With T-Mobile not receiving good offers for its 800 MHz spectrum (see 2410240044), the company's options range from deploying or leasing the spectrum to selling it, consultant Terry Chevalier wrote Thursday on LinkedIn. Deployment of the spectrum into T-Mobile's network would require a significant capital investment, as well as higher operational expenses, Chevalier said. Potential leasing opportunities include utilities or other IoT-based users looking at industrial IoT or smart network applications, or private network uses, he said. He said the long timeline for new spectrum in the U.S. pipeline could mean a better return on auctioning the 800 MHz.
Petitions to deny the transfer of UScellular authorizations and spectrum licenses to T-Mobile are due Dec. 9, the FCC Wireless Bureau said in a public notice posted Wednesday in docket 24-286. It said oppositions to petitions are due Jan. 8 and replies Jan. 28. The companies in May announced a $4.4 billion deal that would see T-Mobile buying UScellular's wireless operations (see 2405280047). T-Mobile also would pick up about 30% of UScellular's spectrum holdings, the bureau said.
Federated Wireless has withdrawn its request for a waiver of rules that require environmental sensing capability (ESC) systems to protect federal incumbents in Florida in the citizens broadband radio service band from harmful interference. It said in a docket 15-319 filing posted Wednesday the waiver is no longer needed as ESC sensor redundancy lost during Hurricane Milton has been restored. Federated and Google received waivers in advance of the hurricane's landfall (see 2410080058).
If the FCC grants Axon Enterprise a waiver to market surveillance devices using the 5725-5850 MHz (U-NII-3) band (see 2402060082), then it shouldn't entertain requests to use bands like U-NII-3 for other noncompliant analog devices, NCTA said in a docket 24-240 filing posted Tuesday. Recapping a meeting with FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel's office, NCTA said the commission should state clearly that Axon and other parties shouldn't count on a waiver being precedent for additional devices. NCTA discussed potential conditions, including the devices -- which are intended to be mobile -- not using a fixed infrastructure or being mounted on indoor or outdoor structures, and operating only on batteries and only for short durations.
Indian Peak Properties has long flouted Rancho Palos Verdes land use laws and ignored neighbors, the California city said. In addition, the company is using its appeal before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit "as a post hoc end-run around five different state or federal court rulings and two prior [FCC] rejections," it added. In an amicus brief filed Monday with the appellate court (docket 24-1108), the city said the company, operating from a home, is trying to get protection of FCC rules by expanding the agency's over-the-air reception devices (OTARD) rule in a way the commission didn't envision, the statute didn't authorize and that is inconsistent with legislative intent. Indian Peak is appealing an FCC order denying its petitions for declaratory ruling seeking a federal preemption under the OTARDs rule of a decision by Rancho Palos Verdes to revoke, under local ordinances, the company’s conditional use permit for the deployment of rooftop antennas on a local property (see 2405060035). Rancho Palos Verdes urged dismissal of Indian Peak's appeal. The city said Indian Peak's arguments that its first FCC petition, sent in April 2020, should have stayed all ongoing proceedings in the California courts "is a manifest abuse of the process and a misreading of governing law."
Fans and critics of the proposal giving very-low power (VLP) devices greater access to the 6 GHz band (see 2410040055) are lobbying the 10th floor. The band's U-NII-6 and U-NII-8 portions are key to broadcasters' electronic news-gathering (ENG) operations and face particular threat from increased indoor and outdoor unlicensed operations, NAB said in a filing posted Tuesday in docket 18-295. In meetings with FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel's office and the Office of Engineering and Technology, NAB said broadcasters are concerned VLP unlicensed devices might operate at power levels similar to those that licensed mobile ENG equipment use. Reserving "a mere 55 MHz" for licensed mobile use would be a "safe harbor" for ENG, it said. Apple, Broadcom, Google and Meta, meeting with the offices of Commissioners Nathan Simington and Anna Gomez, said VLP access to the U-NII-6 and U-NII-8 portions will mean more spectrum available for emerging portable applications, thus improving channel availability and performance. They said the risk of harmful interference from VLP devices to fixed service, broadcast auxiliary service and satellite networks is tiny.
The FCC Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau extended until Nov. 15 the deadline for reply comments on an NPRM and notice of inquiry addressing abuse from AI-generated robocalls and robotexts in an order Thursday. A coalition of banking, telecom, and consumer groups petitioned the FCC for more time (see 2410210039). Replies are due in docket 23-362.
The 3.45 GHz relocation reimbursement clearinghouse is seeking the FCC's permission to begin closing. In docket 19-348 Thursday, Summit Ridge Group said it reimbursed incumbents in the band for their approved relocation expenses, and they have confirmed no more expenses will be submitted. In addition, there are no disputes outstanding regarding incumbents, the 3.45 GHz band auction winners or any other party, it said.
The FCC Wireless Bureau and Office of Economics and Analysis have approved T-Mobile’s buy of 600MHz spectrum licenses from LB License, said an order in Wednesday’s Daily Digest. “After carefully evaluating the potential competitive effects of the proposed assignment, we find that the likelihood of competitive harm is low,” the order said. T-Mobile has leased the spectrum from LB since 2020, the order said. EchoStar filed a petition to deny the deal, arguing that it would harm competition, but the agency disagreed. “We find that, post-transaction, the likelihood of competitive harm remains low in the markets that are the subject of this transaction,” the order said.
EchoStar "apparently cut a deal" with the FCC's Wireless Bureau for more time to complete Dish Network's 5G terrestrial network, yet the bureau lacked legal authority to grant that extension, VTel Wireless said this week in a docket 22-212 recon petition. VTel is seeking reconsideration of the bureau's September grant of extended milestone deadlines for the 5G network buildout (see 2409200049). EchoStar hasn't shown specific facts and circumstances that warrant a waiver, VTel argued.