The FCC is extending a waiver of Form 740 certification requirements for imported RF devices until June 30, said an Office of Engineering and Technology order. The FCC has been considering its 2015 proposal to eliminate filing at time of entry of importer certifications (see 1607130011). It “does not appear” that the rulemaking will be complete by the time the current waiver of Form 740 filing requirements expires Dec. 31 (see 1510190056), said Thursday's order.

The FCC Wireless Bureau sought comment on an Alaska Wireless Network (AWN) request for revised buildout rules for a single lower 700 MHz A-block license covering the entire state. AT&T has a similar request pending for a 700 MHz license there (see 1612070053). AWN asked the FCC to waive the geographic-based benchmarks in favor of AWN covering 50 percent of the license’s population by Tuesday and 70 percent of the population by June 13, 2019. Comments are due Jan. 3, replies Jan. 13 in docket 16-402, the bureau said in a Monday notice.

CTIA representatives stressed the importance of flexibility in a final series of meetings at the FCC on a draft order on a common standard for the transition from text technology (TTY) to real-time text (RTT). The order is set for a vote at Thursday’s commissioner meeting, though it could get pulled from the agenda (see 1612080054). "Wireless manufacturers and service providers who choose to support RTT to satisfy their TTY obligations" need "flexibility in the implementation of RTT in wireless networks and devices,” CTIA said in a filing in docket 16-145. “If the Commission permits wireless manufacturers and service providers to satisfy their TTY obligations through RTT, the Commission should ensure wireless service providers and manufacturers have the flexibility to satisfy that obligation through a downloadable application or native functionality.” Officials from CTIA, AT&T and Verizon met with aides to the five FCC members and others at the agency.

A coalition headed by AT&T appears likely to win the contract to build the FirstNet network (see 1612050026), Wells Fargo analyst Jennifer Fritzsche wrote investors. "This would be a very good development and the depth of its spectrum portfolio,” she wrote Friday of the carrier, which trades as "T." AT&T would get access to 20 MHz of 700 MHz spectrum already cleared for deployment and $7 billion to help pay for the build, she said. “The open question revolves around how incremental it is going to be to the towers group,” she said. “While there could be some headlines around T moving toward alliances with other tower cos to help with this build, we believe it would be difficult to build a nationwide public safety network without touching the three public tower companies' tower portfolio.” Fritzsche said she doesn’t believe the development caused AT&T to give up on the incentive auction. “Talking to many spectrum experts we believe T is likely still very much there in the auction,” she wrote. “In our view, the weaker than expected numbers in this auction are more being driven by the auction mechanics.”

The Department of Transportation released an NPRM potentially opening the door to Wi-Fi calling during commercial flights. The Thursday NPRM seeks comment on whether airlines should have to disclose their policy on airborne cellphone discussions or whether the department should ban such calling entirely on flights within or to and from the U.S. FCC rules “prohibit the use of mobile devices on certain radio frequencies onboard aircraft, including for voice calls,” DOT said in a news release: They don't "cover WiFi and other means by which it may become possible to make voice calls.” In 2013 the FCC sought comment on a proposal to allow in-flight calls (see 1312130061). “Consumers deserve to have clear and accurate information about whether an airline permits voice calls before they purchase a ticket and board the aircraft,” said Secretary of Transportation Anthony Foxx. The plan would "ensure that air travelers are not unwillingly exposed to voice calls, as many of them are troubled over the idea of passengers talking on cell phones in flight," he said. Sens. Ed Markey, D-Mass., and Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., Friday urged DOT to prohibit in-flight calling. “Small seats, little legroom and, now, cell phone chatter -- air travel could become even less comfortable if consumers are surrounded by passengers talking on mobile phones,” they said in a news release.

