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.

C3Spectra, which hopes to join the list of companies operating an automated frequency coordination (AFC) system that manages access to the 6 GHz band, notified the FCC that its system will be available for public trial beginning Aug. 20. The test portal will close Oct. 4, the company said in a filing posted Tuesday in docket 21-352.

Backers of resurrecting the FCC’s affordable connectivity program are tempering their expectations about how much a pair of July developments may increase Congress’ appetite for injecting stopgap funding into the lapsed initiative this year. The Senate Commerce Committee approved a surprise amendment July 31 to the Proper Leadership to Align Networks for Broadband Act (S-2238) that would allocate $7 billion to ACP for FY 2024 (see 2407310048). Former President Donald Trump earlier that month selected Sen. JD Vance of Ohio, a Republican who backed ACP funding in the face of opposition from party leaders, as his running mate (see 2407150062).

Protected status for federal earth stations using commercial satellite services is "overdue," NTIA said this week in docket 24-121 as the FCC sought comment on expanded federal use of commercial satellite spectrum bands (see 2406280034). NTIA said the FCC should move quickly on an NPRM that lays the path for that protected status for federal earth stations using commercial satellite services. It suggested a regime where federal agencies would submit information to the commission for notice and comment, and then entry into the FCC’s earth station database, akin to the process some FAA-operated C-band earth stations in Alaska use. Warning of the possible hindrance of 5G’s rollout, CTIA said any sweeping allocation of spectrum to federal users on a primary basis “would exacerbate the existing imbalance between federal and non-federal spectrum allocations.” It said the FCC and its Office of Engineering and Technology need to clearly define the spectrum bands not already allocated for federal fixed satellite service (FSS) and mobile satellite service (MSS) that might be looked at for expanded federal use. It said adding federal allocations to the lower C band and to the 13 GHz band could complicate investigation of the bands for commercial mobile use. The Satellite Industry Association said FSS and MSS allocations should be added to the federal portion of the Table of Frequency Allocations for nonfederal spectrum bands, while also making clear federal operations under the allocation are limited to federal earth stations communicating with nonfederal space stations. It said federal users should have to follow the same rules and procedures as nonfederal users. SIA's comments were similar its 2021 advocacy, when the agency also looked at the issue (see 2110180066). The 10.7-11.7 GHz band is “critical” for mobile wireless traffic backhaul and a “safe harbor” band for fixed service systems relocating out of the 6 GHz band, said Comsearch. Fixed service use of the band has almost tripled in the past decade, it said. Comsearch said that extensive use of the band points to how it must be preserved for nonfederal terrestrial operations.

The future of telecom regulation is fraught with uncertainty post-Chevron, Mintz lawyers concluded during a webinar Wednesday, focusing primarily on four recent U.S. Supreme Court Cases: Loper Bright (see 2406280043), Ohio v. EPA and SEC v. Jarkesy (see 2407220048) and Corner Post (see 2407010035).

The Biden administration appears headed toward a coordination and licensing framework in the lower 37 GHz band, one of five targeted for further study in the administration’s national spectrum strategy (see 2311130048). Analysts told us wireless carriers likely have little interest in seeing the band set aside for licensed use, unlike some other bands the administration is studying, especially lower 3 GHz and 7/8 GHz. The FCC will probably seek comment on 37 GHz in a public notice “on or about” Aug. 6, NTIA said in a recent blog.

Qualcomm representatives spoke with FCC Office of Engineering and Technology staff about 6 GHz automated frequency coordination system “implementation issues” and a proposal to create a geofenced variable power (GVP) device class (see 2404290035). “Qualcomm indicated its support for GVP operations at variable power levels that would protect incumbents by limiting operations to areas outside the exclusion zones and further explained the operations and GVP system architecture,” a filing posted Tuesday in docket 18-295 said.

An Extreme Networks representative urged the FCC Office of Engineering to move forward on the company’s request for a waiver of rules for low-power indoor (LPI) devices for 6 GHz access points (APs), to be installed exclusively in indoor-only sports venues. “Fans demand reliable Wi-Fi coverage when they attend events at stadiums and arenas,” a filing posted Monday in docket 23-282 said. “Extreme partners with major stadiums and arenas across the country and is ready to install LPI APs to support fans’ needs,” the company said. The proposal proved controversial when the FCC took comment last year (see 2310170045).

Verizon lost 410,000 prepaid wireless customers tied to the end of the affordable connectivity program in Q2, the company said Monday as it became the first major wireless carrier to report earnings since the impact of ACP's demise could be measured. Overall prepaid customer losses were 624,000. But Verizon also gained a net 148,000 postpaid customers, which beat expectations. Revenue of $32.8 billion just missed consensus estimates. Though most numbers were positive, Verizon was down 6.08% to $39.09 for the day.

Utilities Technology Council President Rusty Williams and others from the group met with FCC Commissioners Geoffrey Starks and Brendan Carr to discuss UTC concerns about 6 GHz interference and utility interest in having access to the 4.9 GHz band. “Utilities need highly reliable mission critical communications and additional licensed spectrum with sufficient capacity and coverage to meet increasing demands to meet emerging grid modernization and clean energy requirements and protect against greater and more sophisticated physical and cybersecurity threats and increasingly severe weather events, as well as wildfires,” the filing on the Starks meeting, posted Friday in docket 18-295 and other dockets, said.