Mobile Future tapped former FCC Commissioner Robert McDowell as its chief public policy adviser, effective immediately. McDowell is now listed as the group’s top official on its website. He will remain at Cooley. “As an FCC commissioner, McDowell championed public policy that promoted consumer choice and fostered competition,” the group said in a news release. Mobile Future has seen almost a complete change in staff since last year, when former Chairman Jonathan Spalter was tapped to be president of USTelecom (see 1610040059). Former Executive Director Allison Remsen followed Spalter to USTelecom. Diane Smith was named interim chair to replace Spalter and McDowell now has her policy role, but not her title, a Mobile Future spokeswoman said. Rachael Bender, formerly counsel to the group, is now acting wireless adviser to FCC Chairman Ajit Pai. Nydia Gutiérrez is acting Mobile Future executive director while the group works to fill the position on a permanent basis, the spokeswoman said. Mobile Future will focus on helping the U.S. build “a competitive and vibrant wireless ecosystem,” with the launch of 5G and the growing IoT, McDowell said in an interview. “There’s so much to do in the wireless space,” he said. “Wireless is the oxygen for the internet of things and it’s a very exciting time to be helping shape policy in the wireless realm.”

After the Galaxy Note7 debacle, Samsung “is hoping to bring a different kind of heat with the Galaxy S8,” iFixit said Monday in a teardown analysis of the new smartphone based on the ease with which it can be repaired. “Does the S8 have what it takes to blast off without blowing up?” iFixit asked. It rates the S8 a four on a “repairability” scale of zero to 10, with a 10 being easiest to repair. Its key takeaways: (1) “You'd think that after Samsung's less than stellar battery record, they'd have a quick eject system for these little packs.” Not so with the S8, iFixit said. “This cell is firmly (and we mean firmly) adhered. And it's not like it's especially hard to have a removable battery -- it's done all over the phone world.” (2) Lots of components in the S8 “are modular and can be replaced independently,” it said. (3) Front and back glass “make for double the crackability, and strong adhesive on both makes it tough to access the internals for any repair,” it said. (4) “Because of the curved screen, replacing the front glass without destroying the display is extremely difficult.”

T-Mobile said it signed a long-term agreement for up to 160 MW of green power from the new Red Dirt wind project in Oklahoma. The investment is the biggest so far by a wireless carrier in clean power, T-Mobile said. “This arrangement will help T-Mobile increase efficiencies and power the company’s operations across the US, including retail stores, call centers and network operations,” said a news release. The 300 MW-capacity Red Dirt wind project is owned and will be operated by Enel Green Power North America, T-Mobile said. The terms weren't announced.

Enterprise Wireless Alliance President Mark Crosby met with FCC Public Safety Bureau staff about the 470-512 MHz T-band and other issues before the agency. “EWA questioned when the FCC expected to initiate further actions in response to the T-Band reallocation called for in the 2012 Spectrum Act,” said a filing in numerous dockets. EWA “suggested that guidance from the FCC regarding the current and future obligations of industrial, business, and commercial licensees operating on 470-512 MHz T-Band spectrum would be useful.” It's also important to finalize rules on the proposed interference contours for coordinating applications for 800 MHz interstitial channels, the group said. EWA asked about an “anticipated” Further NPRM “regarding [when] the 4.9 GHz band might be revised and returned to the Commission for consideration,” the filing said.

The FCC Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau sought comment on a petition for declaratory ruling by All About the Message (AATM), asking the FCC to declare that a voice message that goes directly to a voicemail box doesn’t constitute a call under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act. As a result, such messages shouldn’t be covered by TCPA prohibitions on the use of an automatic telephone dialing system or an artificial or prerecorded voice, AATM said. Comments are due May 18, replies June 2, in docket 02-278, said a Tuesday notice. “The TCPA does not impose liability for voicemail messages, delivered directly to a voicemail service provider, that never pass through a person’s cellular telephone line, and never result in a charge to the subscriber for the delivery of the message,” AATM said in the March 31 petition. “Such conduct falls outside the plain statutory language and the Commission’s Regulations. What’s more, the Commission lacks the authority to regulate voicemail service.”

