The Georgia Department of Corrections told the FCC that, during the last quarter of 2024, zero devices were “erroneously disabled” by the contraband interdiction system at the state's correctional facilities, in a filing posted Friday in docket 13-111. The Georgia department has been filing quarterly reports at the FCC on its interdiction efforts.

Todd Schlekeway, president of NATE: The Communications Infrastructure Contractors Association, called for changes in how the wireless industry does business with tower companies. Schlekeway's open letter came as earnings season begins for carriers and NATE members.

EchoStar Chairman Charlie Ergen met with FCC Commissioner Nathan Simington on the need for the FCC to update its citizens broadband radio service rules, the focus of an August NPRM (see 2408160031). “EchoStar reiterated how harmonizing rules for the CBRS band with those of neighboring bands (i.e., the 3.45 GHz and 3.7 GHz bands) will maximize its utility and enable domestic carriers and vendors to participate in global economies of scale,” said a filing posted Friday in docket 17-258. “The majority of commenters in the record support proposals to update rules for the CBRS band,” and the commission “should move forward to enact such changes expeditiously,” EchoStar said.

The global application-to-person (A2P) messaging market will reach $104.5 billion annually by 2033, up from $72.2 billion last year, ResearchAndMarkets.com predicted Thursday. The firm forecast a compound annual growth rate of 4.2% between 2025 and 2033. “Growing global use of smartphones and other mobile devices is responsible for the market's expansion,” the report said. “Transaction notifications, marketing automation, targeted consumer involvement, and the growing use of mobile-based communication across industries are the main factors propelling the A2P messaging market's expansion.”

The National Sheriffs’ Association and the California State Sheriffs’ Association asked that the FCC stay an October order giving the FirstNet Authority -- and, indirectly, AT&T -- use of the 4.9 GHz band (see 2410220027) pending judicial review of the order. The Coalition for Emergency Response and Critical Infrastructure challenged the order, while the Public Safety Spectrum Alliance questioned aspects of it, in petitions for review in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit (see 2412040043). The sheriffs groups said plaintiffs will likely prevail in court. “The Order is arbitrary and capricious because its last minute decision to block public safety entities from modifying existing licenses and applying for new licenses was not the subject of adequate notice,” said a filing posted Thursday in docket 07-100. In addition, the order is “self-contradictory and not based on sound reasoning,” the groups said. It "claims that incumbent licensees will not be adversely affected, when they will immediately be stripped of their geographic license rights and ability to apply for new or modified licenses as needed.” The order also unfairly helps AT&T “better position itself vis-à-vis its commercial wireless service competitors” by giving it “access to free mid-band spectrum in order to ‘maintain parity’ with its competitors, which is not an appropriate use of the 4.9 GHz public safety spectrum.”

The National Wireless Communications Council (NWCC) asked that new FCC Chairman Brendan Carr address T-band interference issues. Formerly the Land Mobile Communications Council, the group noted that it initially asked about the issue in 2020, seeking “expedited FCC action” to address alleged harmful interference from newly authorized DTV stations to Part 90 private land mobile radio systems (see 2008280062). The NWCC “recognizes that interference from one category of FCC-compliant systems to another, equally compliant group of licensees presents a difficult situation for the Commission,” said an undocketed filing Thursday. “What is certain is that no solution will be found unless the FCC addresses the issue.” The NWCC said it's willing to participate in a task force on T-band interference “or in any other forum the FCC chooses to convene for that purpose.”

Consumer and public interest groups urged the FCC on Wednesday to avoid acting on a petition by Responsible Enterprises Against Consumer Harassment (REACH), which seeks an emergency stay of the FCC's one-to-one robotext consent rules (see 2501210058). Commissioners approved the rules 13 months ago (see 2312130019). Absent further FCC action, the order will take effect Monday. The rules are “widely supported by consumers and small businesses, a bipartisan coalition of 28 state Attorneys General, as well as the telephone industry,” said a filing this week in docket 02-278. The delay that REACH proposes “requires full compliance with the Administrative Procedures Act, and thus even [if] it was warranted (which it is not), cannot be adopted in time to delay the effective date of the one-to-one regulation,” the groups said. The National Consumer Law Center, Consumer Action, the Consumer Federation of America, the Electronic Privacy Information Center, the National Association of Consumer Advocates, the National Consumers League, Public Knowledge and the U.S. Public Interest Research Group signed the filing.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit said Thursday that judges will hear T-Mobile’s challenge of an $80 million penalty for allegedly not safeguarding data on customers' real-time locations (see 2501210036) on March 24, starting at 9:30 a.m. The composition of the panel that will hear the case will be revealed 30 days prior to oral argument, said a Thursday notice from the court. T-Mobile was also fined $12.2 million for violations by Sprint, which it later purchased.

Semtech said Wednesday that its EM8695 5G RedCap module was tested and certified for use on AT&T’s reduced capacity (RedCap) network. The device also has certifications from the FCC and the PCS Type Certification Review Board. RedCap technology allows more bandwidth and capacity in IoT devices while reducing power use and other costs (see 2303270060). “Recent industry projections emphasize RedCap's critical role in driving IoT growth,” Semtech said. “According to Omdia, global RedCap connections are expected to surge from 27.6 million in 2023 to 963.5 million by 2030.”

5G Americas noted AI's benefits and risks when it's applied to mobile networks. A paper released Wednesday said “the integration of AI into the mobile network is expected to bring significant improvements in network performance and user experience.” Yet AI "comes with potential risks, broadly categorised into Security, Regulatory, Trustworthiness and Sustainability.” As AI systems see greater use in network management and operations, they also become "attractive targets for cyberattacks," the paper said. “AI is no longer a futuristic concept; it’s actively shaping wireless networks today,” said Viet Nguyen, 5G Americas president, noting work by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project and the Open Radio Access Network Alliance. “Attacks, such as data poisoning or intelligent jamming, can undermine the very systems we depend on,” he said: “These threats aren’t theoretical -- they’re real, and they’re evolving alongside the technology. Addressing them requires not just innovation but vigilance.