The FCC released information Tuesday on the number of handsets, by air interface, that individual carriers offered last year, as well as data on whether they satisfy hearing aid compatibility (HAC) requirements. The data show wide variations. AT&T, for example, offered 125 different handset models for GSM service and all but six were usable with hearing aids. All of the models offered by Verizon Wireless complied with the HAC rules. Arctic Slope Telephone Association Cooperative, in comparison, offered 48 GSM handsets and 22 weren't HAC compliant. Docomo Pacific offered 98 GSM handsets and 38 were noncompliant. Puerto Rico Telephone had 300 handsets on its rolls and 200 were noncompliant.

Virtual voice-controlled assistants (VAs) are likely to be a part of FirstNet's network, FirstNet said in a blog post Monday. FirstNet envisions a public safety equivalent of Siri or Google Now. “The role of the VA is an evolution of voice-control features,” FirstNet said. “While the initial use was for simple scenarios like dialing a hands-free call while driving, the technology soon became coupled with the same natural language speech recognition that allows a user to enter text in documents without a keyboard.” Many first responders already make the kind of VA requests consumers would on their commercial cellphones, FirstNet said. Use of a special kind of VA is dependent on secure access to appropriate databases, security and development of discipline-specific jargon or commands, among other requirements, FirstNet said. But FirstNet users potentially will be able to ask questions like “Who is the registered owner of tag number 123-XYZ and provide address information? Where’s the nearest fire hydrant to 1234 Pelham Place in Oakland? What’s the criminal history on John Doe from Kansas City?” the blog post said. The FirstNet Chief Technology Officer Devices Group filed the post.

Device makers and others used Monday's opening of Mobile World Congress in Barcelona to make virtual reality and other announcements involving smartphones. VR is the “key tool” smartphone makers will use this year to market flagship smartphone models, IHS analyst Ian Fogg said in an emailed research note Monday. “In a mature smartphone market, smartphone makers compete with their older selves to drive consumers to upgrade their existing smartphones.” At Samsung’s Sunday news conference from MWC, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg appeared as a surprise guest to tout the role Facebook’s Oculus VR technology will play in social media’s future. As a successor to audio and video, “VR is going to be the most social platform,” Zuckerberg said. Meanwhile, LG has much at stake, Fogg said, citing previous IHS projections that LG smartphone shipments would decline 3 percent in 2016. LG’s G5 smartphone was announced Sunday at MWC with a 360 CAM VR accessory camera. And Dolby and DTS announced new and expanded partner relationships at MWC with smartphone and tablet makers hoping to differentiate in the competitive market segments. DTS said it's extending the Play-Fi ecosystem to smartphones for the first time in models from Acer, Gionee and Phicomm.

AT&T is working with Ericsson on new software that will support “a new generation” of IoT apps and improve device performance on AT&T’s 4G LTE network, AT&T said Monday. “IoT solutions let businesses gather near real-time information on assets around the world,” said Chris Penrose, senior vice president-IoT at AT&T Mobility. “Working with Ericsson and our existing LTE systems, AT&T will continue to enable a wide variety of next generation IoT devices on our LTE network.” Work is focusing on CAT-M technology supporting “next generation devices” such as wearables and utility meters, and narrow-band IoT technology that “supports next generation devices like smoke detectors, pollution monitors and industrial/agricultural sensors,” AT&T said. Other work focuses on improving battery life. “This new software will support a number of IoT devices and enable existing networks to work as the foundation for smart cities, utilities and other industries to build upon,” said Thomas Noren, head of radio product management at Ericsson.

The Wi-Fi Alliance's draft test procedures for assessing LTE-unlicensed's effects on a Wi-Fi network are "on a good trajectory" but shouldn't be the basis for coexistence testing before the Wi-Fi Alliance resolves a variety of issues, NCTA told Edward Smith, legal adviser to FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler, according to a filing Friday in docket 15-105. The Wi-Fi Alliance also has said its draft plan isn't done and can't be used for evaluating coexistence (see 1602110041). NCTA's filing said the Wi-Fi Alliance should make clear in external communications "that much more collaboration and technical work is needed before this document can be utilized for its intended purpose." The Wi-Fi Alliance didn't comment. Wi-Fi Alliance member CableLabs has said the LTE-U/Wi-Fi test plan could be close to completion in March (see 1602120051).

T-Mobile’s network was back to normal Sunday after customers experienced difficulty with Wi-Fi calling and voice-over-LTE calling the previous day, CEO John Legere said on Twitter. “Calls are operating normally nationwide,” Legere tweeted. “I'm sorry to those who may have been affected yesterday. #WeWontStop improving for our customers.” Twitter lit up Saturday with complaints from subscribers about the network problems. “We are working very diligently to fix & I am pushing to resolve for our customers ASAP,” Legere tweeted in reaction on Saturday. Legere also released a video on Facebook Sunday apologizing to customers. T-Mobile didn't comment Monday.

Mississippi is the only state in which FirstNet authorities haven't done their initial consultation, or data collection, as part of the authority’s push to launch a national network for first responders. That information is in a chart on FirstNet’s Web page. In New Jersey, FirstNet has done an initial consultation but is awaiting data collection.

Nokia officials met with FCC staff about the company’s recommendations for high-frequency spectrum. The FCC should provide at least 400 MHz blocks and license terms of at least 10 years, with an expectation of renewal, Nokia said. The FCC also should “support secondary market transactions and also pre-auction swaps for large contiguous spectrum blocks” and also consider bands below 24 GHz for wireless broadband, Nokia said in a filing posted Friday in docket 97-95 on the meeting with staff from the Office of Engineering and Technology and International, Public Safety and Wireless bureaus.

Members of the Wireless Innovation Forum met with FCC staff from the Office of Engineering and Technology and Wireless Bureau on the industry's work on testing and certification of spectrum access systems, environmental sensing capability and Citizens Broadband Radio Service devices in the 3.5 GHz shared spectrum band, said a filing posted Friday in docket 12-354. Executives from Comsearch, CTIA, Google, Huawei, Nokia, Qualcomm, Sony, Verizon, other companies and the National Institute of Standards and Technology attended. The group filed a report updating the commission on work in the area. “The Spectrum Sharing Committee of the WinnForum serves as a common industry and government standards body to support the development and advancement of spectrum sharing technologies for the 3.5 GHz band,” the filing said. “This Committee is intended to facilitate the interpretation and implementation of FCC rulemaking to a level that allows industry and government parties to collaborate on implementation of a common, efficient, well functioning ecosystem around this technology.”

CEO Michael Small and others from Gogo met with FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler and key aides to press for FCC action on the 14 GHz Air-Ground Mobile Broadband Service. “Gogo discussed its critical need for additional spectrum to meet the growing capacity demands of commercial airlines and their passengers as well as federal and state government and military customers,” Gogo said in a filing posted Friday in docket 13-114. “Establishment of another in-flight service allocation would not introduce any new air safety or security risks.” Gogo officials said that to ensure flight safety and security, the company “must already satisfy stringent Federal Aviation Administration testing and approval requirements for all equipment and software and any modifications to such equipment and software,” the filing said. “The recently established Federal Interagency Working Group will be able to meet with relevant stakeholders and ensure continued air safety and security after the Commission establishes allocation, service, and technical rules for the new service.” Last month, the FCC said it and the Department of Transportation agreed to establish a federal interagency working group to focus on issues including "safe and secure use of consumer communications onboard domestic commercial aviation."