Spectrum Effect, provider of RF interference analysis and mitigation solutions to the wireless industry, hires former Nokia North America President Shaun McCarthy as president and chief revenue officer ... AST SpaceMobile, developer of space-based cellular broadband network accessible from “everyday smartphones,” adds former Vodafone and Ericsson executive Johan Wibergh to its board; Wibergh also will chair AST board’s newly formed network planning and spectrum committee ... Martello Technologies Group announces resignation of former BT Group Managing Director Mike Galvin from its board for personal reasons ... Everbridge, supplier of national public warning software solutions, hires Pamela Larson, ex-Twilio, as chief security officer, North America ... Cyble, AI-driven cybersecurity solutions provider, adds former EY executive Steve Ingram to its advisory board ... Boomi, intelligent integration and automation platform, promotes Chief Accounting Officer Jessica Soisson to chief financial officer.
It’s a “good thing” business leaders are thinking harder about antitrust risk when pursuing potential deals, even if the Biden administration’s policies have been “disorienting,” FTC Chair Lina Khan said Tuesday. Khan and DOJ Antitrust Division Chief Jonathan Kanter defended their antitrust approach during CNBC's CEO Council Summit.
The FCC Office of Engineering and Technology on Monday approved a request from Broadcom, Wi-Fi Alliance Services and the Wireless Broadband Alliance to modify their open automated frequency coordination (AFC) code, which determines available power spectral density for 6 GHz standard power devices. The three sought the change in March (see 2404150050). OET acknowledged the Fixed Wireless Communications Coalition's concerns (see 2404150050). FWCC argues that a complete report detailing the proposed changes would “ensure transparency and without said report, incumbent licensees and other interested parties cannot fully consider an AFC’s proposed changes,” OET said: “Given that the modifications were minor corrections, and OET’s internal analysis found no discrepancies, we find that additional testing is not needed.”
California is considering some “awful” regulations for AI, tech entrepreneur Andrew Ng said Thursday. His comments came a day after California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) warned state lawmakers against overregulating AI.
T-Mobile’s proposed acquisition of UScellular’s wireless operations, including about 30% of its spectrum, has already seen opposition (see 2405280047), with more expected. In addition, the deal will likely face heavy scrutiny from DOJ and the FCC, industry experts agree. Handicapping whether the transaction will receive approval is difficult, especially headed into a presidential election in November, industry officials say. Some of the 21 states where UScellular has a presence could play at least limited roles reviewing the deal, state and other officials said. T-Mobile’s buy of Mint and other assets from Ka’ena, a smaller deal that didn’t involve spectrum, took regulators more than a year to approve.
Satellite-delivered consumer broadband is increasingly concentrating in low earth orbit (LEO), with SpaceX's growth expected to start facing competition from Amazon's Kuiper within months, satellite industry experts tell us. Geostationary orbit (GSO) providers continue losing residential broadband subscribers, though EchoStar says it sees a slower decline. Viasat has begun redirecting residential broadband spectrum capacity to other uses.
Comments are due June 27, replies July 12, as the FCC Space Bureau seeks a refresh of the record on proposed orbital debris mitigation rules, said a notice for Tuesday's Federal Register. The bureau said it was seeking a refresh on such issues as whether to measure collision risks in the aggregate for a non-geostationary orbit constellation or on a per satellite basis and what factors would be relevant in conducting an aggregate risk analysis. It also seeks input on using a 100 object-years metric -- the number of years each failed satellite remains in orbit, added across all the satellites -- for assessing the risk of derelict satellites in orbit from a constellation. The rules came from a Further NPRM that was adopted in 2020 alongside the FCC's orbital debris order (see 2004230040). Comments are due in docket 22-271.
The Public Safety Spectrum Alliance (PSSA) fired back at the Coalition for Emergency Response and Critical Infrastructure (CERCI) in their dispute over the role FirstNet should play in the 4.9 GHz band (see 2405100061). CERCI’s approach is “wrong from top to bottom: its legal analysis is unsound, and its proposal for the use of the 4.9 GHz band would perpetuate the band’s chronic under-utilization,” a filing posted Friday in docket 07-100 said. Congress made clear that "it would not limit the FirstNet Authority’s ability to build a nationwide interoperable public safety network to a single generation of technology or spectrum band -- especially given the evolving nature of technology in general, and mobile technology in particular,” the PSSA said.
Despite expectations that the affordable connectivity program (ACP) will run dry in days, telecom companies continued arguing in comments last week that the California Public Utilities Commission should take its time forming its response. However, while larger ISPs slammed consumer advocates' proposal, small local exchange carriers said they would work with the advocates on a compromise that quickly expands California LifeLine support to broadband.
AT&T needs freedom to address its copper network, including parts that are more than 100 years old, but regulation requires that the network keep operating, Chris Sambar, executive vice president-technology operations and head of network, said Tuesday during an AT&T Policy Forum. Sambar said he plans meetings at the FCC this week when he will discuss the cost for AT&T and other carriers of keeping copper lines operating.