Representatives of Spectrum Networks Group (SNG) met with FCC Wireless Bureau Chief Roger Sherman and others at the agency to discuss the FCC’s April rejection of its waiver request to use 900 MHz spectrum for an IoT network. SNG had wanted to use 900 MHz business/industrial/land transportation channels for a third-party service providing machine-to-machine communications (see 1504130062). “We described numerous instances where the Bureau has granted license applications” for similar use in the 900 MHz channels, SNG said. “We provided an update on M2M’s business plan. We also discussed potential alternative means for SNG and M2M to obtain licensed narrowband spectrum in support of its business and its network, either through new applications or rulemaking.” The filing was posted Tuesday in docket 14-100.

A merger of T-Mobile US and Dish Network would make a lot of sense (see 1505210046) for both, Recon Analytics analyst Roger Entner told us. “T-Mobile and Dish would be perfect partners,” Entner said. “T-Mobile has an increasing customer base that is using up more of its spectrum. Dish needs access to a network as it is facing the slow arrival of linear television to provide on-demand video services. Dish has almost as much spectrum as T-Mobile, including the much touted low-frequency spectrum but has not built a mobile network and hence has no mobile customers. It is unlikely that such a combination would raise significant concerns at the FCC and FTC as it would utilize spectrum that is currently warehoused.” A partnership between the two “would create a market solution to what the parties are currently trying to achieve through regulatory intervention,” Enter said. “The combined entity might bump against the spectrum screen in some markets and would have to divest spectrum,” he said. Even after divestiture, the combined company would have the second most spectrum in the U.S. after Sprint, ahead of Verizon and AT&T, he said.

Mobile Future laid down a marker, responding Friday to various FCC filings calling for a larger reserve set-aside for competitive carriers as part of rules for the TV incentive auction. “Restricting competition in the auction through set-asides will result in lower auction proceeds, jeopardizing the Commission’s ability to purchase the maximum amount of spectrum from broadcasters, and leading to less repurposed spectrum to meet skyrocketing consumer demand for mobile broadband,” Mobile Future said. “The issue of whether and how much spectrum to set aside for select carriers was exhaustively debated and decided last year.” Competitive carriers got a set-aside of 30 MHz in every market. Companies including Dish Network, Sprint and T-Mobile “do not need even more protection from bidding competition,” the group said. “Their filings simply revisit already settled policy decisions and fail to present any new facts to support a larger set-aside.”

The FCC sought comment on recommended policy positions that came out of the FCC World Radiocommunication Conference Advisory Committee (WAC) Wednesday (see 1505200052). “Based upon an initial review of the draft recommendations forwarded to the Commission, the International Bureau, in coordination with other Commission Bureaus and Offices, tentatively concludes that we can generally support most of the attached WRC-15 Advisory Committee draft recommendations,” the FCC said Thursday. Comments are due on the proposals June 11.

The FCC Wireless Bureau established a pleading cycle on AT&T’s proposed buy of two cellular A-block licenses in two cellular market areas (CMAs) in Illinois from Cellular Properties Inc. Petitions to deny are due June 19, oppositions June 29 and replies July 7. “Our preliminary review indicates that AT&T would be assigned 25 megahertz of cellular spectrum in eleven counties covering all of CMA 400 (Illinois 7-Vermilion) and part of CMA 402 (Illinois 9-Clay),” the bureau said of cellular market areas. “Post-transaction, AT&T would hold 101 to 173 megahertz of spectrum in total, and 31 to 68 megahertz of below-1-GHz spectrum, in these two CMAs in Illinois.” The bureau also sent letters to both companies asking additional questions on the deal.

The FCC set up a pleading schedule Thursday on AT&T’s proposed buy of three lower 700 MHz C-block licenses from East Kentucky Network. The licenses are located in Kentucky, Ohio and West Virginia, the Wireless Bureau said. The applicants "maintain that the proposed transaction would provide AT&T with additional spectrum that would enable it to increase its system capacity to enhance existing services, better accommodate its overall growth, and facilitate the provision of additional products and services in the geographic areas authorized under the three licenses.” Petitions to deny are due June 22, oppositions July 2 and replies July 10.

