The Competitive Carriers Association moved to a new headquarters at 601 New Jersey Ave. NW, Suite 820, the group said Tuesday, "located just steps away from the Capitol."

NTIA confirmed it plans a June 12 symposium on administration spectrum policy (see 1804250063). The focus will be on “the development and implementation of national spectrum policies to support continuing U.S. leadership and innovation in wireless telecommunications and other spectrum-dependent technologies,” says Wednesday's ​Federal Register. The event will run from 8:30-11 a.m. at the National Press Club.

The Wireless Infrastructure Association asked about the status of the FCC’s draft twilight towers program comment. In December, commissioners approved a public notice on how twilight towers could be made available for collocation of wireless facilities without additional historic review (see 1712140049). WIA encouraged the FCC to continue “efforts to reduce regulatory barriers to wireless infrastructure deployment,” said a filing in 17-83 on a meeting with an aide to Commissioner Brendan Carr. “WIA also discussed the progress of the Commission’s Broadband Deployment Advisory Committee deliberations.” WIA representatives also met with an aide to Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel.

FirstNet and AT&T are making progress, but challenges remain, the Congressional Research Service warned in a recent report. “While governors allowed FirstNet/AT&T to deploy the network in their states, there is no requirement for state and local public safety agencies to use the network,” CRS said. “FirstNet/AT&T must attract users to the network to ensure the network is self-sustaining.” Verizon has its own public safety offering to “entice users,” which also could affect enrollment, CRS said. Some agencies are reluctant to sign on, “citing uncertainties with the resiliency, reliability, and security of the network, coverage, and cost,” it said. “Other agencies have expressed an unwillingness to join until FirstNet can provide mission critical voice features -- essential features that responders have on their radios and use during emergencies -- that will not be available from FirstNet until 2019.”

Negotiations on the future of the 3.5 GHz citizens broadband radio service band are on. FCC Commissioner Mike O’Rielly called in several principals last week for a meeting, said a filing in docket 17-258. The Competitive Carriers Association, CTIA, General Electric, NCTA, NTCA, the Rural Wireless Association and the Wireless ISP Association attended. “The parties explained the importance of the 3.5 GHz band to serving a variety of business cases and deployment plans,” said a joint filing. “The parties specifically offered their perspectives on the geographic licensing areas for Priority Access Licenses in the 3.5 GHz band, consistent with their respective filings in this proceeding.”

Blu Products settled with the FTC over allegations the mobile phone manufacturer allowed a third-party service provider from China to collect personal information about consumers without consent despite privacy agreements, the agency said Monday. Blu “misled consumers by falsely claiming that they limited third-party collection of data from users of BLU’s devices to only information needed to perform requested services,” FTC alleged. The company “falsely represented" personal information protections, the agency said. BLU didn’t comment.

Members and staff of ACT|The App Association told FCC Commissioner Mike O’Rielly 5G is critical to the internet economy. ACT “encouraged the Commission to support wireless broadband infrastructure buildout by streamlining regulations for small-cell deployment, which will enable more efficient densification of today’s networks and the deployment of advanced wireless infrastructure,” said a filing in docket 17-79. “Members depend on strong connectivity.” The association is tracking the future of the citizens broadband radio service band: “The 3.5 GHz band is particularly useful for wireless broadband connectivity because it can extend the reach of wireless broadband services.”

The FCC partially granted a FairPoint Communications USF waiver request and opened a pleading cycle for competitive challenges to previously unidentified areas where the ILEC is seeking belated initial Connect America Fund broadband-oriented support. FairPoint, now owned by Consolidated Communications, sought waiver of a rule requiring carriers accepting CAF Phase I, Round 2 incremental support to identify areas by wire center and census block where they will deploy broadband to meet deployment duties. Partial waiver "will preserve FairPoint’s efforts to advance broadband availability in unserved areas and promote the efficient and effective use" of CAF I support," said a Wireline Bureau order in docket 10-90 and in Monday's Daily Digest. It established "a limited challenge process for determining whether any unsubsidized competitors serve any of the 185 census blocks FairPoint did not identify during the earlier challenge process as of April 27." Challenges are due May 29 and a FairPoint response is due June 29, said a bureau public notice: challengers must show "they currently offer Internet service at speeds of 3 Mbps downstream and 768 kbps upstream or higher in the identified census blocks." FairPoint/Consolidated didn't comment.

Representatives of the National Educational Broadband Service Association and Catholic Technology Network met with aides to FCC Chairman Ajit Pai to express general support for a draft NPRM on changes to the 2.5 GHz band. Commissioners are to vote at their May 10 meeting (see 1804200023). “We expressed our support for the initiation of this proceeding and intention to work with the Commission to ensure that unlicensed EBS spectrum is put to use for the benefit of educators, broadband service providers, and the public,” said a filing in docket 18-20. The groups had quibbles and questioned use of census tracts for licensing, which they said “may not be as efficient” as using counties. “Mutually exclusive applications for new licenses may be more prevalent than anticipated in the NPRM,” the filing said. “Requiring a 20 percent spectrum reserve for new licenses appears inconsistent with other proposals in the NPRM.” They said a proposal to eliminate the current 30-year term limit for future EBS leases “may not be in the best interest” of licensees.

Carriers and prison officials met Monday on contraband cellphones, as expected (see 1804270062). “ASCA and CTIA are committed to protecting the public from the dangers posed by contraband cellphones in the hands of prison inmates,” CTIA and the Association of State Correctional Administrators said jointly. “We welcome the FCC’s continued focus on this problem and today’s task force meeting marked the beginning of an important partnership. It’s clear there’s no easy answer, but ASCA and CTIA launched an initiative today to begin to identify and test solutions in the coming months for stamping out the use of contraband cellphones.”