The smartwatch is a “category waiting for a market,” said Juniper Research analyst James Moar in a report Tuesday. Apple Watch had 52 percent of global smartwatch shipments last year, despite launching in early Q2, said Juniper. Android Wear shipments were under 10 percent for the year, said the research firm. Some other smartwatch sales are from “cheaper, simpler” devices from smaller players, it said. Apple Watch aside, the market has been driven by lower-priced devices, said Juniper. But it said the smartwatch ecosystem is “growing rapidly,” with dedicated software companies emerging to develop games and productivity apps.

AT&T told the FCC it should ignore National Public Safety Telecommunications Council arguments asking the agency not to approve AT&T’s request for waivers to use power spectral density (PSD) measurements to comply with effective radiated power limits for 800 MHz cellular operations in eight cellular market areas in Kentucky and Tennessee. NPSTC said the FCC should address changes to cellular service power limit rules through a pending rulemaking and not through waivers (see 1512310029). “Notwithstanding the complexity of the issues involved, the public interest would be best served by grant of the waiver,” AT&T said. “NPSTC’s concerns about an increase in the potential for interference are generalized and not specific to AT&T’s proposal to use the PSD measure to set base station power limits in Kentucky and Tennessee.” AT&T said a study it submitted to the FCC shows there's no risk to public safety operations posed by the rule change. AT&T’s reply comments were filed in docket 15-300.

Any comments the FCC seeks on LightSquared's hopes of gaining some spectrum used by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration need to be "sufficiently broad in scope" to include compatibility of its planned terrestrial broadband network with aeronautical mobile telemetry (AMT), the Aerospace and Flight Test Radio Coordinating Council (AFTRCC) said in a filing posted Tuesday in docket 12-340. LightSquared is seeking shared use of the NOAA spectrum as part of its plan to give up terrestrial use of 1545-1555 MHz to assuage interference fears voiced by the GPS industry (see 1512310016). LightSquared's proposal before the FCC "is focused substantially on GPS issues [and] there is no mention of potential LightSquared interference [to AMT] in the band immediately to the south of LightSquared at 1435-1525 MHz," AFTRCC said. The FCC needs to be sure to invite comment on AMT below 1525 MHz, it said. AFTRCC said it and LightSquared were once "in substantial negotiations" about a coordination agreement and are talking about resuming them, but said "such discussions are not a substitute for the relief requested here." In a statement Tuesday, LightSquared said it has "worked constructively with AFTRCC over the years," and is "happy to resume our work together. Our approach is consistent with finding solutions with all key stakeholders, and we very much look forward to the Commission moving forward with its process."

The Competitive Carriers Association, T-Mobile and US Cellular asked the FCC not to back down from a firm deadline for broadcasters to leave their spectrum after the TV incentive auction. Carrier representatives met with Wireless Bureau Chief Roger Sherman, Media Bureau Chief Bill Lake and Gary Epstein, chairman of the Incentive Auction Task Force, among others at the FCC. “CCA and its members expressed concern about calls for a delay of the current 39-month transition period for incumbent relocation,” CCA said in a filing in docket 12-268. “As CCA and the Commission have previously acknowledged, there are reasonable activities that broadcasters and tower construction companies can commence now to prepare for the relocation process including ‘construction planning, installation of new power line[s], equipment purchases, and onsite storage of equipment.’” NAB attacked CCA's objections to loosening a 39-month deadline (see 1601110067).

Google's push for a two-year experimental license to allow nationwide testing in the 71-76 and 81-86 GHz bands is facing pushback over interference concerns, and from a variety of parties concerned about biological effects from wireless communications. The heavily redacted experimental license application submitted in December doesn't give specifics but is believed to be related to high-altitude airborne testing (see 1512020025). The Fixed Wireless Communications Coalition (FWCC) in an FCC Office of Engineering and Technology filing Monday said Google needs to provide more information about its interference mitigation strategy for site-based incumbent licensees operating in the same bandwidth. Since Google's application was heavily redacted, FWCC said, "the extent to which [it] would impact incumbent licensees in these bands is unknown." Maryland Smart Meter Awareness (MSMA), an advocacy group against smart meters for health and privacy reasons, said in its filing Monday the agency should deny the Google application because it "would involve blanketing the entire U.S. and its atmosphere in radiofrequency/microwave radiation." "Connectivity that is protective of health and the environment and that delivers necessary tools to all can be achieved safely through cable if we care enough to insist on it," MSMA said. Global Union Against Radiation Deployment From Space, an advocacy group opposed to satellite-based broadband, filed a similar objection last month: "Global wireless access, with all its serious safety problems, is an unacceptable hazard. Widely available fast Internet access is a goal that can be safely attained using various forms of cabled connectivity." Google didn't comment Tuesday.

