Very low power (VLP) devices pose little risk to mobile electronic newsgathering (ENG) receivers, tech companies said in a meeting with FCC Office of Engineering and Technology staff. A Broadcom analysis “demonstrated that ENG systems can operate error-free with SINRs [signal to interference and noise ratio] at and above 1 dB and that interference from VLP transmitters is very unlikely to cause SINR levels to fall below that 1 dB threshold in any plausible operating scenario,” said a filing posted Friday in docket 18-295. New, supplemental analysis further “confirms that VLP devices in U-NII-6 and U-NII-8 do not present a significant risk of harmful interference and that mobile ENG systems will operate with a[n] SINR above 8 dB in every realistic scenario,” the filing said. Also in the meeting were Apple, Google, Meta Platforms and Qualcomm.

The Wi-Fi Alliance asked the FCC to address its waiver request that would allow automated frequency coordination systems in the 6 GHz band to take building entry loss into account for “composite” standard-power devices that are restricted to operating indoors. Representatives met with an aide to FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel. The FCC sought comment on the waiver last year (see 2304060049). The request “has been pending for over 18 months” and “there have been no additional submissions in the record in this proceeding for over a year,” said a filing Wednesday in docket 23-107.

NTIA will convene a virtual industry roundtable listening session on the Public Wireless Supply Chain Innovation Fund on Sept. 26, a notice for Friday’s Federal Register said. The session starts at 10 a.m. EDT. NTIA said it’s seeking specific feedback on “ongoing barriers” to open radio access network adoption, “including for example, technology gaps and market challenges, among others, and opportunities to address such barriers,” expected use cases for “open and interoperable standards-based networks in public and private 5G networks” and “desired outcomes from industry, including relevant trials, deployment models, or proofs of concept.” The agency awarded its initial grants under the fund 13 months ago (see 2308080047).

The FCC Wireless Bureau on Thursday launched a record refresh seeking comment on updating performance standards for maritime radiocommunications equipment under Part 80 of the commission’s rules. Comments are due Oct. 21, replies Nov. 4, in RM-11765. The bureau asked for comment on the specific updated version of the standard the agency should incorporate into its rules, “the rule section(s) where the standard appears, … the element(s) of the standard which have been modified from the version currently referenced in part 80” and “the costs and benefits of referencing the updated standard,” among other issues.

Jeff Blum, EchoStar executive vice president-government and external affairs, fired back at a SpaceX filing this week that called on the FCC to close a proceeding examining the lower 12 GHz band for fixed wireless use (see 2409040035). "The latest SpaceX study is an unserious and last-ditch effort by SpaceX to prevent unleashing 500 MHz of spectrum in the 12.2-12.7 GHz band for fixed 5G broadband services that can be used to help close the digital divide,” Blum said in an email. The filing “imagines phantom locations for SpaceX’s own customers, a phantom fixed 5G system that can either operate at full power or not operate at all (without being able to reduce power), and phantom physics (a fictional world where all 5G transmissions will hit all Starlink antennas right at their ‘boresight’).”

The Electronic Frontier Foundation opposed NextNav’s proposal that the FCC reconfigure the 902-928 MHz band “to enable a high-quality, terrestrial complement” to GPS for positioning, navigation and timing services (see 2404160043). Comments were due Thursday in docket 24-240. “NextNav’s own proposal makes it clear that this is essentially a land grab,” the foundation said: “NextNav seeks to increase the amount of band they have sole use of, the size of the physical region those licenses operate in, the amount of power they can use, and amount interference they can cause.”

