The 5G item set for commissioners' June 7 meeting proposes to undo some restrictions on spectrum holdings and tie up other loose ends. The FCC released its draft order and Further NPRM Thursday, providing details beyond what Chairman Ajit Pai discussed in a Wednesday blog post (see 1805160051).

The U.S. is moving toward creation of a national spectrum strategy that would predict spectrum trends and allow companies to do a better job of planning, said DOD spectrum chief Fred Moorefield at the National Spectrum Management Association annual conference Tuesday. “I think you'll see that coming out of the White House soon." He noted the Pentagon will update its own spectrum road map and action plan.

Broadcasters and satellite carriers clashed with wireless carriers and Dish Network on what positions the U.S. should take on spectrum use at the World Radiocommunication Conference in 2019, in comments posted Thursday and Friday in FCC docket 16-185. Broadcasters want to have language removed from ITU table of frequency allocations they said would leave spectrum dedicated to broadcasters open for wireless use, and most satellite carriers are seeking power constraints on terrestrial international mobile telecom (IMT) and protection for satellite incumbents. Carriers such as AT&T and T-Mobile don’t want changes to the language on the use of the broadcast spectrum, do want 37.0-43.5 GHz identified for IMT, and with Dish oppose power limits. To “most effectively promote" 5G, the FCC should adopt recommendations “that promote flexible spectrum use,” T-Mobile said.

The FCC is likely to address its current spectrum screen, especially in light of T-Mobile’s proposed buy of Sprint, some industry officials said. But a move to change the screen could face a backlash, particularly because of the pending wireless deal, they said. The screen was last updated in a June 2014 order under then-Chairman Tom Wheeler and uses a one-third criterion in all bands then considered suitable for mobile broadband deployment. It includes an enhanced screen below 1 GHz because of the “distinct propagation advantages” of low-band spectrum. Commissioners Ajit Pai and Mike O’Rielly dissented then, citing concerns about the enhanced screen (see 1405160059).

AT&T is pleased with the reception it has gotten on FirstNet, with about 600 public safety agencies in 48 states signing on, Chief Financial Officer John Stephens said Wednesday on a Q1 earnings call. AT&T has spent money and time over the better part of a year “getting to know our potential clients, getting into the industry, making a bigger effort to be a known player,” Stephens said. FirstNet customers can already get “relentless or ruthless pre-emption” and “priority services,” he said. The carrier is installing FirstNet’s 700 MHz Band 14 spectrum on its towers, Stephens said. “Over the next five years, we'll be putting Band 14 on tens of thousands of new and existing sites nationwide,” he said. “We plan to touch about a third of our cellsites this year.” AT&T’s new agreement with Crown Castle “will help us speed this process,” he said. “The agreement simplifies and expands our long-term leasing deal for wireless network infrastructure.” On buying Time Warner, Stephens said: “Both sides are wrapping up their cases and are now preparing for closing arguments on April 30. We'll wait for the court's ruling. Based on the court's determination, we stand ready to close. Funding is in place, even after we settle the special mandatory redemption bonds.” Stephens said 5G networks will be up by the end of the year, though handsets won’t be readily available until 2019. The technology works for fixed wireless, though AT&T doesn’t see much of a market, he said. “We're not as excited about the business case. It's not as compelling yet for us as it may be for some.” Tests of 5G in high-band spectrum are encouraging, he said. AT&T is seeing speeds of 1 Gbps and higher “under line-of-sight conditions to distances up to 900 feet and with extremely low latency rates,” Stevens said: The spectrum “is able to penetrate foliage, glass and even walls better than anticipated with no discernible signal performance impacts due to rain, snow or other weather issues.” Operating revenue fell about 3 percent to $38.04 billion from the year-ago quarter, falling slightly below expectations. Profit rose by about a third to $4.76 billion. AT&T said it added 187,000 linear video subscribers and 312,000 subscribers to its streaming service DirecTV Now. The telco added 49,000 postpaid wireless customers in the U.S. The stock closed down 6 percent Thursday at $33.10.

