Anterix representatives spoke with an aide to FCC Commissioner Geoffrey Starks seeking action on a rulemaking authorizing 5/5 MHz broadband deployments in the 900 MHz band (see 2405210041). "Adoption of rules consistent with the Petition would advance” the FCC’s “commitment to promote the availability of broadband technology in rural areas along with its efforts to maximize the technologically advanced use of available spectrum resources,” a filing posted Thursday in docket 24-99 said.
Mobile & Wireless Forum (MWF) representatives met with FCC Wireless Bureau staff to discuss e-labeling for hearing-aid compatible phones. MWF considers the limitations in FCC rules “overbroad" and requested a discussion about the issue, a filing posted Thursday in docket 23-388 said. Especially post-COVID-19, “QR codes have become ubiquitous,” the group said: “Their use on packaging to present complicated information that calls for more explanation than there may be space for on physical packaging makes eminent sense.” MWF said e-labeling should be permitted for HAC devices and QR code usage for packaging.
While time division duplexing (TDD) dominated early 5G deployments, frequency division duplexing (FDD) is starting to outpace the other technology, Stefan Pongratz, Dell’Oro Group vice president-radio access network market research, said in a blog this week. FDD relies on different frequencies for uplink and downlink, while TDD uses different time slots. “Operators initially tend to focus on the upper mid-band before complementing it with narrow-band FDD deployments,” Pongratz blogged. But results from 5G FDD-only deployments suggest “significant potential,” he said. In the Netherlands, a delay in making C-band spectrum available prompted providers “to optimize the use of existing assets, coordinating 4G and 5G technologies across high and low FDD bands to create a high-performance network.” Testing shows “impressive average data rates and latency results in the Netherlands even with the C-Band delays.”
Nokia supported launch of a proposed rulemaking authorizing 5/5 MHz broadband deployments in the 900 MHz band (see 2405210041). “With the necessary interference mitigation and remediation protections in place, expanding this band has the potential to support a variety of use cases including secure wireless broadband networks for utilities, business enterprise entities and other critical infrastructure,” a filing posted Wednesday in docket 24-99 said. “Utilities and private enterprises must have access to the spectrum they require for current and future use cases,” Nokia said.
The FCC Public Safety Bureau closed all remaining dockets for filings on review and approval of regional plans or plan amendments for spectrum in the 800 MHz National Public Safety Planning Advisory Committee band, except for consolidated docket 23-237. The agency created that docket last year but didn’t close all the other dockets at the time (see 2307210053). “Some of these individual dockets have previously been closed and we now close the remaining individual dockets,” the bureau said in a notice in Wednesday’s Daily Digest.
Confusion was evident over implementation of FCC rules on Wi-Fi hot spots through the E-rate program during a Schools, Health and Libraries Broadband Coalition webinar on Wednesday. Technical rules for funding allocations included formulas that seemed better suited for a pre-algebra course than a webinar about hot spot grant applications. Speakers mentioned political uncertainty concerning the future of the program in the courts (see 2407180024). A question-and-answer sequence reflected viewers' confusion about the implications for local schools and libraries; most were seeking clarification on the FCC’s complex record-keeping requirements and those that prevent warehousing.
The Wi-Fi Alliance told the FCC that proposed modifications of a waiver request to market three investigative and surveillance devices operating at higher power levels than allowed in the 5 GHz band don’t adequately address interference concerns. Axon proposed in July that its devices operate primarily using channels at the upper and lower edges of the U-NII-3 band, “avoiding operations in the more congested center of the band.” The compromise Axon suggests won't “cure the fundamental problem with its Request -- that Axon’s devices will block Wi-Fi access to U-NII-3 spectrum that is critical to meet Americans’ connectivity requirements,” the Alliance said in a filing not yet posted in docket 24-40: “As the record demonstrates, unlike Wi-Fi, Axon’s devices would not implement contention-based protocols intended to ensure equitable access among unlicensed devices to the U-NII-3 band. Axon’s ‘always-on’ protocol makes the failure to ‘listen-before-talk’ even worse.”
Telecom fees required by Rochester, New York, effectively prohibited providing telecom services in violation of sections 253 and 332 of the Communications Act, U.S. District Judge Elizabeth Wolford for Western New York said in a judgment Wednesday. Making official a settlement agreement the parties reached Friday (see 2407290010), the court permanently enjoined the city from enforcing the fees and ordered “any other causes of action or claims brought in the above-referenced actions are rendered moot by this judgment and are dismissed without prejudice." Extenet, Crown Castle and Verizon Wireless had challenged the Rochester fees.
Generative AI (GenAI) smartphone shipments are expected to grow 363.6% year over year in 2024 to 234.2 million handsets, or 19% of the smartphone market, IDC said Tuesday. Growth is expected to continue at a compound annual rate of 78.4% through 2028. "GenAI smartphones are inevitable and look to be the next big thing the industry has to offer consumers," said Anthony Scarsella, IDC research director-mobile phones. “Despite the challenges of elongated refresh cycles and macroeconomic uncertainties, GenAI capabilities on the smartphone will drive upgrades and represent a significant opportunity for both vendors and application developers alike,” IDC said.
Auto Innovators urged the FCC to act soon on a proposed order on cellular vehicle-to-everything use of the 5.9 GHz band that is in front of the commissioners (see 2407170042). The group represents the auto industry. Its representatives met with an aide to FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr. Its representatives “also encouraged the Commission to work with the automotive industry to identify additional spectrum to both support new C-V2X use cases and to ensure that there is adequate spectrum for next-generation V2X technologies, such as 5G-V2X,” a filing posted Tuesday in docket 19-138 said.