The Utilities Technology Council and several of its member companies met with FCC Wireless Bureau staff to express support for a proposed rulemaking to authorize 5/5 MHz broadband deployments in the 900 MHz band (see 2505190025) and to discuss other spectrum issues. “Utilities need access to licensed spectrum to ensure mission critical communications reliability using frequency bands that provide favorable propagation for wide area coverage without line of sight issues,” said a filing posted Friday in docket 24-99.
Communications companies, local governments, utilities and other respondents to communication outages should prioritize protecting cable and fiber lines, publicize individual action plans and provide mutual aid to one another, the FCC Public Safety Bureau said Thursday in a public notice on cross-sector cooperation for hurricane season. The notice was based on findings gathered during the agency’s hurricane season resiliency roundtable July 7. “Protecting cable and fiber lines is critical to disaster recovery," it said. “Damage to these networks can cripple communications, delays emergency response, disrupts rescue operations, and cuts off essential services like healthcare, transportation, and banking -- severing lifelines for affected communities.” The notice also recommended that stakeholders establish relationships across industries before disasters happen, prepare centralized response plans and lines of communication, and learn the infrastructure and lexicons of other sectors. “Establishing relationships between stakeholders is crucial to effectively preparing for and responding to disasters.”
The FCC Enforcement Bureau ordered F&F Realty Partners on Thursday to explain within 10 days the alleged interference of Telematrix cordless phones used in a hotel that it owns in Rosemont, Illinois, with T-Mobile’s network. Nextel West, a subsidiary of T-Mobile, complained that the phones were “generating spurious emissions” in the 1883-1893 MHz band, interfering with the network's use of the 1885-1890 MHz band.
The Better Business Bureau's National Advertising Division said Thursday that AT&T should modify its “Learn How Everyone Gets iPhone 16 Pro on Us” advertising claim. The group acted on a Verizon complaint. “The limitation that the offer only applies to certain plans is material information that should be disclosed,” it said, adding that AT&T indicated it plans to appeal the decision.
The FCC Wireline Bureau said in a notice Thursday that interconnected VoIP numbering authorization applications filed by three providers lacked some of the information required under the commission’s rules. The three providers are Porting.com, CallTower and ConnectTo Communications. The bureau reached out to request the information, and “to date, the applicants have not complied with the requests. As a result, the Commission has not released public notices accepting the applications for filing.” Meanwhile, the bureau approved an application by E. Ritter Communications under its streamlined approval process.
NextNav names Tim Gray, formerly Anterix, CFO, replacing Chris Gates, who becomes executive vice president of corporate development … Verizon adds Merissa Velez, ex-FCC Space Bureau, as director of international spectrum policy and regulatory counsel ... Mediacom promotes Fuad Alnajjar to group vice president of business engineering; Pradeep Kanda to group vice president of network security; Belinda Maldonado to group vice president of human resources; Joseph Michulski to group vice president of corporate finance; Ruben Martino to vice president of finance; and Manvinder Singh to vice president of data warehouse.
The FCC Media Bureau has set comment dates for several of Gray Television's proposed purchases of TV stations (see 2508010047) and indicated that the agency won’t oppose a court decision vacating the top-four prohibition, according to a public notice Monday. “It is anticipated that the mandate for the vacatur of the Top-Four Prohibition will take effect on October 21,” the notice said. The 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals vacated the rule in July but delayed issuing the mandate to give the FCC additional time to file in opposition. Broadcast attorneys told us the language in Monday's notice suggests that the agency won’t do that. Comments on Gray’s proposed buys of stations from Sagamore Hill Broadcasting, Block Communications and Allen Media are due Oct. 22, the notice said. Opposition filings are due Nov. 6, replies Nov. 17.
Representatives from the Wireless Infrastructure Association urged the FCC this week to approve an NPRM that examines ways to streamline wireless infrastructure rules. According to a filing posted Wednesday in docket 25-276, the group met with a staffer from the Wireless Bureau about the item, which is set for a commissioner vote Tuesday (see 2509090060).
Nationwide commercial mobile radio service providers must enable georouting of texts sent to the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline by April 16, 2027, the FCC Wireline Bureau said Tuesday (docket 18-336). The compliance deadline for non-nationwide providers is Oct. 16, 2028. FCC commissioners adopted a 988 text georouting requirement during the agency's July meeting (see 2507240055).
While Japan led the move to open radio access networks (ORAN), the action is shifting to North America, said Stephane Teral, chief analyst at Teral Research, during an RCR Wireless virtual conference Tuesday. Experts agreed that carriers have no choice but to move into an open network world if they want to meet the growing demands of their customers.