Bluetooth’s new mesh capability enables many-to-many device communications and is optimized for large-scale device networks, the Bluetooth Special Interest Group announced Tuesday: It's suited for building automation, sensor networks and other IoT solutions where “tens, hundreds, or thousands of devices need to reliably and securely communicate with one another,” the group said. This is a “critical enabler” of Bluetooth’s transition from a personal area network and pairing technology to a “more scalable, robust, low-power IoT connectivity solution,” ABI Research analyst Andrew Zignani emailed in a blast Tuesday. Mesh networking opens opportunities where competing wireless connectivity technologies like ZigBee gained traction, Zignani told us. “Monitoring multiple sensors on machinery and relaying this back to a central system for predictive maintenance could be a potential use case.” Announcing support for the Bluetooth standard, Qualcomm expects to support Bluetooth mesh on all of the company’s future generations of Bluetooth LE products. Others announcing support: Toshiba and Silicon Labs (here and here).

Carriers urged the FCC to exercise restraint in imposing new requirements for contraband interdiction systems (CIS), designed to curb the use of illegal cellphones in prisons. A Further NPRM OK'd in March sought comment on contraband devices (see 1703230056). “To mandate beaconing technology, as some suggest, would violate the Commission’s long-standing policy of technological neutrality and would likely have numerous negative consequences,” AT&T replied in docket 13-111. “Similarly, the Commission should not require after-the-fact ‘quiet zones’ around correctional facilities, as such quiet zones would inhibit network design and degrade wireless service for lawful users near correctional facilities.” Allowing use of jammers, as some commenters urge, “would be not only unlawful, but also would harm lawful wireless users while not solving the problem of contraband phones in prisons,” AT&T said. New rules must be feasible, T-Mobile advised. Requirements “should be limited to disabling wireless service and not require fully disabling all device software and functionality,” the carrier said. Effective solutions are “(1) currently available to correctional facilities, and (2) have already been successfully deployed,” T-Mobile said. “Initial comments provide substantial evidence that carriers are already working hand-in-hand with legitimate CIS providers.”

The FCC needs to stick to its deadline to move broadcasters out of the TV band 39 months after the incentive auction ended with the up to $1.75 billion in reimbursements they will get, Krista Witanowski, CTIA assistant vice president-regulatory affairs, blogged Tuesday. “Rules -- authorized by Congress, adopted by the FCC, and upheld by a federal appeals court -- strike a careful balance: protecting TV viewers, providing broadcasters with sufficient flexibility, and allowing wireless providers timely access.” Carriers need the spectrum to deploy service in rural America, Witanowski said. Future auctions rely on sticking to current rules, she said: If "access to spectrum takes longer than promised, trust will erode -- and future auction revenues will decline." Some in the broadcast industry want more time and/or rule tweaks (see 1703220074). “It’s a little rich for CTIA, whose members whipped up a fake ‘spectrum crisis’ hysteria and then went AWOL in the recent TV auction, to demand that the FCC stick to a 39-month deadline," an NAB spokesman said. "Broadcasters intend to work with the FCC to complete this Herculean repack as quickly as possible. But arbitrary deadlines are not the answer, and there should be no illusion that moving 987 TV stations to a new channel can be accomplished without likely delays.”

The FCC shouldn’t make substantial changes to the 3.5 GHz shared band, Dynamic Spectrum Alliance President Kalpak Gude, told an aide to Commissioner Mike O’Rielly. Gude was particularly critical of the changes sought by T-Mobile and CTIA (see 1706200081), said a filing in docket 12-354. He “made clear that significant effort and investment has already occurred for the [Citizens Broadband Radio Service] band by companies from across the communications sector based on the current rules and that DSA would be opposed to any significant changes at this late date,” the filing said. The band also should retain the “fundamental characteristics of the current rules by encouraging investment by entities at the edge of the network, including building owners, companies, campuses, stadiums, etc.,” Gude said.

