CTIA asked for further clarity as the FCC seeks comment on expanded federal use of commercial satellite spectrum bands (see 2406280034). “The uncertainty and lack of consensus in the record demonstrate that further progress cannot be made without explicit clarification by the Commission and [the Office of Engineering and Technology] regarding what spectrum bands are being considered for expanded Federal use and, subsequently, thorough consideration and resolution of the issues in each band,” a filing posted Tuesday in docket 24-121 said. “Discrepancies” between a 2013 NPRM and 2021 Further NPRM “leave unclear what bands are now under consideration, frustrating the purpose of the process to afford commenters a meaningful opportunity to respond,” CTIA 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).

AT&T plans to be among the first providers to offer a Wi-Fi 7-capable gateway to subscribers, expected before year-end, Josh Goodell, AT&T vice president-product experience, blogged Tuesday. “We believe Wi-Fi 7 will help customers access the multi-gig internet speeds made possible by fiber and the next-generation applications and technologies that will be built upon them,” Goodell said.

Progeny stressed in a progress report on the status of the construction and operation of its multilateration location and monitoring service licenses that its parent NextNav is seeking revisions to the rules for that spectrum. The changes “would enable highly accurate, widescale geolocation services, greatly enhancing the efficacy and utility of Progeny’s terrestrial position, navigation, and time (PNT) services as a complement and backup to the Global Positioning System,” said a filing Friday in docket 12-202. NextNav’s proposal for the 902-928 MHz band has proven controversial. Amateur radio operators have opposed NextNav’s request, making hundreds of filings ahead of a Thursday deadline for initial comments (see 2408120024). “The Commission’s action on the Petition will enable the deployment of a widescale terrestrial PNT complement and backup without the need for federal funding,” Progeny said. The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority also raised concerns. The authority’s licensed RFID devices “are tuned to different frequencies on a site-by-site basis to avoid interference with existing operators,” said a filing posted Friday: “If all existing licensed and unlicensed users of the lower 900 MHz frequencies are compressed into a significantly reduced portion of spectrum, Metro will face potential significant difficulties identifying frequencies that can be used for its transponder communications without being subject to interference moving forward.” The authority also questioned the lack of a guardband to protect its operations and NextNav's real-world testing. NextNav’s plans “call for higher-powered devices (two orders of magnitude more powerful) and significantly larger volumes of traffic than are currently in use on these frequencies” and the potential impact on Metro’s roadside antennas, readers and in-vehicle transponders “have not been properly evaluated,” the authority said. The band provides connections for “tens of millions” of smart-home and smart-building devices and industrial solutions, said Reliable Controls, which offers products that use the frequencies, including its EnOcean line. “The reallocation of this spectrum would potentially render these devices inoperative, potentially causing widespread disruption and resulting in billions of dollars in economic loss to schools, hospitals, government buildings, offices, companies, industry and individuals,” the company said.

Wireless interests continue to urge that the FCC deny SpaceX's requested waiver of power flux density limits for its supplemental coverage from space (SCS) service. AT&T and the Rural Wireless Association, in docket 23-135 filings posted Friday, argued allowing SpaceX's higher-power output would result in harmful interference to adjacent-band terrestrial mobile services. AT&T said claims the SpaceX SCS offering will only be in areas where terrestrial networks aren't available is contrary to SpaceX's claims that its proposed service will provide mobile connectivity "everywhere." RWA said that while it backs expanded coverage in unserved and underserved areas, SpaceX hasn't shown evidence it can provide interference protections to adjacent-band services. AT&T has petitioned to deny SpaceX's waiver (see 2408130008).

The FCC Wireline Bureau extended deadlines for additional carriers to remove, replace and dispose of Huawei and ZTE equipment from their networks. In an order posted in Friday’s Daily Digest, the bureau said extensions went to Advantage Cellular Systems, extended to March 10, AST Telecom (April 18), Country Wireless (Feb. 23) and Inland Cellular (Sept. 30). NE Colorado Cellular received an extension to March 9 for part of its system, and April 6 for other parts. Competitive Carriers Association President Tim Donovan told us Friday he remains hopeful Congress will find a spending vehicle this year to fully fund the Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Reimbursement Program to pay for carriers to rip and replace the Chinese gear (see 2408230039). The program faces a $3.08 billion funding gap (see 2404100067).

The Utilities Technology Council and the 450 MHz Alliance announced a partnership Friday to promote greater use of the 450 MHz band. “By working together, we can facilitate the exchange of knowledge and best practices, driving forward the development of future-proof communication systems that are essential for utility operations,” said Gosta Kallner, alliance executive chair. The groups plan to “collaborate on a range of initiatives, including joint research projects, workshops and advocacy efforts to support regulatory and standardization processes.”

Congress appears unlikely to renew FCC auction authority this year, which makes prompt FCC action on approving fixed wireless use of the lower 12 GHz band even more important, former FCC Commissioner Mike O’Rielly said in a new blog post. O'Rielly called inaction on FCC auction authority “especially vexing" given the importance of spectrum to U.S. competitiveness and enabling new technologies. “Having served as an FCC Commissioner, I understand the agency’s limited options to make more spectrum available absent Congressional action on auction authority,” O’Rielly said: “Despite this challenge, there is a prime opportunity before the Commission in the pending lower 12 GHz proceeding that would enable more efficient use of spectrum even while Congress works to restore auction authority.” The FCC “should not wait to act on … and should move to adopt final rules to authorize the use of high-power two-way, fixed wireless service in the band.” The 12 GHz for 5G Coalition continues pressing for FCC action on the band (see 2407030061).

The FCC’s cyber trust mark program should remain focused on cybersecurity, based on NISTIR 8425, the National Institute for Standards and Technology’s IoT core baseline, CTA representatives said during a meeting with FCC Public Safety Bureau staff. “Ensure confidential treatment of both Cybersecurity Label Administrator and manufacturer applications,” a filing posted Thursday in docket 23-239 said. The program should also be “backed by a broad consumer education campaign that is led by the U.S. government,” CTA said.

The Oklahoma Fire Chiefs Association supported a proposal to give the FirstNet Authority and AT&T effective control of the 4.9 GHz band, in a filing this week in FCC docket 07-100. “This will prevent an unwieldly patchwork of deployments across the nation and create the economies of scale necessary to speed deployment by maintaining a consistent set of build out regulations and creating the necessary incentives for the proliferation of new equipment and technologies,” the Oklahoma chiefs said. The Illinois Sheriffs' Association and the Detroit Public Safety Foundation opposed FirstNet control of the band. “The local nature of the 4.9 GHz band is crucial for future preparedness and providing network resiliency to first responders,” the Illinois group said. The proposal remains hotly contested (see 2408230021).