The FCC Wireless Bureau identified 23 qualified bidders for the Jan. 22 H-block auction. Bidders in Auction 96 include nTelos, CTM Spectrum, Holland Wireless and Atlantic Seawinds Communications, the bureau said in an attachment to a public notice (http://bit.ly/1cBIvvT). The bureau urged the bidders to review the auction rules, procedures and other information available at http://wireless.fcc.gov/auction/96, the public notice said (http://bit.ly/K71xQA). The bureau also identified 11 entities that are not qualified, including Triad 8, Union Telephone Co. and Pure Gold AZ, it said (http://bit.ly/1lQ9GW2).

AT&T said it’s buying 49 Advanced Wireless Services spectrum licenses from Aloha Partners. AT&T didn’t give the financial terms of the deal, which it said is meant to help the carrier “stay ahead of soaring demand for mobile Internet services.” The AWS licenses being acquired cover 50 million people across 14 states: California, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Texas. AT&T said Tuesday it anticipates it will complete the deal in the second half of 2014 (http://soc.att.com/1dt21bw). Verizon disclosed Monday a $3.3 billion 700 MHz A block spectrum sale to T-Mobile US (CD Jan 7 p1).

FirstNet wants comments by Feb. 5 on proposed exclusions from environmental assessment processes typically required under the National Environmental Policy Act. The proposed categorical exclusions “do not individually or cumulatively have a significant effect on the human environment and, thus, should be categorically excluded from the requirement to prepare an environmental assessment or environmental impact statement,” FirstNet said in a Federal Register notice Monday (http://1.usa.gov/1dtz3IL). Its proposed exceptions are based on the processes it completed as part of the billions in grants given through NTIA’s Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP). “FirstNet, similar to BTOP, is mandated to plan and construct telecommunication and broadband infrastructure across the United States and its territories,” FirstNet said. “The specific activities anticipated to be undertaken by FirstNet are comparable to BTOP project implementation activities and will primarily include the installation of cables, cell tower, antenna colocations, buildings, and power units.” Several examples were given in the notice.

There will be nearly 2.5 billion shipments of PCs, tablets and mobile phones in 2014, a 7.6 percent increase from 2013, said Gartner’s annual devices forecast released Tuesday (http://gtnr.it/1eEJ08k). Tablets and mobile phones will drive the increase, as PC shipments are expected to drop for the third straight year, said the industry researcher. It said mobile phones will account for just over three-fourths of all devices shipped, a slight drop since 2012, as the tablet market has grown. “Mobile phones are a must have and will continue to grow but at a slower pace, with opportunities moving away from the top-end premium devices to mid-end basic products,” said Research Director Ranjit Atwal. “Users continue to move away from the traditional PC (notebooks and desk-based) as it becomes more of a shared content creation tool.” The Android OS is the leading platform across all devices, expected to reach 1.1 billion users in 2014, 26 percent more than in 2013, said the report. “There’s no doubt that there is a volume versus value equation, with Android users also purchasing lower-cost devices compared to Apple users,” said Annette Zimmerman, principal analyst. Gartner said that by 2017, 75 percent of Android’s volume will come from emerging markets.

Ericsson and AT&T inked an agreement to improve connectivity for products and applications powered by the Ericsson Connected Vehicle Cloud. “The agreement creates a better consumer experience and helps advance the automotive cloud ecosystem by making it easier to connect in-vehicle technology and provide a path for the next generation consumer experience,” the companies said. Chris Penrose, senior vice president emerging devices, AT&T Mobility, said: “Ericsson’s vehicle cloud realizes the true potential of connected vehicle products and applications."

