The Information Technology and Innovation Foundation last week called for greater cooperation between the U.S. and Europe on cybersecurity labeling of IoT products. Last month, the FCC approved the U.S. program (see 2403140034). The report urges coordination on technical standards and “potentially” a mutual recognition agreement. “An aligned EU-U.S. approach would allow firms to only test once in order to comply with both systems,” ITIF said: “Cooperation on IoT cybersecurity labeling would avoid creating yet another regulatory point of conflict in the transatlantic trade and technology relationship.”
Consumer Cellular requested a waiver from the FCC of a Jan. 22 deadline to file data in the commission’s one-time collection of foreign ownership information from international Section 214 authorization holders. The carrier said it holds one authorization but never received notice of the need to file until “well after the deadline.” In addition, the carrier said it “acted expeditiously to submit the required information but has been unable to do so because the portal for submissions is now closed.” A waiver “would serve the public interest by helping ensure the accurate reporting of the information requested,” said a filing posted Monday in docket 23-134. FCC commissioners agreed to the data collection in April 2023 (see 2304200039).
Samsung Electronics America and others refuted objections NCTA raised against Samsung's request for an FCC waiver for a 5G base station radio that works across citizens broadband radio service and C-band spectrum (see [Ref:2309130041). “Samsung’s proposed 3.5/3.7 GHz multiband radio will have substantially the same radiofrequency profile as a standalone 3.7 GHz radio collocated with a standalone 3.5 GHz radio” with no “practical impact” on CBRS deployments “when compared to the deployment of two standalone radios,” said a filing posted Monday in docket 23-93. Ericsson, Qualcomm and Verizon also signed the filing. NCTA opposition “in the face of measured test data demonstrates this is best understood as a collateral attack on the Commission’s rule limiting the out-of-band emissions from 3.7 GHz base stations into the CBRS band,” they said. The general objection to a current FCC rule should be dismissed as “irrelevant and improper to this waiver proceeding, especially because Samsung is not seeking a waiver of the 3.7 GHz OOBE limits.”
The Wireless ISP Association urged the FCC to continue allowing providers to engage in bulk broadband billing arrangements in apartment buildings. Meeting with an aide to Commissioner Nathan Simington (see 2403150058), WISPA said that "competitive providers, especially small providers, benefit from securing a stable and steady customer base" in apartment buildings at "a significant reduction in transactional costs." In a separate meeting with an aide to Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel, OpticalTel and DigitalBridge urged the FCC to seek comment through a notice of inquiry before adopting new rules, according to an ex parte filing Monday in docket 17-142. "There is no basis in the record for tentative conclusions that there is a need to disrupt competitive services that offer lower prices than incumbent providers," the companies said.
The Computer & Communications Industry Association and Incompas told the FCC they support allowing broadband internet access to “monetize networks in new ways through the use of non-BIAS services,” including network slicing. But the rules shouldn’t create a loophole that benefits only some companies, they said. The treatment of slicing has emerged as a large issue as the agency moves closer to an expected vote on new rules (see 2403290057). “How the Commission addresses non-BIAS data services in the Order is one of the most critical issues in this proceeding,” said a joint filing posted Monday in docket 23-320: “As currently proposed -- without expanded guidance and clarity-- the rule could create a large loophole that undercuts the FCC’s otherwise strong open internet rules.” Free Press raised concerns in meetings with an aide to FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel. “The forthcoming order would benefit by stating explicitly that supposed non-BIAS data services may not be used to evade the rules and the order’s conduct standards,” Free Press said. CTIA, meanwhile, explained to the FCC why network slicing is important and should be protected from regulation under proposed net neutrality rules. The filing adds detail to comments the group offered last week (see 403290042). “Network slicing is a technology that can provide innovative, virtualized wireless offerings targeted to users’ needs and is just emerging in the U.S.,” said a filing posted Monday in docket 23-320. “Network slicing will allow wireless providers to offer over a single physical network a series of virtual networks configured to satisfy different use cases -- including those that benefit from low latency, low jitter, high speeds, or heightened security, as well as those that can tolerate lower speeds, more jitter, or more delay than a typical [broadband internet access service] offering,” CTIA said. Use cases are still emerging and may include public-safety communications, robotic surgery, smart grids and other infrastructure, and communications at crowded events, the group said. Slicing also improves spectrum management, the group explained, allowing carriers to “manage finite spectrum resources more efficiently,” and can enhance network security and privacy “by isolating traffic in its own network slice, so that data and traffic cannot be intercepted or faked by entities of another network slice.”
The 5G Fund order that FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel circulated March 20 raised long-standing concerns that the agency releases drafts for "meeting" items but not for those voted electronically, regardless of their relative importance. For those items, industry groups and companies must schedule meetings with commissioner staff and the bureaus and offices to ask about details.
Comments on an FCC proposal that extends a mandatory disaster information reporting system filing requirement to broadcasters and satellite providers are due April 29, replies May 28, according to a notice in Friday's Federal Register. The proposal stems from a further NPRM the FCC unanimously approved in January (see 2401250064).
More than a dozen state broadband associations asked the FCC for a "rural broadband provider exemption" from its proposed digital discrimination affirmative reporting obligations (see 2403050036). Such obligations would "impose additional costs and burdens without any evidence that rural providers are engaged in practices resulting in discriminatory impacts," the associations said in a filing posted Friday in docket 22-69. The record is "void of any hard data or even soft anecdotal comment to support imposition of additional reporting obligations on rural providers," the coalition said, citing the lack of evidence that smaller or rural providers engage in discriminatory practices.
Florida Power & Light urged the FCC to establish a regulatory framework for uncrewed aircraft systems by authorizing shared use in a portion of the 5030-5091 MHz band for control and non-payload communications. “Doing so would promote more efficient use of the 5 GHz band and growth of the emerging UAS industry, especially with regard to innovative use cases involving critical infrastructure industries,” the utility said in a filing posted Friday in docket 22-232. “Just as importantly, the Commission can make meaningful progress in shaping the 5 GHz band’s future while it waits for Congress to renew its spectrum auction authority,” the utility said.
The FCC Wireline Bureau on Friday extended the deadline for Gogo Business Aviation and other carriers to remove, replace and dispose of Huawei and ZTE equipment from their networks. The deadline for Gogo was extended from July 21 to Jan. 21. “Gogo states that it has encountered ongoing supply chain issues arising from high demand, material scarcity, and labor shortages, particularly in machine manufacturing, which continue to cause a lack of availability of necessary equipment and extended lead times,” the bureau said. Gogo maintains the disruptions “are particularly significant because it has aviation operations, which call for custom radio equipment, rather than off-the-shelf solutions, for both its ground infrastructure and its airborne components,” the bureau said. In addition, the bureau extended the deadline for Bluesky from April 18 to Oct. 18, for Gallatin Wireless from March 23 to Sept. 23 and for Mediacom Communications from April 15 to July 15. NE Colorado Cellular got two different extensions for parts of its network, from May 3 to Nov. 3 and from June 3 to Dec. 3.