Howard Buskirk

Companies provisionally approved as automated frequency coordination providers in the 6 GHz band could complete tests by early next year, industry experts told us. The FCC Office of Engineering and Technology conditionally authorized all 13 applicants still before the commission to begin the testing process (see 2211030066). Experts note the use of AFC is particularly important because it could have implications for sharing in other bands.

Geostationary orbit (GEO) satellites are limited in their ability to connect people around the world, but low earth orbit (LEO) satellites offer much more promise, said Ruth Pritchard-Kelly, OneWeb senior adviser-satellite regulatory affairs and sustainable space policy, Thursday at IEEE’s virtual Connecting the Unconnected Summit. Other speakers said it’s difficult to even count how many people remain without internet service in many parts of the world.

Speakers at a Utilities Technology Council virtual event Thursday issued a warning about the risks still posed by unlicensed use of the 6 GHz band and said utilities may have to take other steps to protect critical communications. The FCC, meanwhile, conditionally authorized 13 automated frequency coordination providers to operate in the band. Industry officials said last month the FCC appeared close to taking the next steps on AFC (see 2210170075).

Qualcomm executives warned of weakening 5G and other handset demand, in a call to announce Q4 results Wednesday. “As we look to fiscal '23, further deterioration of the macroeconomic environment and extended China COVID restrictions have resulted in demand weakness and temporary elevated channel inventory across the industry,” CEO Cristiano Amon said on a call with analysts. The company already implemented a hiring freeze, “and we have planned spending reductions across our mature product areas and [selling, general and administrative expense] to fund our diversification,” he said: “We are continuing to evaluate additional actions, and we are prepared and committed to making further reductions to operating expenses as needed.” Qualcomm started to have “a deceleration in demand for mass-tier handsets in consumer IoT” last quarter, said Chief Financial Officer Akash Palkhiwala. Qualcomm now projects 3G, 4G and 5G handset volume to decline in 2022 “by low double digits on a year-over-year basis, including 600 million to 650 million 5G handsets,” he said. Revenue Q4 was $11.4 billion, up 22% over last year, net income was $2.9 billion, up 3%. Qualcomm closed down 7.66% at $103.88 Thursday.

Companies in the developing world are looking to spectrum sharing and new models for accessing the internet because old models have left many unserved, speakers said Wednesday at IEEE’s virtual Connecting the Unconnected Summit. Experts said just having access to a simple phone can transform how people live.

APCO urged the FCC to ask for a substantial amount of data from carriers in its reporting forms for the new mandatory disaster response initiative (MDRI). CTIA counseled flexibility and the need to keep data confidential. CTIA and the Competitive Carriers Association also petitioned the FCC for partial reconsideration of the FCC’s MDRI order and additional clarity (see 2207070060).

The FCC’s Disability Advisory Committee approved a report Tuesday on best practices for sending and receiving captioning files so captioning associated with full-length programming remains available regardless of the distribution method. The vote came in the last meeting of the current cycle of the DAC. Like all other meetings during this cycle, it was held virtually. The report wasn’t immediately released by the FCC.

The FCC’s notice of inquiry on the 12.7 GHz band, approved 4-0 Thursday (see 2210270046), had few changes from a draft NOI, based on a side-by-side comparison. Comment dates are Nov. 28 for initial comments, Dec. 27 for replies. One change was the addition of text to a section on incumbent operations in the band. “To the extent we are to consider relocation of incumbents, or even future sharing between incumbents and new entrants, it will be important to have clear information about the nature and density of incumbent use; accordingly, we seek comment on whether we should require incumbents in the 12.7 GHz band to submit information detailing their current use of the band,” the final version says: “If so, what such information should we require to be submitted?” There were also few changes from the draft in the final NPRM on making emergency alerts more secure (see 2210270058).

Wireless carriers, like companies in every other sector, are having to learn how to use AI, said Meghna Sinha, Verizon vice president-AI, and other speakers during a Fierce Wireless virtual event Monday. Carriers don’t have a choice, Sinha said: “The sheer volume that runs through our network is so large. Detecting patterns, making sure that we can catch issues quickly, it’s just not possible through humans or through spreadsheets -- that is where AI comes in.”

T-Mobile won't face capacity issues as it expands its home internet service, executives said on a call with analysts Thursday (see 2210270077). CEO Mike Sievert said T-Mobile probably added more new high-speed internet during Q3 than AT&T, Verizon, Comcast and Charter combined, and now serves more than 2 million. T-Mobile is “adding more spectrum across the footprint, both the existing and the new footprint,” said Neville Ray, president-technology: “That's not just in 2.5 GHz now; we're also adding PCS in the 1900 MHz band to those sites. So we have more sites and more spectrum coming online as we move through the future months and years for the company.” Sievert said T-Mobile has “barely tapped” its millimeter-wave assets. “We have fantastic mid-band,” he said. The recent 2.5 GHz auction “has given us potential access, as soon as those licenses are assigned, to significant additional mid-band in areas where we actually already have the towers deployed,” he said. Sievert said new customers sign up predominantly because they’re not satisfied with their contracts with another carrier, “or they switch because they want a different or more powerful network signal,” he said: “More and more they are learning that T-Mobile is the company that offers that.” MoffettNathanson’s Craig Moffett said he remains positive on the outlook for T-Mobile despite broader industry questions. “If there’s a single cause for anxiousness among T-Mobile shareholders -- beyond simply how well T-Mobile’s stock has performed -- it is this: industry subscriber growth is destined to slow,” he said: “With Cable taking a larger and larger share of a dwindling pool of new growth, T-Mobile will struggle to meet expectations for net adds.” Moffett said questions remain about how wireless phone growth continues. “It looks as though industry growth may have reaccelerated in Q3 -- we won’t know until all the numbers are in, but there’s an interesting, if depressing, theory that growth might have benefited from ‘the Uvalde effect,’ with parents feeling an urgent need for their children to have their own cellphones at an earlier age in the event of a school shooting,” he said, referring to the May school shooting in Texas. T-Mobile closed up 7.4% Friday at $151.