A FirstNet Authority task force report about the Feb. 22 nationwide AT&T wireless outage (see 2403040062) found “the network did not perform up to public safety’s standards that day,” CEO Joe Wassel blogged Thursday. The task force made five recommendations including “more complete All Hazards Emergency Operations planning between the FirstNet Authority and AT&T, so both entities can better prepare for, respond to, and communicate effectively during planned and no-notice network impacting events.” The report also discusses the importance of “stakeholder communications” and continuity planning. The FCC released a report on the outage in July (see 2407220034). In a second development, the Commerce Department Office of Inspector General said it’s starting an audit of authority “oversight of the Nationwide Public Safety Broadband Network.” The objective “is to determine whether FirstNet Authority is ensuring that the Nationwide Public Safety Broadband Network is achieving service availability requirements,” a notice said.

The record reflects consensus on the need for federal funding for consumer education that will make the FCC’s voluntary cyber trust mark program a success, CTIA told the FCC in reply comments posted Wednesday in docket 23-239. Other aspects of the program require “further consideration and clarification,” CTIA said: “In particular, the Bureau should reduce uncertainty about the role of [cybersecurity labeling administrators] and minimize the burdens that will be placed on CLAs.” FCC commissioners approved 5-0 in March a voluntary cyber-mark program while adopting a Further NPRM seeking comment on some details (see 2403140034). Reply comments were due Tuesday. Initial comments last month urged the regulator to proceed cautiously when crafting rules for the CLAs and for the lead administrator, who will oversee an IoT product registry under the program (see 2408200037). The Electronic Privacy Information Center stressed the importance of a fair and transparent process in selecting CLAs. “We support the [Public Safety] Bureau’s proposals that the standards, testing criteria, and label design be stakeholder consensus-based, but urge that the relevant stakeholder entities should include representatives from consumer advocacy groups and not merely … representatives from industry groups,” EPIC said. The American Association for Laboratory Accreditation called on the FCC to accept and conditionally approve CLA applicants provided they meet the requirements standard 17065 from the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC). “The principles of ISO/IEC 17065 ensure the technical competence in undertaking the scope of work; the need for resources to fulfill the work is reviewed and satisfied; suitable policies and procedures are established and implemented to undertake the work with integrity; impartiality in practices is maintained and confirmed; and operations are supported with a quality management system,” the group said. Somos said the IoT registry should include sensor data, while protecting consumer privacy. “The IoT registry should include general information about sensor types and their cybersecurity features, without revealing specific personal or sensitive data collected by these sensors,” Somos said: “This approach aims to provide transparency regarding device capabilities and risks while protecting user privacy.”

SpaceX told the FCC it’s time to close a proceeding examining use of the lower 12 GHz band for fixed wireless. The agency should “finally” end Dish Network’s “undeserved and relentless quest to steal spectrum rights in the 12.2-12.7 GHz band at the expense of millions of Americans who depend on this band to deliver their satellite broadband and broadcast content,” said a filing posted Wednesday in docket 20-443. SpaceX submitted an analysis which it said shows that approving the change would mean “harmful interference and service outages” for Americans dependent on satellite broadband. Dish’s interference analysis relies on “fictional technology” that’s “trumpeted by RKF Engineering -- whom the Commission unanimously found submits studies based on ‘unsupported’ and ‘speculative’ assumptions,” SpaceX said.

The Resilient Navigation and Timing Foundation questioned parts of NextNav’s proposal to use its 902-928 MHz band spectrum for terrestrial position, navigation and time (TPNT) services. In a filing posted Tuesday in docket 24-240, the foundation said, “Other solutions or combinations of systems can provide similar capabilities as NextNav proposes” and “many of them do not require additional spectrum.” A single solution isn’t sufficient, the foundation said: “Multiple systems in a carefully architected system-of-systems approach are required,” and “there are numerous existing and emerging technologies that provide or can provide TPNT to complement and backup GPS.” The group also questioned whether NextNav’s proposal is truly “nationwide” since it won’t serve “the entire landmass and immediate contiguous waters of the United States including Hawaii, Alaska, Puerto Rico, and Guam.” NextNav’s plan has proven controversial. Amateur radio operators have opposed the company’s request, making hundreds of filings ahead of a Thursday deadline for initial comments (see 2408120024).