Danish audiology supplier Oticon introduced what it called the world’s first internet-connected hearing aid. Called the Opn, the device “opens up a world of possibilities for IoT devices,” Oticon said in a Thursday announcement. With Opn’s internet connectivity, “it is now possible to program hearing aids to talk directly with door bells, smoke detectors and baby alarms,” it said.

Low-power wide area (LPWA) networks will play a big role in the IoT, and the mobile industry is standardizing a new class of GSM technologies to support them, the GSM Association said Thursday in a Q&A. LPWA networks “will support devices requiring low mobility, low power consumption, long range, low cost and security,” the GSMA said. They will play a key role connecting the billions of new devices making up the IoT, the group said. “LPWA technologies are expected to serve a diverse range of vertical industries and support a range of applications and deployment scenarios, which existing mobile technologies may not currently be best placed to connect.” Among the necessary attributes, LPWA solutions must use minimal power -- “a battery life in excess of 10 years,” the group said. Some applications must be optimized for brief messages, about the length of a text message, have a very low device unit cost -- a few dollars for many devices, and “have good coverage outdoors and indoors, enabling connectivity in rural and underground locations,” GSMA said.

Millions of UNII-3 (5.725-5.85 GHz) band-enabled devices are in operation, certified with out-of-band emission limits set by the FCC, and with no evidence they're causing harmful interference, a push by automaker groups to tighten OOBE limits loosened earlier this year (see 1605090052) should be rejected, EchoStar said in a filing Thursday in docket 13-49. Initial OOBE limits "were overly restrictive and very costly to meet, without corresponding public benefit," EchoStar said, saying the automaker groups chose not to take part in the debate about adoption of the modified order, "thus their claim [it] was adopted without reasonable opportunity ... to be heard rings hollow." CTA commented that the FCC should "act swiftly" on the petition, though it didn't urge any particular decision. "Certainty is crucial to commercial investment," and delays deciding create "a lack of clarity that stalls the development and deployment of new technologies," the group said. Deadline for replies on the automaker groups' petition for reconsideration is July 5.

The Critical Infrastructure Coalition, in a series of meetings at the FCC, explained members' opposition to the proposal by the Enterprise Wireless Alliance and pdvWireless to realign the 900 MHz band, said a filing in RM-11738. “PDV has not demonstrated that it would be able to relocate incumbent users efficiently, risking a prolonged disruption period,” the coalition said. The company also hasn't released a detailed migration plan, the group said. “Certain markets lack the spectrum to accommodate the proposed migration, and there would be no room for future expansion,” the coalition said. “PDV has not addressed the relocation of large systems, simply stating that a majority of systems will be able to migrate.” Coalition members at the meetings included Alliant Energy, Duke Energy, Edison Electric Institute, Eversource Energy, Harris, Lower Colorado River Authority, NextEra Energy, Peco Energy, Salt River Project, Sempra Energy, Sensus USA, Southern Co., United Water and West View Water Authority. They met with Commissioner Mike O’Rielly and aides to the other commissioners. EWA and PDV asked the FCC launch a rulemaking on whether to realign the 896-901/935-940 MHz band to create a private enterprise broadband allocation (see 1501010002). They said in an earlier filing the proposal addresses an unmet need. Commercial networks “do not offer the reliability, redundancy, hardening, security, priority access, and, in some instances, coverage needed for their mission-critical applications,” they said in a January filing.

BTIG initiated coverage of America Movil Wednesday with a neutral rating. BTIG said the carrier is the fifth largest wireless operator in the world, active in Latin America and in Europe through its Telekom Austria. “We continue to search for a compelling long or short thesis on the company or see a path to a cleaner free cash flow and share repurchase story,” analyst Walter Piecyk wrote. Piecyk said the bankruptcy of Brazilian operator Oi likely marks a turning point for that nation. “Investors have shown little interest in the Brazilian wireless industry in recent years given the economic and political turmoil combined with the inability of the wireless industry to consolidate,” he said. “Large and persistent cuts to mobile termination rates have also presented a stiff headwind to growth. We do not expect telecom investors to come running back to Brazil." Piecyk predicted AT&T is more likely to exit Brazil entirely than expand there.

Correction: Bidding in the initial round of the forward incentive auction will begin no earlier than 15 business days after release of the qualified bidders public notice (see 1606210047).

A North Carolina jury's conviction of a prison inmate of using a contraband cellphone to order the kidnapping of a prosecutor’s father shows why the FCC needs to act, Commissioner Ajit Pai said in a statement Wednesday. Kevin Melton, a leader in the United Blood Nation gang, “coordinated the abduction by sending more than 120 text messages and placing numerous phone calls to gang members from the Polk Correctional Institution in Butner, North Carolina,” Pai said. “This horrific incident is just one example of how innocent Americans across our country are being victimized by prison inmates using contraband cellphones. And it highlights the need for the FCC to take immediate action to combat this problem.” Pai has highlighted the issue repeatedly, including at a field hearing in South Carolina in April (see 1604060058).

Global revenue from automotive telematics systems will grow at a compound annual growth rate of more than 19 percent, to $4.2 billion by the end of 2021, IHS said in a Tuesday forecast. CE-based telematic solutions will make up nearly 30 percent of the market in 2021, IHS said. “Currently, CE telematics leads the global automotive telematics market since it is a relatively low-cost solution and available in a wide range of vehicles,” it said. “More cars of the future will feature multiple connections for a variety of applications and services.” The telematics supply chain “will see amazing growth and innovation through the end of the decade, as more vehicles debut new connected solutions that make use of embedded modules, while at the same time enabling consumers to fully leverage their mobile devices,” IHS said. Telematics systems “are a major factor in changing the automobile from a collection of analog control systems to a fully networked and connected digital car, where software-defined functionality can be remotely changed, corrected and updated,” it said. “Telematics systems also add connectivity-based applications that make the average car safer and more fuel efficient, as well as help to correct common driver errors. As a result, telematics can bring many benefits to various parties including consumers, auto manufacturers, dealers, communities, and more.”

The FCC Enforcement Bureau approved a consent decree resolving its investigation of whether Icom America imported and sold marine radios in the U.S. that didn't include required public safety features. The rules require marine radios to “include the full range of features recommended by the Radiocommunication Sector of the International Telecommunication Union to enhance emergency and safety-of-life communications from and between maritime vessels,” the bureau said in an order. Icom “admits that, by failing to include these features, its radios did not comply with the Commission’s rules,” the bureau said. Icom agreed to pay a $20,000 civil penalty and implement a compliance plan to prevent future violations, the bureau said. Icom didn't comment.

The FCC should keep carriers from buying up licenses for all high-frequency spectrum it will make available, just as it imposes restrictions in other bands, T-Mobile said in a filing. But the company said the FCC need not add the high-band spectrum in the current mobile broadband spectrum screen. T-Mobile reported on a meeting with staff from the Wireless Bureau and Office of Engineering and Technology in a filing in docket 14-177. “The higher frequency and large bandwidth of the spectrum under consideration in this proceeding will provide greater capacity over a smaller cell compared to lower bands and warrants a screen to help ensure a competitive environment,” T-Mobile said. “However, given the relatively large amount of high-band spectrum under consideration, including millimeter wave spectrum in an overall mobile broadband screen will inappropriately skew aggregation metrics for lower bands, allowing licensees to aggregate a large amount of low- or mid-band spectrum without triggering a screen diluted by including over three gigahertz of high-band spectrum.” T-Mobile said it favors larger license sizes than the county-based licensing proposed by the FCC.