Smartwatches will evolve to include more features and functionalities. Apple's including cellular connectivity on the latest Watch brings “much-needed attention” to the smartwatch category from telcos and boosts consumer acceptance, the research firm said. Other vendors are likely to follow, it said. The wearables market is forecast to have a dip in growth this year, advancing 8.2 percent to 124.9 million units, compared with 10.3 percent in 2017, IDC reported. It’s expected to return to double-digit growth from 2019 to 2022.
Next LED Signs agreed to pay $21,000 and implement a compliance plan to end an investigation of RF violations, the FCC Enforcement Bureau said. The bureau proposed fines against several billboard companies alleging similar violations (see 1805180068). “To settle this matter, Next LED admits that it marketed LED signs without the required equipment authorization, labeling, and user manual disclosures,” the bureau said. The company didn’t comment.
The Wireless Bureau clarified that FCC Part 87 rules let aeronautical enroute stations transmit aircraft operational control (AOC) and air traffic control communications in 136.4875-137.000 MHz, as long as priority is accorded to ATC communications. The bureau took the step at the request of the FAA. “The FAA is currently implementing the Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen) program, one component of which is Data Communications (Data Comm), which will augment the existing analog voice system for aviation communications with a digital communications system to offload repetitive and routine communications from the voice frequencies and to transmit complex instructions for which voice transmission would be cumbersome and time-consuming,” the bureau explained. “Data Comm will use aeronautical enroute stations for transmission of digital data that includes both ATC and AOC traffic, with ATC automatically accorded priority.”
Education and business technology company Sector 5 is seeking in parallel FCC and CE approval of its wireless charging technology, including 15-watt, 30-watt and 50-watt solutions. The company, which said Monday it recently completed final testing, didn’t respond to questions.
The Catholic Technology Network and the National Educational Broadband Service (EBS) Association asked the FCC to extend the initial and reply comment deadlines on a May NPRM on the future of the 2.5 GHz band (see 1805100053). “By extending the comment cycle for an additional 45 days, the Commission can ensure that the EBS community has an adequate opportunity to evaluate and respond to the important issues raised in the Notice,” the groups said Friday in docket 18-120. If the FCC agrees, initial comments should be due Aug. 23, replies Sept. 20, they said.
NTIA is releasing an updated version of its "Manual of Regulations and Procedures for Federal Radio Frequency Management," effective Monday. It updates the agency's manual, "with which federal agencies must comply when requesting use of radio frequency spectrum,” says the Federal Register. “NTIA is making changes to the regulatory text to comply with the Incorporation by Reference formatting structure.”
The upcoming Tribal Mobility Fund Phase II auction should be weighted to provide money for the most remote and difficult to serve tribal lands, Smith Bagley Inc. told the FCC. SBI reported on meetings between Chairman Kevin Frawley and FCC staff. The carrier “presented demographic data from the U.S. Census and the Commission’s Connect2Health initiative demonstrating that the Tribal lands where SBI serves, as well as a number of others in the Lower 48, remain at a severe disadvantage compared to many other Tribal lands, and the rest of the nation.” It "would be a significant setback for the Commission’s ongoing efforts to promote telephone and broadband penetration on Tribal lands if the Tribal Mobility Fund II auction disbursed all of its funds to areas with better demographics and lower costs to serve, to the exclusion of the nation’s most challenging Tribal lands,” the carrier said, posted Friday in docket 10-90.