T-Mobile turned on the first part of its 600 MHz LTE network, using spectrum acquired in the TV incentive auction, it said Wednesday in a news release. The initial deployment is in Cheyenne, Wyoming, and uses Nokia equipment, T-Mobile said. “Starting in rural America and other markets where the spectrum is clear of broadcasting today, T-Mobile plans to deploy the new super-spectrum at record-shattering pace -- compressing what would normally be a two-year process from auction to consumer availability into a short six months.” The carrier said it plans to deploy service in the spectrum in Wyoming, northwest Oregon, West Texas, southwest Kansas, the Oklahoma panhandle, western North Dakota, Maine, coastal North Carolina, central Pennsylvania, central Virginia and eastern Washington. It expects to make handsets available for the holiday buying season with 600 MHz chips that can use the new band, a spokesman said. The carrier was the high bidder in the auction, winning 1,525 licenses for $8 billion (see 1704130056).

The FCC needs to allow unauthorized use of the 5.9 GHz band, to support gigabit Wi-Fi, and to keep the designation of 64-71 GHz for unlicensed use while considering other high-frequency unlicensed spectrum designations, NCTA blogged Tuesday. Pointing to licensed and unlicensed spectrum needs to meet mobile broadband demands, NCTA said the agency "is on the right path" with its grant of the first 600 MHz wireless licenses and that it's likely to soon consider "modest changes" to 3.5 GHz rules.

Some opponents of Sinclair buying Tribune argue in petitions to deny posted by the FCC Tuesday that the new company would have unprecedented ability to drag the post-incentive auction repacking to a halt, and would want to do so because of its massive investment in ATSC 3.0. “Sinclair’s ‘all-in’ posture on ATSC 3.0 gives it a strong self-interest in using whatever leverage it has to promote the adoption of this standard,” petitioned T-Mobile. A delay in repacking would give Sinclair more time to lobby the commission to devote more reimbursement funds to paying for stations to buy 3.0 equipment, said the filing in docket 17-179.

T-Mobile executives told FCC officials the company is ready to start deploying service using the licenses it bought in the TV incentive auction this year. T-Mobile met with Matthew Berry, FCC chief of staff, and Jean Kiddoo, chair of the Incentive Auction Task Force, said a filing in docket 12-268. “Representatives from T-Mobile discussed the company’s plans to rapidly deploy 600 MHz spectrum for mobile broadband and to begin providing service to consumers this year, including bringing new competition and choice to rural areas previously unserved by T-Mobile,” the carrier said. “Representatives also discussed broadcaster and vendor progress on the post-auction transition and T-Mobile’s efforts to help broadcasters identify and resolve transition issues.”

The Sinclair/Tribune merger deal should be rejected by the FCC and can’t be made more palatable with merger conditions, said an ‘informal coalition” of Dish Network, Common Cause, the American Cable Association, the Competitive Carriers Association, Computer and Communications Industry Association and One America News Network, in a press call Monday.

Dish Network’s “dream” in a wireless connectivity network buildout “would be to go to the tower one time and build out all our spectrum in 5G,” said CEO Charlie Ergen on a Thursday earnings call. “There’s tremendous cost savings in doing that.”

Among big developments from Q2 calls are AT&T’s announcement that FirstNet spending will start this year and Verizon’s projections of increased spending on its wireless build (see 1707270037), BTIG analyst Walter Piecyk wrote Friday. AT&T is likely to replace more than half the antennas in its network as part of FirstNet, Piecyk said. “Six states have opted in to FirstNet to date and AT&T can begin its work in those areas as soon as that begins. It is likely that AT&T will increase its wireless investments in 2018 based on this project.” Piecyk expects a 60 percent increase in Verizon’s wireless capital expenditures in the second half of the year compared with the first half. “Verizon indicated that the second half investments will be focused on fiber and small cells,” he said. Other noteworthy developments include T-Mobile’s promise to start deploying in the 600 MHz band in August and Crown Castle’s “doubling down on small cell exposure,” he said.

States that opt in to FirstNet will be able to make the national broadband network available to public safety agencies as much as three years faster than expected, board member Kevin McGinnis told the National Public Safety Telecommunications Council Thursday. Meanwhile, FirstNet said a seventh state, West Virginia, opted to join. The network “sped everything up” and that “becomes quite a challenge for FirstNet staff to manage,” McGinnis said.

The FCC released language that must be used in consumer disclosure forms required in a 2015 wireless mic order. “In adopting a Consumer Disclosure requirement, the Commission explained that consumers will need to be informed of the changes that will affect their use of wireless microphones in the portion of the TV bands that is being repurposed following the broadcast television incentive auction, the conditions associated with their continued use of the 600 MHz service band during the 39-month post-auction transition period, and their need to cease operations in the 600 MHz service band no later than the end of this transition period,” said a Monday order in docket 14-166. The notice must be displayed "at the point of sale in a clear, conspicuous, and readily legible manner" and by mic makers on their websites, the FCC said. The order is by the Consumer and Governmental Affairs and Wireless bureaus and the Office of Engineering and Technology. The FCC requires the notice to say: “This particular wireless microphone device operates in portions of the 617-652 MHz or 663-698 MHz frequencies. Beginning in 2017, these frequencies are being transitioned ... to the 600 MHz service to meet increasing demand for wireless broadband services. Users of this device must cease operating on these frequencies no later than July 13, 2020. In addition, users of this device may be required to cease operations earlier than that date if their operations could cause harmful interference to a 600 MHz service licensee’s wireless operations on these frequencies.”

T-Mobile continued to see strong growth in Q2, with 1.3 million net adds and 817,000 branded postpaid adds. Postpaid adds, a key measure, were slightly below Q1, when 914,000 were reported. T-Mobile noted it has now added more than 1 million subscribers for 17 straight quarters. Churn also improved to 1.1 percent, down 17 basis points from the same quarter last year and eight from Q1. T-Mobile expects to start to deploy the 600 MHz spectrum it bought in the TV incentive auction later this year, lighting up the first sites in August with several 600 MHz-capable handsets available for the holiday season. This was the first time the carrier went first among all the national carriers in releasing results. CEO John Legere said it was time to shake things up. “We’ve been breaking industry rules and dashing the hopes and dreams of our competitors,” Legere said. AT&T is focused on acquisitions and is OK with losing postpaid subscribers, he said. “Verizon’s massive marketing blitz on its unlimited plan looks like it might disappoint,” he said. “Sprint has been giving away phone service for free, like, literally, giving it away.” Legere said AT&T and Verizon have seen their networks slow under the weight of their unlimited offerings. “Their networks just can’t take it,” he said. The companies didn't comment. Legere also said T-Mobile has opened 1,000 company stores this year, with 500 on the way.