T-Mobile remains a strong proponent of net neutrality and its zero-rated Binge On video streaming service is “VERY” pro open Internet, CEO John Legere said an open letter to consumers, posted on the carrier’s website. Last week, net neutrality advocates led by the Electronic Frontier Foundation raised questions about the service, provoking a expletive-laced response from Legere (see 1601080030). Many are missing a key component of Binge On, Legere said. “You can turn it on and off in your MyTMobile account -- whenever you want,” he said. “Turn it on and off at will. Customers are in control. Not T-Mobile. Not content providers. Customers. At all times.” T-Mobile wanted to make Binge On easy for subscribers to use and that’s why it was made an automatic feature on all devices, he said. “We don’t like to make customers dig around to find great new benefits.” Binge On uses proprietary technology to detect video, “determine its source, identify whether it should be FREE and finally adjust all streams for a smaller/handheld device,” he said. “Most video streams come in at incredibly high resolution rates that are barely detectable by the human eye on small device screens and this is where the data in plans is wasted.” Legere said despite the complaints about the service, “T-Mobile is a company that absolutely supports Net Neutrality and we believe in an open and free Internet.” Legere apologized for "offending EFF and its supporters" and said "just because we don’t completely agree on all aspects of Binge On doesn’t mean I don’t see how they fight for consumers. ... We look forward to sitting down and talking with the EFF and that is a step we will definitely take. Unfortunately, my color commentary from last week is now drowning out the real value of Binge On."

The FCC should put strong penalties in place for 3.5 GHz operations that interfere repeatedly -- such as multiple times within a six-month period -- with C-band fixed-satellite services (FSS), General Communication (GC) said in a filing posted Monday in docket 12-354. The Alaskan telecom company said as the FCC is crafting rules for spectrum access system (SAS) administrators to help safeguard the 3.5 GHz shared spectrum band (see 1512170025), SAS should be able to protect adjacent 3700-4200 FSS operations using interference mitigation, remediation and enforcement tools. "The SAS must ... be equipped with the capability to immediately stop harmful interference" by citizen broadband radio service devices (CBSD), GC said, saying such interference should be required to be fixed within two hours of being reported to or recognized by the SAS. "Any longer timeframe could result in significant public safety concerns," it said. Given the aggregate effect numerous CBSDs could have on FSS stations, the FCC should set specific noise floor, default protection value and upper edge limits for interference, GC said.

Ericsson CEO Hans Vestberg “suggested that the U.S. should build on the success of 4G LTE deployment by ensuring adequate spectrum and a flexible environment for new 5G services,” in meetings with FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler, Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel and others at the agency, said an ex parte filing posted Monday in docket 14-177. Vestberg asked the FCC to consider a 5G test bed and to offer additional flexibility for 5G services, it said. Vestberg also said spectrum aggregation “will be increasingly important to solve ever increasing data usage.”

The Supreme Court declined to hear the Electronic Privacy Information Center's appeal to get Department of Homeland Security records about its policy for shutting down cellphone service, the privacy group said Monday on its website. It said the high court let stand an appeals court ruling issued last February, which overturned the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia's decision in November 2013 that sided with EPIC. Part of the reason EPIC said it sought the records stems from a 2011 incident in which Bay Area Rapid Transit officials in San Francisco shut down cell service inside several stations during a second protest involving the shooting and death of a homeless man by a BART officer. The privacy group submitted a Freedom of Information Act request to DHS in July 2012 for standard operating procedure documents for cellular service shutdowns and other related information. DHS denied the request in August 2012, prompting EPIC to file a lawsuit in February 2013. The group, which said it obtained a redacted version of the federal government's shutdown policy, said the appeals court ruling interprets FOIA exemptions "so broadly that it threatens to conceal" federal agency records from public access due to concerns about security procedures.

The FCC should ignore T-Mobile’s request that the agency reject AT&T’s proposed buy of three lower 700 MHz C-block licenses from East Kentucky Network, AT&T told the agency Monday. T-Mobile made its case against the deal Dec. 23 (see 1512240027). T-Mobile questioned whether AT&T is truly committed to deploying in 700 MHz when it's seeking a rule change to deploy in cellular spectrum. “It’s time to stop the magenta madness,” said Joan Marsh, AT&T vice president-federal regulatory, in a blog post. It's fact that AT&T is continuing to buy 700 MHz spectrum in rural communities around the country, Marsh wrote. “This is part of our ongoing commitment to bring LTE to rural America, a commitment that T-Mobile does not appear to share,” she said. “At the same time, AT&T is seeking a rule change that will permit us to provide LTE services more efficiently on our existing 850 MHz deployments. And this is part of our effort to effectively utilize our current spectrum resources for the benefit of our customers.” AT&T’s LTE deployment is based on its 700 MHz spectrum, but in the absence of that band, “it should be no surprise that AT&T can more rapidly expand an existing LTE network on cellular spectrum than it could construct a new LTE network on another band,” she said. “T-Mobile stands by its opposition to AT&T’s bid to acquire low-band spectrum in parts of rural Kentucky, West Virginia and Ohio," said Steve Sharkey, chief-engineering and technology policy at T-Mobile. "While AT&T seeks to harm its competitors by leaving them with little but mid- or high-band spectrum to cover rural areas, AT&T recently justified a waiver to deploy next-generation technology on low-band spectrum by saying that using high-band for the same deployment would ‘take many years.’ The FCC should boost competition and protect consumers by denying AT&T’s proposed low-band spectrum acquisition.”