Chevrolet shed a little more light on its connected car strategy at a pre-CES event Sunday, saying its OnStar 4G LTE mobile hotspot, powered by AT&T Wireless, will enable seven devices in a vehicle to connect simultaneously via Wi-Fi. The technology is due to launch in 2015-model vehicles in August, said Alan Batey, global Chevrolet brand chief at General Motors. Batey said Chevrolet was the first to offer car radio in 1924, a $2,000 option in today’s dollars, and that it was fitting for Chevrolet to be at CES to unveil “the car of the future.” The company wants the connected car concept to span a broad sampling of vehicles this year, starting with its entry-level Spark vehicle and going up to the sporty Corvette, with some eight vehicles in between. The wide range is “indicative of our broad commitment to deliver more value and convenience through smart technology applications,” Batey said. Other vehicles offering OnStar 4G LTE at launch include the Impala, Malibu and Volt, followed by the Equinox, Silverado, Silverado HD, Spark and Spark EV later in the year. The majority of the 2015 Chevrolet lineup in the U.S and Canada will have a 4G LTE connection built-in at vehicle launch, Chevrolet said. AT&T didn’t provide pricing for the vehicle data plans but said current AT&T customers will be able to add a plan to a “bucket of data” through the Mobile Share plans AT&T offers for tablet users. Drivers will also be able to get a stand-alone option of 4G LTE, the companies said. Chevrolet also said its AppShop will be available this summer on select 2015 models in the U.S. and Canada with MyLink technology. Owners will be able to view available apps and download them directly to the vehicle and then organize, update and delete them. Apps will connect drivers to music, news, weather, travel information, vehicle data and more, Batey said. Apps mentioned at the press event included iHeartRadio, TuneIn, Famigo, The Weather Channel and Priceline. Regarding potential driver distraction caused by a hotspot that enables occupants of a vehicle to connect a smartphone, tablet or laptop to the Internet, Batey turned the question around and asked what was preventing drivers from connecting devices today. A spokeswoman for GM said it takes a “very strong position making sure that whatever we integrate in our vehicles is done with the safety of the driver in mind.” She said without elaborating that the company’s technical team has specific criteria that an app must meet for its driver distraction requirements.

EchoStar acquired full ownership of Solaris Mobile. Solaris is deploying a satellite and terrestrial network “for wholesale access to enhanced mobile communications across Europe in the 30 MHz S band licensed to Solaris,” the companies said in a news release (http://bit.ly/JYMMPS). In connection with the acquisition, EchoStar agreed to provide Solaris with mobile satellite service capacity on a new next-generation MSS satellite, the companies said. Solaris was jointly owned by SES and Eutelsat (http://bit.ly/1f8MZ1v).

The FCC reminded carriers and resellers in an “Enforcement Advisory” of their obligation to report on compliance with the FCC’s hearing aid compatibility rules by Jan. 15. “The Commission remains committed to ensuring that individuals with hearing loss are not denied the public safety and convenience benefits of digital wireless telephony,” the FCC said (http://bit.ly/1f13FYB). “The Commission adopted its first hearing aid compatibility rules in 2003, and service providers should now have in place robust programs to ensure compliance. The Bureau will continue to take aggressive enforcement action against companies that violate these important rules."

Verizon has deployed text-to-911 capabilities to public safety answering points (PSAPs) in 46 jurisdictions, up from the 37 reported in October, Verizon Wireless said in a quarterly report to the FCC. Additional deployments are scheduled for early 2014, the carrier said (http://bit.ly/19TfyLQ). Verizon said the three options it offers are: short message service (SMS) using a Web browser client, SMS to TTY and SMS over direct IP. “Verizon continues to work closely with state and local governments in their efforts to inform consumers of the availability and limitations of text-to-911 services,” the carrier said. “And Verizon continues to cooperate with state and local governments’ public announcements of new launches to enable them to educate consumers on text-to-911’s capabilities and limitations.” AT&T said its text-to-911 trial in Tennessee is still in progress, with software still being tested. “In addition, we have discovered that we need to deploy additional security elements in the network before the trial can begin,” AT&T said (http://bit.ly/1dhbEtS). “Accordingly, we have reset our timeline for commencement of the Tennessee trial for the end of the 1st quarter of 2014.” Sprint said it remains committed to making text-to-911 service available by May 15. “Sprint has selected a Text Control Center ... vendor and is finalizing the terms of its agreement with the vendor,” Sprint said (http://bit.ly/1a6GOae). “Sprint also continues to participate in standards bodies and industry working groups and has been engaged in cooperative efforts with PSAPs across the country."

The 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals rejected arguments by Council Tree, which sought to overturn the results of the 2008 700 MHz auction. Council Tree, a designated entity, sought review of two commission orders, its D-block waiver order issued in 2007 and its waiver reconsideration order issued in 2012. “Council Tree filed a Petition for Reconsideration of the Waiver Order (the ‘Waiver Reconsideration Petition') with the FCC in 2007, as well as a Supplement to the Waiver Reconsideration Petition (the ‘Supplement') in 2011,” the court said (http://1.usa.gov/1gxAbyS). “In its Waiver Reconsideration Order, the FCC dismissed the Waiver Reconsideration Petition as moot and dismissed the Supplement as untimely. ... We dismiss Council Tree’s petition, as it pertains to the Waiver Order, and deny its petition, as it relates to the Waiver Reconsideration Order.” Judge Jerome Holmes wrote the decision for a united panel. In 2010, the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals found problems with the FCC’s revised designated entity rules used during the auction, but let the auction results stand (CD Aug 25/10 p1).