Ford counseled against rechannelizing the 5.9 GHz ​band as sought by Wi-Fi advocates (see 1704130045), said a filing in docket 13-49 on a meeting of Ford executives with Nicholas Degani, aide to FCC Chairman Ajit Pai. “Mr. Degani inquired of the Ford representatives whether the company would deploy DSRC [dedicated short-range communications]-based V2V [vehicle-to-vehicle] technology absent a mandate from the federal government,” the filing said. Ford researcher Michael Shulman “stated that Ford has made no public commitment to that effect but also that the company would comply with any related federal mandate,” Ford said. “He further suggested it would be instructive to consider the case of Europe, where V2V deployment without a government mandate has not yet achieved critical mass.”

Nextlink Wireless executives, including CEO Lisa Youngers, explained to FCC officials the company’s case (see 1704060040) for making changes to last July’s spectrum frontiers order. Nextlink argued the June 2024 performance deadline for incumbent upper microwave flexible use licensees is too onerous and may deter development of mobile technology. “Nextlink commended the FCC for acting quickly to adopt flexible use rules for several bands of millimeter-wave band spectrum, including a portion of the 28 GHz band,” said a filing in docket 14-177. “Nextlink expressed concern, however, that the new UMFU service rules and the segregation of the 28 GHz A1 band were established well before the characteristics of (much less standards for) fifth-generation ... service have taken form and may not serve as an optimal platform for innovation or investment.” Nextlink representatives met with officials from the Wireless and International bureaus and the Office of Engineering and Technology.

Top officials from Competitive Carriers Association member companies urged the FCC to act on changes to wireless infrastructure siting rules. The letter, in docket 17-83, was timed to the first meeting of the FCC’s new Broadband Deployment Advisory Committee (see 1704210050). The CCA executives had five specific requests. The BDAC should at minimum “reduce unnecessary delays throughout state and local siting requirements” and “support new buildout opportunities by suggesting that [the] Commission limit inconsistent and often exorbitant right-of-way ('ROW') fees to actual costs of review and ROW maintenance,” the letter said. The FCC should also “seek to reduce growing costs attached to historic and environmental review requirements and establish reasonable review timelines; … streamline siting on federal lands, including reasonable fee and timing clarifications; and … perhaps cumulatively, create and recommend adoption of a model code which will provide certainty as we work with various state and local governments to upgrade and deploy broadband infrastructure,” the letter said.

T-Mobile told the FCC it's time to end uncertainty and dismiss a Rural Wireless Association application for review (AFR) of a Wireless Bureau waiver of buildout rules for Bresnan Communications in Montana (see 1612210038). T-Mobile is deploying service spectrum and said in a letter to the agency it met the first benchmark requirement two months early. “T-Mobile continues to meet the required deadlines the Bureau established, confirming the Bureau’s determination that the public interest would be served by granting the requested waiver so that the citizens of Montana can receive competitive wireless services,” the letter said. “Nevertheless, in order to remove any remaining uncertainty regarding the relief the Bureau provided, the Commission should promptly dismiss the RWA AFR.” The letter was filed in 16-319.

CTIA and member companies offered their latest thoughts on high-frequency spectrum, in meetings with staff from the FCC Office of Engineering and Technology and aides to Commissioners Mignon Clyburn and Ajit Pai. CTIA “supported the Commission moving forward with making the 24 GHz, 32 GHz, 42 GHz, 47 GHz, and 50 GHz bands available for licensed, terrestrial services and likewise authorizing the 40-42 GHz band for terrestrial operations, thereby enabling the opportunity to create a contiguous 5.5 gigahertz block of spectrum from 37-42.5 GHz,” said a filing in docket 14-177. “America’s 5G leadership will depend on a mix of low-, mid-, and high-band spectrum, and CTIA encourages the Commission to evaluate opportunities in each of these frequency ranges to foster next-generation wireless networks and technologies.” Sprint, T-Mobile and Verizon representatives were at the meetings.