FirstNet CEO Mike Poth and Chief Counsel Jason Karp met with FCC Chairman Ajit Pai on the award to AT&T of the contract to build the network. The discussion focused on “the planned timeframes for the development and delivery of State Plans,” said a filing in docket 16-269. “We also discussed the Commission’s responsibility to carefully review a state’s alternative plan to ensure that the interoperability mandated by Congress is not compromised,” FirstNet said. “To accomplish its mission, the Commission should be clear in requiring that alternative plans make substantial commitments to interoperability.” FirstNet officials said they discussed the statutory requirement for a state that opts out to “'develop and complete requests for proposals’” before submitting its alternative plan to the commission. FirstNet repeated it would be nearly impossible for the commission to ensure nationwide interoperability if a state choosing to opt out hasn't awarded a contract to a vendor. The FCC’s decision “must be based on a full factual record and not a simple proposal,” FirstNet said.

Representatives of CTIA and the four major national wireless carriers met with FCC Public Safety Bureau staff on how the carriers can provide the agency with data on their performance on wireless 911 location accuracy. “The nationwide wireless carriers discussed providing, on a voluntary and confidential basis, certain information and data involving Test Bed results and outdoor location accuracy assessments to assist the Bureau’s evaluation of 9-1-1 location accuracy solutions in use by the carriers over time,” said a filing in docket 07-114. The FCC has focused on the issue. The industry is collecting data as required by the FCC in a January 2015 order (see 1501290066).

Crown Castle said it signed an agreement to buy privately held fiber player Wilcon for $600 million from Pamlico Capital and other unit holders of the company. Wilcon owns about 1,900 route miles of fiber, primarily in Los Angeles and San Diego, Crown Castle said in a Monday news release. With the buy, the company said it will own or have rights to more than 28,000 miles of fiber. Crown Castle said it expects to close the deal in Q3 this year. “The acquisition of Wilcon provides us an extensive set of dense metro fiber assets that will enable us to continue to deliver fiber-fed small cell solutions for our wireless customers in our fastest growing and most active market,” said Jay Brown, Crown Castle CEO. “Longer-term, we believe Wilcon’s well-located assets across the greater Los Angeles and San Diego metro areas, combined with its currently low utilization rate, provide us with a long runway of growth opportunities to pursue small cell deployments for our wireless customers as they seek to improve and enhance their networks to meet growing demand for high-speed, high-capacity wireless services.”

The Association of American Railroads urged the FCC to include railroad communications facilities in its efforts to streamline review under the National Environmental Policy Act and the National Historic Preservation Act. AAR met with Wireless Bureau staff, said a filing in docket 17-79. “Any streamlining reforms should apply equally to all new wireless infrastructure (e.g., Part 90 and Part 101 antennas), including Positive Train Control and non-PTC poles,” the group said. “In particular, the Commission can accelerate timely deployment of advanced communications systems that will improve rail safety and efficiency by excluding from review most wireless communications technology and related PTC and non-PTC structures used along railroad transportation corridors, rights-of-way, and rail yards.”

CTIA representatives met with Erin McGrath, aide to Commissioner Mike O’Rielly, about wireless infrastructure siting rules. The FCC is to vote at its Thursday meeting on an NPRM and notice of inquiry on wireless infrastructure deployment (see 1703300060). “CTIA urged the Commission to modernize local review of wireless infrastructure applications, clarify that certain actions prohibit or have the effect of prohibiting wireless service, and ensure that compensation for use of public rights of way is based on the actual, direct costs for managing these public spaces,” said a filing in 17-79. “CTIA further encouraged the Commission to update its shot clocks, broaden the deemed granted remedy, and declare that those policies apply to requests to site facilities on municipal poles and in municipal rights of way.” Verizon General Counsel Craig Silliman, meanwhile, met with Chairman Ajit Pai on 5G and the obstacles to installing small cells. “Small cells are fundamental building blocks for the 4G densification and 5G deployment that will bring next-generation wireless services to consumers,” Verizon said in a filing. “The Commission’s infrastructure proposals, if adopted, would establish a regulatory framework that strongly encourages investment and deployment of vital broadband infrastructure.” Silliman also stressed the importance of high-frequency spectrum to 5G.