Howard Buskirk

The FCC approved an order establishing a multi-round reverse auction to pay out up to $9 billion to bring voice and 5G mobile broadband service to rural areas of the U.S. otherwise unlikely to see 5G. The vote was 4-1, with a dissent by Commissioner Brendan Carr. The commission plans a public notice to announce the start date of the auction. It also released a Further NPRM on related tribal issues.

Industry experts warned Tuesday that siloing of data remains a stumbling block as ISPs try to use it to increase efficiency. During day two of a Fierce Network virtual conference on automation, executives said companies are partitioning AI away from other units, but it won’t always be this way.

ISPs challenging the FCC’s updated data breach notification rules made their case at the 6th U.S. Circuit Appeals Court about why the rule should be overturned. The filing elaborates on their argument that the agency exceeded its Communications Act authorities when it adopted the rule in December. The Ohio Telecom Association (docket 24-3133), the Texas Association of Business (docket 24-3206) and CTIA, NCTA and USTelecom (docket 24-3252) brought the challenge. The 6th Circuit is considered among the most conservative federal circuits.

Companies are still figuring out how they’ll use generative AI and how it will benefit them as they move to greater automation, Rode Kirk, Microsoft global sales director-media & communications, Americas, said during a Fierce Network webinar Monday. Other speakers said as networks become more complex, companies will have no choice but to embrace automation.

Wi-Fi advocates and wireless carriers offered the NTIA different versions of the 6G world in some of the first comments made public in response to a May request for comment on the state of 6G development (see 2405230010). Comments were due Wednesday. NTIA is expected to eventually post them.

The First Responder Network Authority board Wednesday approved launching a 10-year initiative with $2 billion in coverage investments. In June, the board approved $534 million for network enhancements as part of a $684 million budget package for FY 2025 (see 2406240031). “We know that the No. 1 priority for public safety continues to be coverage,” said Jocelyn Moore, chair of the board’s Programs and Future Planning Committee. FirstNet has already invested in in-building coverage, building more deployables, priority access for public safety officials and upgrading its wireless facilities to 5G from 4G, she said. FirstNet is focused on expanding its network in tribal, rural and territorial areas, Moore said. FirstNet is also examining satellite-direct-to-device capabilities for users of the network. The network now has more than 6.1 million connections and “we’re far from done.” A FirstNet team attended the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee and is in Chicago this week for the Democratic National Convention, said Sylvia Moir, Advocacy Committee chair. FirstNet has coordinated with AT&T "to ensure needs are met to support public safety operations,” she said. The investments the authority is making in the network will enable 5G for all public safety users across 50 states and outlying territories, said Brian Crawford, Finance and Investment Committee chair. “Those investments ensure that the network not only maintains parity with other commercial service providers but is also able to fully support a suite of evolving 5G-enabled services,” he said. The meeting was the last for five members, who are at the end of their three-year terms -- Chair Richard Carrizzo, Crawford, Moir, Billy Hewes and Paul Patrick. The board met at the Utah Department of Public Safety in Salt Lake City. Authority Executive Director Joe Wassel said board members were in Utah as school starts and keeping 35,000 students and faculty safe is “a serious business.”

The average consumer finds 5G underwhelming so far, said Jaydee Griffith, Next G Alliance managing director, during a Wednesday RCR Wireless webinar. The technology has met expectations in some areas but not others, several experts said.

The wireless industry urged the FCC to approve positions that promote 5G and 6G, and international mobile telecommunications (IMT) at the next World Radiocommunication Conference in 2027. Comments were due Tuesday in docket 24-30 on the FCC’s WRC Advisory Committee's (WAC) early policy positions (see 2408060019). Numerous satellite interests focused attention on: agenda item 1.7, additional mid-band spectrum and the X band being made available for IMT.

Industry urged the FCC to proceed cautiously when crafting rules for the cybersecurity labeling administrators (CLAs) and for the lead administrator, who will oversee an IoT product registry under the cyber trust mark program. Commenters disagreed about how much data consumers will need to ensure their IoT products are safe.

Verizon is looking to build grassroots support for its position on the 4.9 GHz band, opposing control of the spectrum by the FirstNet Authority and Verizon rival AT&T, as the fight over 4.9 GHz heats up (see 2408130035), with near daily filings for and against FirstNet use of the band.