Consumers who are tech savvy, highly social and extremely style conscious will lead the next wave of wearables adoption in the U.S., but they haven’t yet bought into it, said an IDC report Tuesday. Consumers who intend to buy wearables “are enthusiastic about wearables but have hesitated to actually purchase a device,” said analyst Allan Fromen. Most preferred brands are Apple (52 percent) for smartwatches, Fitbit (37 percent) for fitness trackers, Google (36 percent) for eyewear and Nike (40 percent) for clothing, said the research firm. The wearables market is in “early stages,” said IDC analyst Ramon Llamas. "Intenders are gravitating towards tech companies for wearables because tech companies have helped pioneer and move the market forward.” Data are based on 1,500 surveys among U.S. consumers who intend to buy a wearables product in the next six months.

FirstNet has released responses to 122 questions on its January request for proposal, and 33 changes to the RFP itself (see 1602190058), James Mitchell, director-program management, said in a blog post. “This set of responses addresses questions from public safety interests and potential offerors about, among other things, the processes for Covered Leasing Agreements and State Plans,” Mitchell wrote. “The responses also provide additional clarity regarding coverage, capacity, and cybersecurity. … The goal is to publish all of the responses within the first part of March, so those interested in submitting capabilities statements have enough time to develop and/or finalize their submissions.” Changes to the RFP weren't a surprise, he said: “We have said from the beginning that we would consider amending the document, as necessary, based on the questions process and to provide potential offerors with more information.” The new deadline for submitting capability statements to FirstNet is March 31 and the due date for proposals is now May 13, Mitchell said.

The FCC Public Safety Bureau extended the freeze on the acceptance of new 800 MHz applications along the U.S.-Mexico border until Aug. 31. “This extension is needed to preserve vacant channels for licensees re-tuning their systems according to the Bureau’s updated band plan for licensees operating along the border with Mexico,” the bureau said Tuesday. Many 800 MHz licensees along the border have yet to complete their system re-tunes, the bureau said. “To preserve currently vacant channels for use by these licensees and avoid potential licensing conflicts, we extend the freeze on the acceptance of non-rebanding applications for 800 MHz licenses.” The freeze covers the five National Public Safety Planning Advisory Committee regions along the U.S. border with Mexico and stations located within 70 miles of the borders of these regions, the bureau said. The freeze, which was part of the 30-month transition period for reconfiguration of 800 MHz licensees, had expired Feb. 23. The latest development is part of the rebanding of the 800 MHz band required by a 2004 FCC order.

T-Mobile representatives met with aides to FCC commissioners to explain a recent T-Mobile-commissioned report that said the post-TV incentive auction repacking can be completed within the agency’s 39-month time frame (see 1602180063). T-Mobile met with aides to Chairman Tom Wheeler and Commissioners Ajit Pai and Mike O’Rielly, it said in a filing in docket 14-252. “The 412-page study analyzed the engineering resources available to broadcasters to implement a repacking and the likely equipment and tower requirements based on actual station deployments,” T-Mobile said. “The study used information submitted by every broadcast station to more precisely understand the cost and time necessary to repack broadcasters following the incentive auction.”

Twilio asked the FCC to expedite its consideration of a petition by the cloud communications company asking the FCC to clarify that messaging services should be regulated under Title II of the Communications Act (see 1510130040). AT&T, CTIA and Verizon opposed the petition in comments last year (see 1511230050). In a Monday filing, Twilio submitted a declaration by Emily Denadel Emery, government relations manager for the company, who said she has monitored carrier blocking of the Twilio service. “Since filing the Petition on August 28, 2015, Twilio has continued to observe a significant increase in the filtering and blocking of text messages,” she wrote. “Since filing the Petition to shed light on the wireless carriers’ message blocking practices, the problem has only worsened.” Twilio said the FCC should act quickly. “Because the wireless carriers are in fact unilaterally limiting their subscribers’ access to the lawful communications they expect to receive, and this unilateral blocking has only worsened, Twilio reiterates its request that its Petition receive expedited consideration,” the company said. The filing hasn't been posted by the FCC.

