T-Mobile opposed expanded space operations in the 2110-2120 MHz portion of the AWS-1 band, joining its wireless peers (see 2404020028). “That spectrum has been auctioned by the Commission as part of the AWS-1 frequency band (2110-2155 MHz) and is heavily employed by wireless companies to provide service to customers,” the carrier said in a filing posted Thursday in docket 13-155: “T-Mobile currently has 185 licenses in the AWS-1 band and spent over $4 billion in Auction 66, which resulted in the licensing of most of the AWS-1 band.”

The Senate Commerce Committee confirmed Thursday the panel plans to mark up the draft Spectrum and National Security Act and five other tech and telecom-focused bills during a Wednesday executive session, as expected (see 2404240074). The 108-page draft measure from committee Chair Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., would restore the FCC’s spectrum auction authority through Sept. 30, 2029, also as expected (see 2403210063). The proposal also provides a new vehicle for allocating stopgap funding for the commission’s ailing affordable connectivity program amid a delay in advancing a separate House-side bid to force a floor vote on providing that money, lobbyists told us.

Samsung Electronics America representatives met with aides to FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel about the company’s request for a waiver for a 5G base station radio that works across citizens broadband radio service and C-band spectrum (see 2309130041). The company refuted concerns raised about the potential interference threat to CBRS (see 2404090058). Samsung was “the first phone manufacturer to offer a phone operating in CBRS in the United States and a leading supplier of CBRS base stations around the country,” said a filing posted Wednesday in docket 23-93: “Samsung has every incentive to ensure its proposed radio does not intentionally interfere with its and others’ CBRS radios.” The waiver request “has been pending more than 600 days and is ripe for grant,” the company said.

CTIA and its major members agreed that grants of special temporary authority (STA) are the best method of getting “inventory” spectrum into play, in reply comments posted Tuesday in docket 24-72. Others continue to stress the benefits of dynamic sharing and other mechanisms (see 2404090045). The FCC sought comment in March as the agency marked the one-year anniversary of its general auction authority expiring.

Verizon joins wireless industry voices urging the FCC not to allow expanded uplinks in the 2110-2120 MHz band for space launch operations. That swath was critical to 4G deployment and "will continue to support the deployment of next-generation wireless technologies for years to come," Verizon said Friday in docket 13-115. In addition, CTIA and AT&T have raised red flags about expanded space operations in the 2110-2120 MHz portion of the AWS-1 band (see 2404020028). More users in the AWS-1 band "would add significant complexity and uncertainty to the interference environment," Verizon said. It said if the FCC allows expanded access for space launches, it should be restricted to the NASA Deep Space Network research facility in California -- the sole venue where wireless licensees of the band have been subject to interference up to now.

The Coalition for Emergency Response and Critical Infrastructure (CERCI) told the FCC in a filing it lacks legal authority to award control of the 4.9 GHz band to the FirstNet Authority (FNA). New Street’s Blair Levin highlighted the filing Wednesday in a note to investors. “The Commission lacks statutory authority under the Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012 to award the FNA a license beyond the 700 MHz band addressed by that Act, and no other statute authorizes such a transfer,” CERCI said in a filing in docket 07-100: “Even if the FCC were authorized to make this grant, the FNA is not statutorily authorized to receive it” and “attempting to undertake this grant based on existing statutory authorities would, in any case, violate the major questions doctrine and raise nondelegation issues.” If lawyers at the FCC “agree with the argument, it moots the policy arguments about the relative benefits of national versus local control of spectrum and prevents the reallocation of the 50 megahertz of 4.9GHz spectrum licenses at issue,” which would be a “win” for Verizon and T-Mobile, Levin said. The arguments “are designed to have appeal to both Democrats and Republicans, who, in particular, are more sympathetic to arguments based on the major questions doctrine and the nondelegation doctrine,” he said. CERCI was formed last year by some public safety groups, the Edison Electric Institute, T-Mobile, UScellular, Verizon and the Competitive Carriers Association (see 2311160052). AT&T declined comment Thursday.

The FCC approved Thursday waiver requests from 11 additional parties seeking permission to launch early deployments of cellular vehicle-to-everything (C-V2X) technology in the 5.895-5.925 GHz band. The FCC has yet to finalize rules for C-V2X in the band -- an item pending since November 2020, when the commission approved an order opening 45 MHz of the band for Wi-Fi, while allocating 30 MHz C-V2X technology (see 2011180043).

NextNav proposed that the FCC reconfigure the 902-928 MHz band “to enable a high-quality, terrestrial complement” to GPS for positioning, navigation and timing services. NextNav noted it’s the largest licensee in the band. The undocketed petition for rulemaking was filed and posted Tuesday. “Reconfiguring the band plan and adopting rules that enable flexible use will also provide 15 megahertz of low-band spectrum for use by mobile wireless networks, a significant addition to the low-band spectrum pipeline,” the company said. Without GPS, “essential economic and security functions would be significantly impaired or disabled entirely,” NextNav said: “Yet GPS does not work well indoors or in urban canyons, and GPS signals are subject to jamming, spoofing, and other targeting events.”

The Enterprise Wireless Alliance supported a request by utility company Exelon for a waiver of FCC rules to grant two additional 800 MHz channel pairs allowing use of mobile-to-mobile communications on the subsidiaries’ 800 MHz land mobile radio systems. The Wireless Bureau sought comment on the request, due Wednesday, in docket 24-80 (see 2403120039). “It is not practical or safe for Exelon employees engaged in dangerous activities or working below ground to have to use a different radio for direct communications,” EWA said: “The better solution is the one proposed in the Waiver Requests: 800 MHz channels used only in specific, typically brief instances for mobile-to-mobile transmissions on a secondary basis.” EWA said because of the “very limited, intermittent use” of the channels the interference risks are minimal. EWA filed the only comment so far.

House Communications Subcommittee Chairman Bob Latta (Ohio) and Health Subcommittee Chairman Brett Guthrie (Ky.) are highlighting reaching a deal on an expansive spectrum legislative package as a top communications policy priority if they succeed retiring Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (Wash.) as the panel's lead Republican in the next Congress. Both contenders separately told us their spectrum focus wouldn’t waver if Rodgers and other congressional leaders reach a deal this year that restores the FCC’s lapsed auction authority and other airwaves-related priorities. Talks on spectrum legislation have largely stalled since early 2023, but Senate Commerce Committee Chair Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., and others are shopping new proposals (see 2403210063).