NTIA is set to seek comment on the compliance costs of an “NTIA/FCC Web-based Frequency Coordination System” for applicants seeking to operate in the 71–76 GHz, 81–86 GHz and 92–95 GHz bands. The information request is required by the Paperwork Reduction Act and interested parties will have 60 days to comment. The notice is to be published Wednesday in the Federal Register. “The web-based system provides a means for non-federal applicants to rapidly determine the availability of RF spectrum in a specific location, or the need for detailed frequency coordination of a specific newly proposed assignment within the shared portions of the radio spectrum,” NTIA said. “This web-based coordination helps expedite the coordination process for non-federal applicants while assuring protection of government data relating to national security.” The notice projected 4,000 annual responses with an estimated response time of 15 minutes each. The FCC authorized the first 5G operations in high-frequency spectrum in a July order 1510220057).

“The FCC goal of promoting interoperability in the Lower 700 MHz spectrum has been met,” AT&T said in a required report to the agency. In 2013, AT&T and smaller carriers reached a settlement on interoperability in the lower 700 MHz band, an ongoing concern since the 700 MHz auction (see 1309110036). The agreement came under pressure from Commissioner Mignon Clyburn, then acting chairwoman. “In the intervening year since the Fourth Progress Report, there is near universal availability of Band 12 devices for smaller carriers and a plethora of new devices have been introduced,” AT&T said in a fifth progress report. “Carriers have continued to rollout Voice over LTE service on 700 MHz A-Block Spectrum.” The filing was posted in docket 12-69.

Public Knowledge and the Open Technology Institute jointly asked for 14 more days to file oppositions and replies to oppositions on petitions for reconsideration of the FCC spectrum frontiers order. The groups asked that oppositions be due Jan. 31, replies Feb. 7 on petitions seeking changes to the July order opening up high-frequency bands for 5G (see 1607140052). “Movants recognize that the Commission does not ordinarily grant such extensions, but in this case there is good cause to depart from general policy,” the groups said in a filing in docket 14-177. “Given the number of petitions, the complexity and diversity of issues raised, and the timing of the filing of Petitions and their publication around the holidays, it is appropriate that additional time be granted.”

The record in the wireless emergency alerts proceeding “demonstrates a consensus that several of the Commission’s proposed rules pose technical and economic challenges that render implementation infeasible or premature,” CTIA replied, posted Monday in FCC docket 15-91. The association objected in initial comments, too (see 1612090012). “While strongly supportive of efforts to enhance and improve the WEA system, commenters suggest that many of the Commission’s proposed rules either require additional study or could lead to unintended consequences that undermine the functioning of WEA,” CTIA said. Some commenters support proposed changes to the rules, such as requiring multimedia capabilities for alerts or mandating that earthquake alerts be transmitted in three seconds or less, the group said. “Missing from this general support, however, is any record evidence that these new functionalities are deployable by the existing WEA infrastructure or are economically achievable.”

Governance of a mobile in-app viewability measurement technical tool, introduced into the market last year and originally conceived by Integral Ad Science (IAS), will be assumed by the Interactive Advertising Bureau Technology Laboratory, wrote Alanna Gombert, the lab's general manager, in a Friday blog post. The Mobile Verification Open-Source Software Development Kit will permit app publishers to measure their mobile inventories without needing to integrate multiple SDKs from different partners, she wrote. It "will also improve user experience by reducing the load time necessary to run verifications against numerous SDKs," she said. IAB Tech Lab will work with IAS and other partners including Google, InMobi and Lenovo, to further develop the tool, with a first version expected to be released sometime in the next six months, said Gombert.

U.S. Customs and Border Patrol and Hong Kong Customs seized 140 shipments of counterfeit consumer electronics as part of a joint operation in November between the customs administrations, CBP announced. The goods, which included smartphones, adapters, speakers and headsets, would be worth $1.1 million if authentic, CBP said Tuesday. Its mobile intellectual property enforcement team led the joint operation. “This is the third bilateral or multilateral joint operation CBP has conducted with Hong Kong Customs this year,” said Michael Walsh, director of CBP’s Intellectual Property Rights and E-Commerce Division.

More than half of smartwatch owners pay for Spotify or another digital music subscription service, Parks Associates said in a Friday news release. The research firm said 60 percent of smartwatch owners and 58 percent of fitness tracker owners subscribe to streaming audio. But 69 percent of those without digital wrist wear have no music subscription, it said. About one-third of all U.S. broadband households pay for streaming music, it said. The reason for the correlation may be fitness, analyst Glenn Hower said. “Exercising has become a prominent use case for streaming music. People are carrying connected devices with them to the gym or running trails.”

Wireless carriers pledged to provide boosted wireless capacity for the entire presidential inauguration weekend, including protests, AccessNow said in a Thursday blog post. The four carriers promised major capacity upgrades in anticipation of massive data demand expected at the Jan. 20 inauguration (see 1701050059). After AccessNow sent a Dec. 21 letter to AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, Verizon Wireless and U.S. Cellular asking them to continue expanded temporary capacity during demonstrations including the Women’s March on Washington, the carriers indicated they would, AccessNow said. “These actions are a welcome, proactive step by mobile carriers to protect their users and mitigate threats to free expression at an important moment in a democracy,” the group wrote. “Our work fighting internet shutdowns has shown that political events like elections and inaugurations are common targets for disruptions and government surveillance, that can lead to the abuse of fundamental rights, like the rights to free expression and peaceful assembly.” AT&T, Sprint and T-Mobile spokesmen confirmed Friday that boosts would remain through the weekend. Verizon didn't comment.

IoT company ilumi launched at CES a Bluetooth mesh network technology that will integrate home audio, video and lighting. The company also bowed a bridge technology that connects its Bluetooth MeshTek technology to existing Wi-Fi networks and routers. Bluetooth mesh networks accommodate up to 50 devices in a local network that can be controlled by an app, it said.

Fossil Group said at CES it’s doubling its wearables production to 300 new products for 2017, including new brands, up from 140 models last year. Armani Exchange entered the wearables market with Armani Exchange Connected, a collection of hybrid smartwatches. Fossil Q Accomplice, a new hybrid smartwatch, will be the company’s slimmest case to date, and Skagen added the Jorn and Hald hybrid smartwatches, also offering thinner case designs. The new Misfit Vapor is the brand’s first touch-screen smartwatch and includes a heart rate monitor, GPS and stand-alone music functionality, said Fossil.