CTIA told the FCC that advances in contraband interdiction systems (CIS), designed to curb the use of illegal cellphones in prisons, will work best if developed through a shared approach. The FCC approved rules and a Further NPRM on contraband devices in March (see 1703230056). CTIA filed reply comments Friday in docket 13-111. “Additional efforts to advance CIS solutions demand a collaborative approach,” CTIA said. “Several commenters provide meaningful input on the development of a reasonable and lawful policy framework for Cell Detections Systems (CDS) solutions. That framework should establish a cooperative process for wireless carriers, correctional facilities, and CIS providers to advance a meaningful, reasonable, and technology-neutral CDS solution.” CTIA called on the FCC to develop clear definitions of CIS eligibility, qualified requests and parties authorized to make requests.

Reports that SoftBank Chairman Masayoshi Son is negotiating with Warren Buffet and John Malone over an investment in Sprint may have implications for the long-rumored Sprint/T-Mobile merger, Citi said in a Monday note to investors. SoftBank is Sprint’s parent. The news broke in The Wall Street Journal Friday. Citi said one takeaway is that Deutsche Telekom, parent of T-Mobile, looked at buying Sprint and the valuation was relatively low. “In response, Softbank may be looking at new opportunities to capture a better valuation for Sprint’s assets and operations,” Citi said. “We would assess a greater than 50 percent probability that a strategic investment in Sprint is premised on an immediate or eventual attempt to merge Sprint & T-Mobile.” BTIG analyst Walter Piecyk expressed skepticism. The rumored $10 billion to $20 billion investment would represent 23-37 percent of Sprint “assuming it was done with common equity at the current price,” he wrote. “Is that how Buffett and Malone invest?” The logic of a Sprint/T-Mobile deal “is compelling enough that we’ve always assumed the two parties would find a way to at least try to merge,” Craig Moffett of MoffettNathanson told investors. “We still think so.”

The Competitive Carriers Association said Monday it is filing comments at the FCC urging flexibility for states in choosing an alternate to FirstNet to build a network for first responders. “Competitive carriers serve some of the most remote and hard-to-reach areas in the country and are committed to ensuring their customers and public safety officials have access to a robust public safety broadband network, especially during times of an emergency,” CCA President Steve Berry said in a news release. “Although the FirstNet network may be suitable for many states, the state’s ability to opt out is an important feature of the [nationwide public safety broadband network] design, and competition from true opt-out options will ensure the NPSBN meets each state’s individual needs for their first responders and consumers.”

Council Tree is reviewing the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals' rejection of its challenge of an FCC decision to impose a $150 million bidding cap on designated entities in the TV incentive auction and hasn’t decided on next steps, said George Laub, the DE’s managing director. The court handed down its decision Thursday (see 1707130069).

National Advanced Spectrum and Communications Test Network (NASCTN) findings on LTE signal effects on GPS devices released earlier this year (see 1702160056) confirm a 1 dB noise floor interference metric is the best way to assess the effects on GPS, GPS Innovation Alliance said in an FCC docket 12-340 filing Friday. It said a 1 dB decrease in noise floor is associated with quantifiable changes in performance, such as increased mean time between cycle clips. It said NASCTN test data shows a correlation between noise floor degradation and other metrics, backing use of the 1 dB standard for determining harmful interference. Ligado opposed the 1 dB standard for evaluation of its terrestrial wireless broadband plans (see 1702160056). It said it will review the GPSIA filing, but "the only question is whether Ligado's spectrum plan can co-exist with GPS devices. We're pleased that John Deere, Garmin, Trimble, and Topcon -- all of the members of GPSIA -- plus NovAtel have concluded the answer is ‘Yes.’”

Nokia said it made a presentation for FCC staff arguing that the agency should allow mobile operations in the 70 GHz band, shared with incumbent fixed uses. “Typical geometry of deployments of incumbent fixed use and proposed mobile use (including, respective antenna heights and tilt angles), passive mitigation techniques such as strategic location of base stations, as well as active mitigation techniques combine to alleviate interference concerns between proposed 70 GHz mobile services and incumbent fixed service,” Nokia said. The company said in the Friday filing, in docket 14-177, it met with Wireless Bureau and Office of Engineering and Technology officials, including OET Chief Julius Knapp.