LAS VEGAS -- Life for wireless mic operators may grow more complex once TV stations reshuffle frequencies, an engineer at a maker of mic systems said at the NAB Show. Spectrum for such transmissions may grow more scarce and there may be more competing uses, these and other comments Tuesday suggested.

The FCC should tee up for auction all five of the millimeter-wave bands it has approved for 5G (see 1804040042) and not just the 24 and 28 GHz bands, T-Mobile officials said in a meeting with FCC staff, including Wireless Bureau Chief Donald Stockdale. “T-Mobile recently announced its plans to deploy 5G infrastructure in 30 markets this year using both 600 MHz and millimeter wave band spectrum,” said a filing posted Wednesday in docket 18-85. “Yet, more spectrum is required to realize the full potential of 5G networks and to promote competition. That is why the Commission should make millimeter wave band spectrum available, as quickly as possible, in a manner that best encourages competition and will produce the most pro-consumer impact.” Commissioners are to vote at their April 17 meeting on a public notice that will move the agency toward an auction of the 24 and 28 GHz bands (see 1803270052). Of the two bands, only 24 GHz “presents any meaningful opportunity for new entrants,” T-Mobile said: The 28 GHz band “is already heavily encumbered based on acquisitions by Verizon.”

The Competitive Carriers Association has major concerns about an NPRM set for a vote at the April 17 commissioners’ meeting proposing to prevent use of money in any USF program to buy equipment or services from companies that “pose a national security threat” to U.S. communications networks or the communications supply chain, President Steve Berry told us Tuesday. “The FCC has injected uncertainty at a time when carriers need certainty most,” as they are getting set for the Connect America Fund Phase II and Mobility Find II auctions and “building out 600 and 700 MHz spectrum,” Berry said. “This will most certainly impact the United States’ efforts to win the global race to 5G.” The Rural Wireless Association and NTCA also expressed concerns (see 1804020054). CCA was preparing for its spring meeting last week when FCC Chairman Ajit Pai circulated the draft NPRM. “CCA and its members care about national security and support prosecution of those who violate known national security policy,” Berry said. “Nevertheless, the FCC’s proposal to prohibit the use of USF to purchase any equipment or services produced or provided by any company posing a national security threat is incredibly broad and could impact every aspect of the communications supply chain with or without ever taking USF or purchased Chinese or Russian equipment and/or services.” Berry conceded the NPRM raises complicated issues. “CCA members care deeply about the security of their customers and the country and are focused on working towards comprehensive solutions,” he said. “I would hope any action taken by the FCC will move our nation to a broad solution and not a half measure that unduly paralyzes consumers in rural America.” Many smaller carriers have cut deals with Chinese equipment makers Huawei and ZTE, which worked hard to penetrate the U.S. market (see 1803260037).

Europe is lagging behind the U.S. in 5G preparedness now, but it doesn't have to, GSMA officials and others told us. There are many ongoing 5G-related activities, including a strategic focus on the technology by the European Conference of Postal and Telecommunications Administrations (CEPT) and Body of Regulators of Electronic Communications (BEREC), and there's strong political will to push Europe to the forefront, they said. But the 5G killer application remains elusive, EU efforts to boost investment in new networks have become bogged down, and political will is being sapped to some extent by more pressing issues such as Brexit and other world events, they said.

President Donald Trump signed the Repack Airwaves Yielding Better Access for Users of Modern Services (Ray Baum's) Act FCC reauthorization and spectrum legislative package (HR-4986) and other tech and telecom policy provisions included in the $1.3 trillion FY 2018 omnibus spending bill (HR-1625) Friday, despite a last-minute threat to veto the measure. The Senate passed the omnibus early Friday 65-32, after behind-the-scenes "begging, pleading and cajoling" to assuage objections from Sens. Rand Paul, R-Ky., and Jim Risch, R-Idaho, said Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., on the floor.