Device interoperability in the lower 700 MHz band is now a fact of life, AT&T said in a report to the FCC reflecting the state of play as of Jan. 10. AT&T reached an agreement with small carriers in September 2013, pushed by then acting Chairwoman Mignon Clyburn (see 1309110036). The 28-month update was one of the commitments AT&T made then. “At this point, it is incontrovertible that the FCC’s goal of promoting interoperability in the Lower 700 MHz spectrum by creating a robust Band 12 ecosystem has been accomplished,” AT&T said. In the 28 months since an FCC order was adopted, “carriers have increasingly deployed 700 MHz A block networks that rely on Band 12 devices,” the report said. T-Mobile aggressively rolled out extended range LTE on low-band 700 MHz A-Block spectrum, “which is now live in over 300 markets covering 185 million Americans” and U.S. Cellular “through its partner King Street Wireless has enabled LTE on 700MHz Band 12 in over 100 markets nationwide,” AT&T said. The report was posted in docket 12-69.

FCC Commissioner Ajit Pai plans a field hearing in Columbia, South Carolina, April 6 on fighting the public safety threats of inmates’ use of contraband cellphones. South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley (R) is hosting the event. “Contraband cell phones are flooding into our nation’s jails and prisons,” Pai said in a news release Monday. “Inmates are using them to order hits, run drug operations, direct gang activity, and victimize innocent members of the public. We cannot let inmates treat prison as just another base of operations for criminal enterprises. We need to act.” In October, Pai said the FCC wasn't doing enough to address the issue (see 1510220047). “This is a complex issue,” FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler had said in response. “We're working with the industry to find solutions.”

The FCC told the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit it was justified in its order denying Northstar and SNR, the designated entities Dish Network used to bid in the AWS-3 auction, bidding credits because of their ties to Dish. The DEs filed their appeal of the case in September (see 1509180048). The ties between the companies was undeniable, the FCC said. “SNR and Northstar had no staff, no network facilities, and no track record providing wireless service, yet in a recent FCC spectrum auction, they placed more than $13 billion in winning bids -- all backed by DISH … a Fortune 250 corporation that owns an 85-percent stake in both SNR and Northstar,” the FCC said in the pleading. “Going forward, DISH will provide all of the funds for build-out of SNR’s and Northstar’s licenses and working capital.” In addition, “pursuant to virtually identical agreements with SNR and Northstar, DISH will control almost every function required of a wireless network licensee,” the agency said. The FCC decision that Dish controlled the two DEs is easily justified, the agency said. “The companies’ financial dependency on DISH is enormous; DISH’s managerial responsibilities include virtually all the functions required of a wireless network licensee; and DISH enjoys investor protections that extend well beyond those deemed necessary by other investors in both companies.” The two DEs don't dispute those facts, the FCC said. “Instead, they argue they relied on “agency precedent” in structuring their relationships with DISH. "In fact, SNR and Northstar disregarded relevant agency precedent, including the rules and published orders the Wireless Bureau directed them to review prior to Auction 97,” the AWS-3 auction.

The FCC should “move forward as quickly as possible” to repurpose the 28 GHz and 39 GHz bands for flexible use, including mobile broadband, combine the 37 GHz and 39 GHz bands “subject to the same rules,” and make the 64-66 GHz band available for unlicensed use and the 67-71 GHz band for licensed use, Mobile Future said in reply comments on the FCC spectrum frontiers rulemaking. The U.S. "remains the clear world leader in 4G, with nearly ubiquitous 4G deployment and world-leading investment and adoption,” Mobile Future said. “The race to 5G is on and the world’s wireless economies are busy planning for 5G service.” The comments were filed in docket 14-177.

The FCC Wireless Bureau approved Cellular Network Partnership’s buy of two lower 700 MHz C-block licenses and the partitioned assignment of a third from KanOkla Networks. As a result of the deal, CNP would increase its below-1-GHz spectrum holdings in two local market areas where it already holds more than one-third of the total low-band spectrum, so the transaction got increased scrutiny from the agency, the bureau said. The licenses cover parts of Oklahoma. “After carefully evaluating the likely competitive effects of CNP’s increased aggregation of below-1-GHz spectrum in these two local market areas, we find that the likelihood of competitive harm is low,” the bureau said. “Further, we find that some public interest benefits are likely to be realized, such as the improved availability of wireless broadband service at fixed locations, particularly in sparsely populated areas.”