The FCC should impose a schedule for the post-incentive auction transition that keeps things moving forward, the Competitive Carriers Association said in a filing in docket 16-306. “Strike the appropriate balance to maintain flexibility along with certainty of phased completion dates, as wireless providers and other stakeholders have begun engaging in their own planning activities in reliance on these timelines,” CCA asked the agency. The association said the record shows equipment companies are ramping up to meet the challenge. CCA cited antenna equipment manufacturers Dielectric and Electronics Research and broadcast transmitter manufacturer GatesAir. The companies “wisely are preparing for the post-auction transition by acquiring capital investments, testing equipment, building additional facilities, and revamping product lines to meet expected demands necessary to complete the repack,” the group said.

Samsung is clamping down harder in its bid to get any last remaining Galaxy Note7s off the street, the company said in a Friday status update about the recalled fire-prone smartphone. “We’ve had overwhelming participation” in the recall effort, with more than 93 percent of the recalled phones having been returned for a refund or replacement, Samsung said. Given the 1.9 million Note7s listed as in circulation in the Consumer Product Safety Commission’s Oct. 13 recall notice (see 1610130044), that leaves roughly 133,000 devices at large. A recent Samsung software update limited the phone’s ability to charge to above 60 percent of its capacity, and that measure apparently helped to reduce the number of devices from the 285,000 that were still on the street as of mid-November (see 1611070038). Samsung said Friday it’s taking the extra step of releasing a new software update Dec. 19 that will prevent any remaining Note7s from charging altogether “and will eliminate their ability to work as mobile devices.” Consumer safety “remains our highest priority,” the company said. Verizon -- in a development that typified the many surprises marking the Note7 since the phone's August debut -- pushed back against Samsung, saying it won't take part in the Dec. 19 software update. Verizon worries that rendering the phone "useless" poses "added risk" to Note7 users who "do not have another device to switch to," said Jeffrey Nelson, Verizon vice president-global corporate communications, in a Friday statement. "We will not push a software upgrade that will eliminate the ability for the Note7 to work as a mobile device in the heart of the holiday travel season. We do not want to make it impossible to contact family, first responders or medical professionals in an emergency situation." In yet another twist, Sprint in a statement late Friday said Samsung would release the debilitating software update starting Jan. 8, not Dec. 19, as the Samsung website still listed as of 5 p.m. EST. Unlike the Verizon statement, the Sprint statement was neutral on whether it would take part in the update. Samsung representatives didn’t comment Friday.

The International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) passed a resolution expressing continuing support for FirstNet, the network said Thursday. “FirstNet would not be where it is today without the unwavering support” of the IACP, FirstNet CEO Mike Poth said in a blog post. “The organization continues to recognize the law enforcement community’s need for a public safety broadband network now more than ever.”

The Bluetooth Special Interest Group officially adopted Bluetooth 5 as the latest version of the Bluetooth core specification this week, setting a path for longer range, faster speed and broader broadcast capabilities (see 1610130054). Whole-home and building coverage is a major upgrade in the latest Bluetooth spec, said a Bluetooth SIG announcement. Longer range provides whole home and building coverage for more reliable connections, it said, and higher speed enables more responsive, high-performance devices. Increased broadcast message size increases the data sent for improved and more “context relevant” solutions, it said. Bluetooth 5 includes updates that help reduce the potential for interference with other wireless technologies, said the SIG. Of the 48 billion internet-enabled devices expected to be installed by 2021, a third will include Bluetooth, it said, citing ABI Research data.

The Software and Information Industry Association praised the Supreme Court's Tuesday ruling that reversed the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit's decision on damages Samsung is obligated to pay Apple for infringement of Apple's design patents. The Supreme Court remanded the case to the Federal Circuit, which may result in a further reduction of the damages Samsung must pay in the 2012 case, which stood at $548 million (see 1612060061). The top court “took an important first step in correcting the perverse incentives that could have led to a worsening of the patent troll problem,” said SIIA Senior Vice President-Public Policy Mark MacCarthy in a Wednesday news release. It will be critical for the Federal Circuit to “develop a test for identifying article of manufacture that does not create perverse incentives,” said SIIA General Counsel Chris Mohr. The Supreme Court declined to rule conclusively whether the article of manufacture for each of Apple's design patents involved in the Samsung dispute constitutes the entire smartphone or a component of the smartphone.