Representatives of the Schools, Health & Libraries Broadband Coalition and the Open Technology Institute at New America asked the FCC to expand its draft order allowing schools and libraries to use E-rate support for off-premises Wi-Fi hot spots and wireless internet services to include partnerships with nontraditional providers (see 2406270068). The draft order “would only provide subsidy for traditional, commercially available hotspots and services, which could skew the market and prevent schools and libraries from considering lower-priced and higher quality options,” the groups said: They asked the commission to consider allowing support for alternative services and devices, including anchor-enabled networks, “outside of those offered by traditional mobile carriers.” The groups met with aides to FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel, Commissioners Geoffrey Starks and Anna Gomez, and Wireline Bureau staff, a filing posted Friday in docket 21-31 said. The Wireless ISP Association, meanwhile, met with aides to Starks and Gomez on whether the FCC has legal authority to adopt the order. With those meetings, the group has now met with aides to all five commissioners (see 2407100028).

Mint Mobile customers now get unlimited talk, text and 3GB of high-speed data per month when they roam in Canada, parent T-Mobile said Thursday. Mint subscribers already enjoy free calling in Mexico and the U.K. “Roam like a Canadian, but without the Canada-sized bill,” T-Mobile said.

Verizon’s prepaid Total Wireless brand offered a customer promotion promising service at “less than $30 per month,” a rate locked in for five years. A customer would need four lines to get that price per line. A single line costs $50 monthly with unlimited data on Verizon’s 5G ultra-wideband network, a price that includes taxes and fees. Unveiled Thursday, the offer is for new customers. Total also unveiled a new logo.

The Wireless ISP Association said the FCC should stick with revised rules for the 4.9 GHz band, allowing nonpublic safety use of the spectrum on a secondary basis (see 2301180062). The commission “correctly held” that a band manager model “would ensure that public safety operations are fully protected, while promoting spectrum efficiency, fostering innovation, and reducing equipment costs,” a filing posted Thursday in docket 07-100 said. WISPA noted that the Public Safety Spectrum Alliance has urged the FCC to change the rules: “PSSA is incorrect that secondary, non-public safety access on a preemptible basis would complicate the Band Manager’s ability to fulfill its frequency coordination and band management responsibilities,” WISPA said.

CTIA wants the FCC to make several tweaks to the draft order and Further NPRM that let schools and libraries use E-rate support for off-premises Wi-Fi hot spots and wireless internet services (see 2406270068). The item is set for a commissioner vote July 18. The FCC should consider increasing the $15 funding cap for services and $90 for hot spots, a filing posted Thursday in docket 21-31 said: “The Draft Order indicates that these values represent median costs, meaning that fully half of the costs in the sample were above these levels. Using median costs as funding caps could unduly restrict the range of offerings available to schools and libraries.” The requirement to monitor usage should rest with applicants, not providers, CTIA said. In addition, the FCC should consider removing the limitation on devices with ethernet ports, the group said. “This limitation is not necessary to ensure appropriate use of the funding and the Draft Order offers no explanation for its inclusion.”

CTIA asked the FCC to add questions to the draft handset unlocking NPRM set for a vote July 18 (see 2406270068). CTIA said the FCC should ask whether “lost or stolen phones also fall under an exception to the 60-day unlocking requirement,” a filing posted Thursday in docket 24-186 said. In addition, CTIA requested that the draft be changed to ask about “other consumer impacts,” including “any digital equity implications” and the potential effect on the push to close the digital divide.

AT&T responded to NCTA after the group Wednesday joined the fray on the 4.9 GHz band, saying FirstNet and by extension AT&T shouldn't gain control of it (see 2407100020). “This is a public safety issue, not an industry issue,” a spokesperson emailed. “Contrary the filing, we support public safety and join major public safety groups … in supporting FCC action to preserve this spectrum for public safety and meet the critical and evolving future communication needs of first responders.” AT&T noted the support of the Fraternal Order of Police, the International Association of Fire Fighters and the International Association of Chiefs of Police for its position, “among many others.”

Electric vehicle (EV) company Tesla sought a waiver of FCC ultra-wideband rules in support of a vehicle positioning system. “Grant of the waiver would help unleash innovation for applications such as EV charging, providing consumers with additional charging options, and would advance United States leadership and interests in the clean energy transition,” an undocketed filing posted Wednesday said. Tesla said the waiver is consistent with the commission’s hand-held UWB rules “because the proposed Tesla operations will not communicate any data other than for the positioning of the vehicle and the transmissions are only for the short duration necessary to align an EV.”

Southern Linc representatives met with Flynn Rico-Johnson, new wireless aide to Commissioner Geoffrey Starks, to update him on the most important issues to the Southern Co. subsidiary. “With the digitization of the electric grid that is now underway, utilities now need broadband networks capable of handling large amounts of data,” a filing Tuesday in 21-346 and other dockets said. “We discussed the importance of access to spectrum for the deployment of private LTE and 5G broadband networks to meet utilities’ ever-increasing capacity, reliability and security needs,” the company said. Southern Linc stressed its support for a proposed rulemaking authorizing 5/5 MHz broadband deployments in the 900 MHz band (see 2402290064).

The FCC Office of Engineering and Technology sought comment on a waiver request by Norway's Kontur for ultra-wideband (UWB) devices, a public notice said Wednesday. Kontur requested the commission waive sections 15.503(d), 15.31(c), and 15.521(d), letting Kontur certify and market a UWB device that would operate as a stepped-frequency, continuous-wave-modulated ground penetrating radar (GPR) transmitter. The device “would improve the quality and quantity of information used by a variety of industries,” Kontur said. However, it does not meet the FCC’s definition of a UWB because it's frequency hopping. Comments are due Aug. 9, replies Sept. 10, in docket 24-209.