Fifth Amendment protections apply at the border, giving people the right to refuse to supply passwords to their electronic devices in most circumstances, said the Electronic Frontier Foundation in a Wednesday blog post. EFF criminal defense staff attorney Stephanie Lacambra said the Fifth Amendment gives people the right to remain silent and to refuse to provide evidence that could be held against them. If a Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agent asks a question, a person can respond that he or she chooses to remain silent and ask for a lawyer, said Lacambra. CBP agents can pressure people to "voluntarily" talk and they’re "permitted to lie ... to convince you to waive your right to remain silent." Some courts have "held that a person's request for an attorney is enough to invoke the privilege against self-incrimination, even at the border. And that privilege includes refusing to provide the password to your device," she said, adding that other courts have been less protective. In the first six months of FY 2017, CBP reported searching electronic devices of nearly 15,000 international travelers to the U.S., more than in past years (see 1704110051). The agency has increasingly sought access to devices from American citizens and permanent residents as well, prompting a bipartisan bill requiring a warrant be obtained before searching such devices (see 1704050030 and 1703170019). Lacambra said refusing to provide a password results in different consequences depending on a person's status. CBP agents can't detain a U.S. citizen indefinitely though they may flag a person for heightened screening in the future. Agents may "raise complicated questions" about a green-card holder's status, and a foreign visitor may be denied entry, she said. Regardless of a person's status, CBP can seize a device and hold it for months, she added.

The Dynamic Spectrum Alliance (DSA) urged the FCC to move forward on key parts of its remaining work on the 3.5 GHz shared band, in a letter posted in docket 12-354. A year ago, the FCC approved final rules establishing a three-tiered access and sharing model between federal and nonfederal incumbents, priority access licensees (PALs) in the 3550-3650 GHz part of the band and general authorized access users (see 1504170055) in the band. Industry has demonstrated interest in the citizens band radio service spectrum (CBRS) in a number of developments since, DSA said. “These include a recent successful test deployment of a private LTE network, a rural broadband project that demonstrates the types of investments and innovation that private enterprise has made since the adoption of the rules, and technological advancements for improving the indoor cellular experience," DSA said. “These and other developments have been made primarily by the 42 companies participating in the CBRS Alliance.” Now the FCC needs to move, the letter said. DSA urged the FCC to develop rules for a PAL auction and certify the spectrum access systems and environmental sensing capability of operators who will help manage sharing “as soon as possible in order to open the 3.5 GHz band for companies poised to deploy their networks.” DSA also reacted to reports the FCC will revise rules for the band (see 1703160029). “Finally, in light of the recent news that there may be interest at the Commission in considering changes to the Part 96 framework, we also caution that injecting regulatory uncertainty at this late stage will have the effect of reducing or stranding current investment, deterring future investment, and ultimately setting back active use of the 3.5 GHz band to square one,” DSA said.

FirstNet sees momentum beyond the U.S. on networks for first responders, FirstNet President TJ Kennedy said in a Wednesday blog post. “At least 17 countries are considering some form of a nationwide LTE broadband network dedicated to public safety,” Kennedy said. “What these nations have in common is the goal of bringing reliable high-speed wireless communications to public safety, whenever and wherever they need it.” Kennedy noted FirstNet recently hosted seven nations -- Canada, the U.K., Korea, Australia, Sweden, Finland and Norway -- at an international forum. “Each country must create a business model to meet its needs,” Kennedy said. “There are many decisions to be made: How to create an affordable system? How to make it sustainable? How to cover the whole population, including remote areas? How to leverage existing infrastructure, owned both by government and commercial telecommunications?”

The Arizona Department of Corrections told the FCC it needs all the help it can get from the commission to fight contraband cellphones in its prisons. “First and foremost, anything the FCC can do to enlist or mandate the carriers in assisting correctional facilities to eliminate service to contraband wireless devices would be welcome,” the department said in a filing in docket 13-111. There's no easy fix, the department said. “The problem will not be solved by technology, people, dogs or service carriers alone,” it said. “Correctional facilities need many tools made available to combat this problem. Most important, this problem is not just a prison or jail problem, this is a societal problem. Society at large can benefit by enlisting carriers to join in combating contraband wireless devices.” Last month, FCC commissioners approved rules and a Further NPRM aimed at speeding deployment of contraband interdiction systems in correctional facilities (see 1703230056).

Ericsson will have products ready for commercial deployment in the 600 MHz band in Q3, with tests to start before that, a spokeswoman emailed. Earlier this week, questions arose whether T-Mobile and others that bought licenses in the TV incentive auction will have trouble finding devices and network equipment as they deploy in the newly opened band (see 1704170042). “Ericsson is committed to the 600 MHz market and so are the 600 MHz licensees,” the spokeswoman emailed Wednesday. “Besides the focus that T-Mobile has demonstrated towards providing service in this band as early as the end of this year, 600 MHz is also starting to gain regional harmonization as Mexico and Canada, for instance, take further steps to provide services in this band. We also expect the allocation of the 600 MHz for mobile terrestrial service to gain global momentum now that the incentive auction has drawn to a successful conclusion.”