If the idea of elevating satellite downlinks to primary status in the 460-470 MHz band moves forward at 2019's World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC), terrestrial operations -- particularly public safety ones -- need adequate protection, the National Public Safety Telecommunications Council said in a filing to be posted in FCC docket 16-185. NPSTC said it backs Land Mobile Communications Council recommendations for terrestrial operation protection, including the involvement of Part 90 private land mobile radio users in formulating rule changes, inclusion of LMCC and private land mobile radio representation in testing; barring continuous carrier mode without satellite monitoring; no satellite operation over certain Part 90 low power pool channels; and required use of reduced power density, spread spectrum technology and other mitigation measures discussed in Resolution No. 766 adopted at WRC-15 and potentially to be discussed more at WRC-19.

Rivada Networks asked the FCC to devise rules for opting out of FirstNet that allow states the chance to decide their own destinies. Commissioners are scheduled to vote on rules at their June 22 meeting (see 1706010049). “There is no technical or legal reason that a state [network] must exclusively use the FirstNet core for all core functions, as compared with using the FirstNet core for some functions with states or their partners providing others,” Rivada said in a filing in docket 16-269. “Requiring that states only use FirstNet core elements significantly impinges on local operational control of public safety broadband communications.” Rivada Mercury lost out on its rival bid to AT&T to help build FirstNet (see 1703300007). “Allowing states to operate their own radio access network with attendant core elements interconnected and interoperating with FirstNet provides an important benchmark for evaluating FirstNet’s operation of its portions of the nationwide public safety broadband network during the initial, and subsequent, ten-year terms of the statutorily mandated license,” Rivada said.

The FCC need not issue another NPRM before eliminating the personal-use restriction on consumer cell-signal boosters, Wilson officials said in a meeting with Wireless Bureau staff. The company requested the change in December and the FCC took comment (see 1703240041). The FCC already has a record, Wilson said in a filing in docket 10-4. “Comments supporting the elimination of the restriction on wideband signal boosters were filed in response to the Commission’s further notice of proposed rulemaking that was issued in 2014,” the company said. “The public notice that was issued this year gave notice of the rule change that Wilson proposed and solicited comments on whether the restriction should be lifted for wideband boosters, as well as for Provider-Specific Consumer Signal Boosters.” Wilson officials said in December, with more people working from home, it's tough for many to differentiate whether they’re using a booster only for personal calls or for business as well (see 1612200061).

General Wireless, which owns the RadioShack brand in the U.S., Canada and many other global markets, hired Hilco Streambank, an intellectual property disposition firm, to sell its RadioShack assets in a stalking-horse auction, Hilco said in a Friday announcement. The auction is scheduled for July 20, with bids due by July 18, Hilco said. Sprint’s 2015 agreement with General Wireless to run co-branded RadioShack-Sprint mobility stores quickly soured, and that became the trigger that sent RadioShack hurtling in March toward its second bankruptcy filing in as many years (see 1703090038).

As the wireless industry moves to 5G, winners and losers are starting to emerge from among carriers, Macquarie Capital wrote investors Friday. “In the US, AT&T and Sprint have solid spectrum assets but diversification is needed,” the firm said. “If Sprint and T-Mobile unite, the NewCo would have 300MHz+ of low/mid/high-band spectrum." The "biggest change that 5G brings is the use of a diverse set of assets including high-band spectrum aka mmWave (30-300GHz), fiber, and Wi-Fi; this has shifted the value of spectrum,” analyst firm said.

The Office of Management and Budget approved for three years information collection requirements in FCC-revised rules for the 3.5 GHz shared band, approved by commissioners in April 2016 (see 1604280062). A notice is scheduled to be published in Monday's Federal Register, with the rules to take effect 21 days later. OMB signed off earlier on the initial rules, the notice said. “The amendments contained in the Second Report and Order create additional capacity for wireless broadband by adopting a new approach to spectrum management to facilitate more intensive spectrum sharing between commercial and federal users and among multiple tiers of commercial users,” the notice says. “The Spectrum Access System (SAS) will use the information to authorize and coordinate spectrum use for Citizen Broadband Radio Service Devices (CBSDs). The Commission will use the information to coordinate among the spectrum tiers and determine Protection Areas for Priority Access Licensees (PALs).” Meanwhile, the FCC is again looking to change the rules, with Commissioner Mike O’Rielly overseeing a new round of revisions (see 1704190056).

Apple had the highest average share of U.S. smartphone subscribers ages 13 and older in the three months ended April 30, comScore said in rankings. Apple’s 43.9 percent share beat Samsung’s 28.9 percent and LG’s 9.9 percent. Apple’s share slipped 0.7 percentage points from the 44.6 percent average share it held in the three months ended Jan. 31, said Thursday's report. LG’s share slipped 0.4 percentage points from the January rankings, but Samsung’s share was 0.9 percentage points higher. Android’s 54 percent average share of platforms in the three months ended April 30 beat Apple’s 43.9 percent.

Crown Castle International officials met with analysts in New York and forecast a bright future for small cells, analysts emailed investors. The company said it had 25,000 small-cell nodes “in its current pipeline,” said Jennifer Fritzsche of Wells Fargo: “Expect to see annual run-rate to emerge over the next 18-24 months. In order to achieve its small cell targets, CCI noted it would require a lot of external labor. The company estimates that of its current markets, CCI wins about 50 percent share of small cell builds, with the balance being a mix of carrier self-perform builds or other competitors.” Executives said earnings on small cells have been above its expectations in markets where the company owns the underlying fiber, Fritzsche said. CCI officials said “small cell deployment is not even in the early innings,” reported Amy Yong of Macquarie Capital. Fifth generation "will expand the wireless landscape as low latency becomes the norm and speed/capacity increase exponentially,” Yong wrote. “New entrants could include IoT, auto manufacturers in their pursuit of the connected car, and Silicon Valley. Small cells and [millimeter wave] will be deployed in dense urban areas, but nationwide 5G will leverage low-mid band spectrum.”

The nation’s 5G future and resulting economic benefits “are imperiled by a patchwork of burdensome and inconsistent local siting requirements that impact a carrier's ability to effectively deploy new towers and small cells,” the Competitive Carriers Association said in a paper released Thursday. “Unless federal regulations keep pace with the rapid growth of consumer data consumption and the need to build a broadband infrastructure capable of meeting those needs, challenges will continue to leave many Americans on the wrong side of the digital divide.” CCA said a focus must be limiting fees charged by tribal governments as part of the historic review process. Members “have faced fees ranging from $250 to $1,650 per Tribe per location” this and last year, the paper said. “That is an average of more than $6,300 per project.”

NPD expanded its retail tracking service to include point-of-sale data on smartwatch display size, GPS functionality and operating systems, the company announced Monday.