The FCC Office of Engineering and Technology Tuesday sought comment on using geofencing in the 5.9 GHz band, which would allow higher power limits while protecting federal radiolocation service sites. Comments are due July 5 in docket 19-138. NTIA recently suggested that geofencing could allow higher equivalent isotropically radiated power limits for cellular vehicle-to-everything on-board units (see 2406100032). OET noted that filing and asked for comments on NTIA's proposal.

EchoStar Chairman Charlie Ergen and other officials from the company reported on a series of meetings with FCC Wireless Bureau Chief Joel Taubenblatt and staff about 5G and spectrum items. “EchoStar reiterated its support for modernizing and improving the Commission’s spectrum aggregation policies,” a filing posted Monday in docket 23-319 said. The company urged that the FCC address proposed rule changes for the citizens broadband radio service band “including increasing authorized power levels and synchronizing downlink and uplink operations.”

CTIA asked the FCC to address an issue it raised on pole attachments in 2019, providing clarity that wireless providers have access to utility light poles (see 1911200033). “Given the remarkable and growing consumer demand for wireless services and 5G home broadband -- the fastest growing segment of the home broadband marketplace -- the Commission should act on this pending request,” a filing posted Monday in docket 17-84 said. These poles “are well-suited for small cell facilities, which comprise the largest number of deployments: industry analysts report upwards of 80 percent of future deployments will be small cells, which are ideally suited to leverage street furniture such as light poles in the rights-of-way,” CTIA said.

NTIA offered additional comment on cellular vehicle-to-everything and Wi-Fi use of the 5.9 GHz band, in a filing posted Monday in docket 19-138. NTIA urged the FCC to adopt power limit rules for C-V2X on-board units (OBUs) “that provide for optional use of ‘geofencing’ techniques.” NTIA proposed allowing equivalent isotropic radiated power (EIRP) of 33 dBm for OBUs “with geofencing capability operating outside a coordination zone.” The units should be limited to 23 or 27 dBm depending on the location without geofencing capability, NTIA said. The FCC reallocated the 5.9 GHz band for use by Wi-Fi and C-V2X in late 2020 after a prolonged fight, with DOT arguing the entire 75 GHz should remain set aside for automotive safety (see 2011180043) but has yet to adopt final rules.

The FCC should exercise care in approving a Samsung Electronics America request for a waiver of a 5G base station radio that works across citizens broadband radio service and C-band spectrum (see 2309130041), Public Knowledge said in a filing posted Monday in docket 23-93. “This proceeding has revealed an unfortunate mismatch between the Commission’s certification rules for composite devices ... and the evolution of new, multiband radio technology,” PK Senior Vice President Harold Feld said in meetings with staff from the FCC Wireless Bureau and Office of Engineering and Technology, and with an aide to Commissioner Brendan Carr. Feld suggested the FCC could issue an NPRM on broader issues, use a waiver “to state with clarity the meaning of the composite system rule” or grant the waiver “under such conditions that will not create a precedent for similar multiband radio operation, and with sufficient safeguards to mitigate” interference risks. The FCC adopted the composite system rule in 1989, PK said: “At the time, a single multiband radio operating on multiple frequencies under different service rules for each band not only did not exist, but was inconceivable as anything other than a theoretical construct.”

The Coalition for Emergency Response and Critical Infrastructure (CERCI) refuted the Public Safety Spectrum Alliance’s (PSSA) latest arguments for effectively giving control of the 4.9 GHz band to the FirstNet Authority (see [Ref:2405240048). PSSA said CERCI’s approach is “wrong from top to bottom.” The alliance’s latest argument “purports to ‘provide clarity regarding the Commission’s legal authority’ to adopt PSSA’s proposal, but it does no such thing,” CERCI said in a filing posted Friday in docket 07-100: “Rather than engage meaningfully with the legal issues CERCI has raised, PSSA primarily responds with policy arguments.” The FCC lacks authority, “absent express statutory authorization, to assign spectrum to a Federal entity,” including the authority, which is part of NTIA, CERCI said. The Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012, which led to the creation of FirstNet, gave the federal network access to only 700 MHz spectrum, CERCI said.

The FCC Public Safety Bureau on Friday approved a waiver for the New Bedford, Massachusetts, police department to expand its T-band public safety radio system. The waiver lets the police add nonpublic safety frequencies 482.1125 and 485.1125 MHz. The FCC asked for comment in April (see 2302010031) and there were no responses. The city’s use of the frequencies must not interfere with TV station WPXQ-TV Newport, Rhode Island, with which it shares the spectrum, the order said.

Competitive Carriers Association representatives discussed concerns about FCC SIM swap rules approved last year (see 2311150042). CCA members want clarification “on what, if any, regulatory requirements will become effective on July 8 … versus what provisions are keyed to Office of Management and Budget approval,” they said in a call with an aide to Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel, according to a filing posted Friday in docket 21-341. CCA also raised concerns about meeting the July 8 deadline.

Incompas CEO Chip Pickering and others from the group met with FCC Commissioners Brendan Carr and Nathan Simington to seek action on allowing fixed-wireless use of the lower 12 GHz band. Incompas and other proponents had hoped for movement early in 2024 (see [Ref:2312270045). Incompas also met with aides to Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel, a filing posted Friday in docket 20-443 said. “Taking immediate action to make 500 megahertz of spectrum available in the lower 12 GHz for fixed wireless service offers the promise of reliable and affordable connectivity for U.S. consumers and increases the ability of the Commission to address the digital divide as it will allow current license holders offering fixed wireless solutions to apply for federal broadband deployment programs, like NTIA’s Broadband Equity Access and Deployment Program,” Incompas said.

SurgePays, which serves the “underbanked and underserved,” announced the launch of its LinkUp Mobile website and a national expansion of the service. The prepaid wireless service is available online and at convenience stores. "We are excited to deliver this service to the expanding robust prepaid market in North America,” said CEO Brian Cox: “Subscribers enjoy a free first month of service and ongoing savings of up to 10% each month, setting us apart from the competition.”