The New York Power Authority is exploring numerous spectrum bands as it looks to put 150,000 sensor points throughout its network online, CEO Gil Quiniones said Friday on a webinar sponsored by the U.S. Energy Association. Morgan O'Brien, executive chairman of Anterix, said utility interest in the 900 MHz band has been strong. NYPA is the nation's largest public power provider.

CTIA representatives spoke with an aide to FCC Chairman Ajit Pai on field tests it did with Southern Co., which found interference from unlicensed low-power indoor and very-low-power outdoor use of the 6 GHz band (see 2011160032). “Unlicensed proponents have thus far rejected incumbent stakeholder proposals to conduct testing with prototype devices within [a] multi-stakeholder group and have declined to provide devices to facilitate testing by incumbent operators,” said a filing posted Wednesday in docket 18-295.

The FCC cleared the first device authorized to use the 6 GHz band, allocated in April for Wi-Fi and other unlicensed use (see 2004230059), approving Broadcom's BCM4389 chip. “The Commission cleared the way for such advances with its landmark action earlier this year, making up to 1,200 megahertz of spectrum available for higher powered unlicensed use,” said Chairman Ajit Pai: “Today, we are starting to see the fruits of this work, and consumers will now start to benefit in a big way.” Vijay Nagarajan, Broadcom vice president-Mobile Connectivity Division, said it's a “red-letter day” for Wi-Fi. “We've shipped 100s of millions [of] Wi-Fi 6 devices,” he said: “We look to capitalize on this install-base of devices while also heralding the Wi-Fi Space Age with 6 GHz support.” The chip uses 6025-6985 MHz. “This module may only be marketed and sold to an OEM system integrator that has an agreement with the grantee and has been provided detailed instructions on installation conditions to ensure that the correct firmware is installed,” the authorization states: “Host systems must be intended for indoor use only, outdoor applications are NOT allowed.” Consumers are likely to have 6 GHz devices “in the first half of 2021,” Nagarajan emailed.

The C-band auction set to start Tuesday is expected to bring in $35 billion, with Verizon likely an aggressive bidder and AT&T and T-Mobile active, Citi analyst Michael Rollins wrote investors Thursday. T-Mobile is presumably focused on spectrum below 6 GHz and might want at least 61 MHz of the band, he said. Comcast's and Charter Communications' expanded and extended mobile virtual network operation with Verizon could mean they take an opportunistic approach to buying a national slice of the band, he said. Dish Network might take part, but any incremental spectrum purchases will increase the company’s already big funding needs to build a national 5G network, he said. He said Dish's growing capital needs for its wireless strategy could lead to it trying to monetize its video business and tee up combining with DirecTV, he said. TDS and UScellular will likely seek at least 60 MHz in its current footprint, he said.

Environmentally friendly 5G, “mainstream” virtual reality and ubiquitous Wi-Fi 6E are among trends ABI Research predicted won't happen in 2021. That global 5G subscriptions are forecast to grow 48.4% to 347 million “will strain the environment as a growing number of consumers will be switching over to 5G devices,” said ABI Tuesday: “The transition will potentially create large amounts of electronic waste.” Stakeholders “have not aligned” to enable mainstream VR adoption, it said. Growth will be strong in 2021, “but the user base will not reach levels once thought probable,” where VR competes for time with TVs and smartphones, it said. COVID-19 further accelerated demand for high-efficiency Wi-Fi networks, said the researcher. But residential broadband adoption of Wi-Fi 6E, an extended Wi-Fi 6 network with 6 GHz spectrum “will be minimal in 2021" because broadband service providers only recently started upgrading infrastructure for Wi-Fi 6, it said.

AT&T supports concerns raised by Southern Co., CTIA and others (see 2011170040) on the potential for harmful interference from uncontrolled very-low-power devices fixed service microwave systems in the 6 GHz band, said a filing posted Thursday in docket 18-295. FCC Chairman Ajit Pai indicated Wednesday he won't seek a Dec. 10 vote (see 2011180065).

5G security is the major focus of the FCC’s Dec. 10 meeting, Ajit Pai said Wednesday. The chairman released a skinny agenda by recent standards and won't further liberalize rules for Wi-Fi in the 6 GHz band, which had looked more in doubt in recent days (see 2011130045). Like the 5.9 GHz order, 6 GHz has been controversial and faced opposition from incumbents unhappy with the April order opening the band. December will also feature an order on ATSC 3.0 datacasting.

The FCC on Wednesday approved 5-0 opening 45 MHz of the 5.9 GHz band for Wi-Fi, while allocating 30 MHz for cellular vehicle-to-everything, as expected (see 2011170058). Commissioners overruled the Department of Transportation, which asked that the band be preserved for safety applications. Commissioner Mike O’Rielly said the order was tweaked to speed use of the spectrum for C-V2X, and he would have preferred to see more changes. Commissioners Jessica Rosenworcel and Geoffrey Starks voted to concur. Wi-Fi advocates said the FCC appeared to approve a change they sought that will make it easier to convert routers to use the spectrum.

Southern Co. asked the FCC not to act now on revised 6 GHz rules, while others sought changes proposed in an April Further NPRM, in filings posted Tuesday in docket 18-295. Chairman Ajit Pai is expected to make clear Wednesday whether there will be a vote at the Dec. 10 commissioners' meeting (see 2011130045). “Take additional time to fully evaluate and consider” concerns that have been raised “before adopting any further rules on unlicensed use of the 6 GHz band,” Southern said in calls with aides to Pai and Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel. The Open Technology Institute at New America told acting Chief Ron Repasi and others from the Office of Engineering and Technology that the FCC should act. “We urged the Commission to act on Verizon’s Petition for Reconsideration requesting higher power for unlicensed standard-power 6 GHz access points already subject to [automated frequency coordination] control,” Verizon said of a call with OET.

Despite opposition from the Department of Transportation, ITS America and others, FCC members are expected to approve an order Wednesday that reallocates the 5.9 GHz band for sharing with Wi-Fi and vehicle-to-everything technologies. A few tweaks are expected. It's unclear how the FCC will address 5G Automotive Association and automaker complaints that they face delays deploying cellular V2X because of a transition of “indeterminate length” in the draft rules. Commissioners were waiting for a revised draft with final changes Tuesday.