The FCC Wireless Bureau provided more time for interested parties to oppose AT&T’s buy of three spectrum licenses from Kaplan Telephone. Petitions to deny are now due Nov. 26, oppositions Dec. 8 and replies Dec. 15, said a public notice in docket 14-167. Petitions to deny were initially due Thursday.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit dismissed a legal challenge to an order by the FCC General Counsel in a licensing case because petitioner Toshiaki Saito “failed to exhaust administrative remedies” before seeking legal redress. The court handed down its brief order Wednesday. The FCC earlier called for dismissal of the case on the grounds that Saito failed to file a “timely application” at the agency for review of the order.
Larger smartphone screen sizes correlate with longer sessions of app usage, said a report from IHS and Mobidia Technology. The report covered more than 25 smartphone models and usage in the Germany, Japan, South Korea, the U.K. and U.S. Smartphones with higher-resolution screens have higher data consumption, but resolution is less important than physical screen size as an indicator of higher data use, the report said. "Companies building apps for the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus need to know what greater engagement these large screen iPhones will deliver for their genre of app, because higher engagement means more revenues through in-app purchases and advertising," said Ian Fogg, IHS senior director-mobile & telecommunications. The prevalence of large screens within the Android world means that “Android becomes a significantly more attractive platform than in years past,” it said. Streaming video and social networking apps have a stronger link between increased data consumption and screen size than do mobile games or chat apps such as WeChat and WhatsApp, the report said.
Mobile messaging company HeyWire Business is implementing text-to-911 capabilities for its Business Messenger app, a month ahead of an FCC deadline, the company said in a news release Wednesday. The app allows users to send and receive texts from their office phone numbers.
The FCC Wireless Bureau asked AT&T and Kaplan Telephone a series of questions Wednesday on a proposed deal in which Kaplan would sell the larger carrier three spectrum licenses, all in Louisiana. The licenses covered are a cellular B-block and two lower 700 MHz C-block licenses. Petitions to deny are due Thursday. To complete its review of the deal “we require additional information, documents, and clarification of certain matters discussed in the applications and other information provided to the Commission,” said a letter from the Wireless Bureau.
T-Mobile needs quick FCC action on data roaming to “rein in AT&T's pricing power,” Senior Vice President Andy Levin said in response to an AT&T blog post. "AT&T fails to acknowledge the predatory power it wields in the marketplace for data roaming,” Levin said. “AT&T is the only choice we have for roaming in 17 states. They use that monopoly power to force us into lopsided agreements that are on average 150 percent higher than we pay in markets that are competitive.”
Sennheiser wants microphone owners and customers to write to the FCC in support of the company’s petition seeking reconsideration of the FCC’s incentive auction report and order on wireless mics (see 1409160061), the company said Wednesday. "The FCC has an enormously difficult task to repurpose spectrum from traditional over-the-air TV broadcast to mobile broadband services -- this is a matter of content distribution," said Joe Ciaudelli, who works on spectrum issues for Sennheiser. "However, spectrum is crucial for content creation as well. It is essential that productions have access to reliable prime spectrum for their most critical wireless links.” The wireless mic company filed the petition in docket 12-268 at the FCC last month.
CTIA stressed the importance of spectrum and getting net neutrality rules right in a blog post Wednesday, after AT&T, Ericsson, Here, Qualcomm, Sprint and Verizon demonstrated in-car wireless technologies at the FCC. “The connected car is only possible if there is more spectrum,” said Scott Bergmann, vice president-regulatory policy. “Since spectrum is a finite resource, we must make sure it’s put to its highest and best use.” On net neutrality rules, flexibility is critical, Bergmann said. “When it comes to the FCC’s Open Internet proceeding, it is vitally important that policymakers recognize that ‘wireless is different.’”
The FCC Wireless Bureau approved a waiver for the Association of American Railroads allowing members to use signal boosters in positive train control (PTC) systems with an effective radiated power of 30 watts in areas where coverage is otherwise subpar due to distance or intervening terrain. “AAR explains that safe, efficient movement of trains relies on communications links between the fronts and rears of trains to monitor speed and brake pressure; operate rear end brakes; and, on trains with distributed power, coordinate the front and rear engines,” the bureau said Wednesday. “It states that the options currently permitted by the Commission’s Rules do not provide sufficient coverage to maintain this communications link on long trains in areas of challenging terrain, and that trackside signal boosters are needed to maintain the communications link.” But to minimize the risk of interference the bureau limited the waiver’s scope, excluding channels at the edge of the railroad frequencies (452/457.900 MHz and 452/457.96875 MHz).
The FCC Enforcement Bureau dismissed notices of apparent liability against 10 small carriers for allegedly failing to offer to consumers the number of hearing aid-compatible digital wireless handset models required under FCC rules during the 2010 reporting period. Based on “our review of the record,” the carriers were in compliance, the bureau said in a Monday order.