The FCC Wireless Bureau asked a new round of questions about AT&T’s proposed buy of lower 700 MHz band licenses in California from Club 42. The questions focus on one of the licenses covering San Luis Obispo. AT&T holds 49 MHz of below-1-GHz spectrum there, which is one-third of the currently suitable and available below-1-GHz spectrum there, the bureau said. The transaction would increase its holdings to 61 MHz. The May mobile holdings order "concluded that, where an entity acquiring below-1-GHz spectrum already holds approximately one-third or more of the below-1-GHz spectrum in a particular market, the demonstration of the public interest benefits of the proposed transaction will need to clearly outweigh the potential public interest harms, irrespective of other factors,” the bureau said. “To make such a demonstration, provide a detailed explanation, consistent with the Commission’s conclusions about the importance of low-band spectrum, for why the proposed acquisition of this specific Lower 700 MHz B Block below-1-GHz spectrum would not raise rivals’ costs or foreclose competition such that the ability of rival service providers to offer a competitive response to any potential anticompetitive behavior on the part of AT&T would be eliminated or significantly lessened.” This is the third information request sent to AT&T by the FCC on the deal. The others were sent Sept. 22 and Feb. 19. “In conducting our review of the proposed transaction and the responses to our initial and supplemental information requests, we have determined that we need additional information from AT&T,” the bureau said. It asked for an expeditious response.

The FCC should rethink a proposal that would force licensed, professional wireless mics to exit parts of the 600 MHz band earlier than other users, wireless mic maker Shure said in comments. These mics should be able to operate as long as low-power TV stations and TV translator stations, Shure said. “Wireless microphones have successfully operated, on a secondary basis, on unassigned channels in the TV spectrum for decades,” Shure said. “Wireless microphone use has grown rapidly and today, these devices provide critical support to a wide range of sectors including TV broadcasting, news casting, theater, live music, sports, religious, civic and academic institutions.” The transition timeline is “critical to users in these sectors and to wireless microphone manufacturers compelled to ensure that the dramatic change in available UHF spectrum resulting from the Incentive Auction and TV broadcast rebanding does not disrupt existing operation of wireless microphones or stymie continued availability of high quality wireless microphone equipment,” Shure said. It filed reply comments in the proceeding defining the official start date of operations for carriers that buy licenses in the TV incentive auction (see 1505190047). The comments were posted Tuesday in docket 12-268.

Americans want to watch TV on their smartphones and tablets, but usually don’t, because the price of data remains too high, Writers Guild of America, West said in comments posted Tuesday in FCC docket 12-268. “Unfortunately, as more spectrum has become available, wireless data has not become appreciably more affordable,” the group said. “The lack of competition in the wireless market allows the dominant carriers to keep prices high and the lack of pro-competitive safeguards has only exacerbated the problem.” One answer is setting aside at least 40 MHz of spectrum in the TV incentive auction, in each market, for competitive carriers, the group said. “Improving the pro-competitive spectrum reserve will promote a more competitive wireless market and help accelerate the growth of the online video market.”

Sprint said the FCC should make changes to the rules for the TV incentive auction, which set aside “reserve” spectrum blocks for carriers that don't already own significant amounts of low-band spectrum. The FCC approved rules for the set-aside at its May 15, 2014, meeting (see 1405160030). The FCC “established a reserve to lessen the likelihood that the two largest providers, with their vast resources, could foreclose their much smaller rivals from obtaining 600 MHz spectrum in the auction to better compete in the downstream mobile broadband market,” Sprint said. “The Commission set the right goal, but its implementation plan could create the very foreclosure risk it intended to prevent.” Sprint proposed that the FCC change its rules to establish the reserve blocks at the start of the forward auction, rather than toward its end, and allow eligible bidders to bid on the blocks from the start of the auction. “The Commission could adopt these two changes quickly, without delaying the auction or extensively revising the proposed auction processes,” Sprint said. “With these modifications, the Commission can help ensure that consumers ultimately benefit from the 600 MHz auction by giving competitive carriers a fair shot at getting the low-band spectrum they need to compete more effectively with the two largest providers.”