FirstNet is expected to file soon an application for renewal of the nationwide 700 MHz license it received in 2012, which expires Nov. 15, government officials told us. FirstNet Authority officials say renewal of the license is a top priority for the public safety network, being built by AT&T (see 2208170043). Industry experts said renewal likely won’t be a problem, though it would make sense for FirstNet to apply as soon as possible.
Howard Buskirk
Howard Buskirk, Executive Senior Editor, joined Warren Communications News in 2004, after covering Capitol Hill for Telecommunications Reports. He has covered Washington since 1993 and was formerly executive editor at Energy Business Watch, editor at Gas Daily and managing editor at Natural Gas Week. Previous to that, he was a staff reporter for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and the Greenville News. Follow Buskirk on Twitter: @hbuskirk
A new report out of Europe by Digital Power China (DPC) questions whether open radio access network deployments are really the answer to network security and preventing Chinese domination of the network equipment market. The report comes amid developments at Mavenir and Parallel Wireless, two leading O-RAN companies.
The FirstNet Authority Board approved a $358 million budget Wednesday for FY 2023, which includes $190 million for investments in building a better network. The in-person meeting was closed to the public but streamed from Los Angeles. FirstNet acting CEO Lisa Casias warned of one looming concern -- the need for the FCC to renew FirstNet’s spectrum license.
The FCC’s report to Congress on the future of the USF, released Monday (see 2208150048), contained more questions than answers, industry experts said Tuesday. The 65-page report has few broad conclusions on the future of USF, declining to adopt competition as a separate goal or to set a separate deployment goal targeting mobile broadband. It weighs against assessing a fee based on broadband internet access service (BIAS).
Communicating with the public through 10-digit long codes (10DLC) remains complicated, with many pitfalls for groups that consider it a way to reach the public, speakers said during a virtual Coalition for Open Messaging meeting Tuesday.
The Joe Biden administration could be poised to take an action the Donald Trump White House tried but wasn’t able to complete and release a national spectrum strategy, industry officials familiar with the administration’s work on the issue told us. That follows what could be key meeting in May at the Aspen Institute. FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel and NTIA Administrator Alan Davidson participated in the two-day session, which focused specifically on a national strategy.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit upheld the FCC’s 2020 5.9 GHz order Friday, allocating 45 MHz of the band for Wi-Fi and 30 MHz for cellular vehicle-to-everything technology, in a win for the agency. As the court did in December on the 6 GHz order (see 2112280047), judges clarified in strong language that the FCC has significant discretion in spectrum decisions. ITS America and the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials brought the case, which was argued in January (see 2201250066).
The digital divide isn’t the only gap industry should worry about as rural carriers also face a cybersecurity gap, said Terry Young, director-5G product marketing at A10 Networks, during a Fierce Telecom virtual conference Thursday. Other speakers said open radio access networks will have a role in bridging the digital divide.
A Verizon executive warned against awarding funds from the NTIA’s $48 billion broadband, equity, access and deployment (BEAD) program to companies that won’t be able to build the networks they promise. BEAD must be “structured in a way that works for experienced providers, who cannot only build reliable and efficient networks, but who will be around to serve customers for many years to come,” said Kathleen Grillo, senior vice president-public policy and government affairs, at a Media Institute virtual lunch Wednesday.
T-Mobile plans to buy 600 MHz licenses it has been leasing from Columbia Capital for $3.5 billion, the carrier said in an SEC filing. The deal requires approvals from regulators, including the FCC, but is expected to get them easily, especially since T-Mobile is already using the spectrum covered by the leases. The first stage of T-Mobile’s 5G build used its 600 MHz spectrum. T-Mobile Chief Financial Officer Peter Osvaldik said at a financial conference Tuesday the company doesn’t expect the deal to close for at least a year.