Satellite, terrestrial and tech interests had numerous recommendations for Innovation, Science and Economic Development (ISED) Canada, as the agency asked for input on releasing spectrum for commercial mobile services, license-exempt applications, satellite services and wireless backhaul services through 2022. The docket SLPB-006-17 comments were posted Friday. Intelsat said ISED should await outcomes of the 2019 World Radiocommunication Conference on a variety of WRC-19 agenda items -- such as non-geostationary fixed satellite service (FSS) use of the 37.5-39.5, 39,5-42.5, 47.2-50.2 and 50.4-51.4 GHz bands -- before making decisions that might not be compatible with WRC-19. SES said ISED's conclusion that the 3.7-4.2 GHz band should be considered for mobile use is "unfounded" and that such mobile use could negatively affect downlinks there. It said if any additional services are introduced in the 24.75-25.05 GHz or 25.05-25.25 GHz bands, FSS needs to retain access on a co-primary basis. It also pushed for making the entire V-band available for satellite FSS use and for removing the restriction on FSS in the 39.5-40 GHz band to government use only. Telesat Canada said the current FSS allocation at 24.75-25.25 should be retained if spectrum is released in the 24.25-27.5 GHz band for terrestrial use. It also said the satellite industry has interest in the E-band and higher spectrum. ISED should make spectrum above 24 GHz available for flexible use across platforms (HAPS), including high altitude platform stations and consider licensing schemes that would let HAPS be used in the band to support 5G, Facebook said. It also backed making the 64-71 GHz band available for license-exempt use and for identifying other mid-band frequency for license-exempt use, such as the 6 GHz band. The Wi-Fi Alliance said spectrum sharing is possible in the 6 GHz band, and other bands could potentially be made available for sharing in the future. It also backed making the 5350-5470 MHz band available for license exempt operations in Canada and said it was essential that ISED continue to allow license-exempt operations in the millimeter wave spectrum. It said the agency should consider making the 5.9256-7.125 GHz band available for license-exempt use. Allowing commercial mobile broadband in the 814-824 MHz band, paired with 859-869 MHz, would mutually benefit the U.S. and Canada by maximizing the spectrum available for commercial mobile broadband in this band along the shared border, Sprint said. Microsoft said there should be "significantly more" license-exempt spectrum released in the 5, 6, 60 and 70 GHz bands.

Sprint is moving toward mobile 5G early next year and will soon be able to put less emphasis on discounting the cost of its service, CEO Marcelo Claure said on a financial call Friday as the carrier reported quarterly results. “I am very confident in Sprint's future, based on the competitive advantage that we will have with the deployment of 5G on our 2.5 GHz spectrum,” Claure said. “We're working with Qualcomm and network and device manufacturers in order to launch the first truly mobile network in the United States by the first half of 2019.” Sprint will offer applications “no one else can offer and there will be no reason to continue discounting,” Claure said. New Chief Financial Officer Michel Combes said Sprint has cut $6 billion in costs out of the business, but isn’t done cutting. “I still see more room to improve operational efficiency,” he said. The company reported slowing growth. Postpaid phone net adds were 184,000 for the quarter, with churn of 1.71 percent. But Sprint noted this is its 10th consecutive quarter of postpaid net adds.

Hewlett Packard Enterprise is the HP-related member part of a group of companies meeting with the FCC on the 6 GHz band (see 1801260043).

A coalition of companies interested in unlicensed use of the 6 GHz band filed an FCC report explaining how the companies believe the band can be opened without harmful interference to incumbents. Industry officials said the report responds to concerns raised by the FCC, particularly Julius Knapp, chief of the Office of Engineering and Technology, who asked for details on an interference mitigation strategy. Commissioner Mike O’Rielly indicated his support and urged action.

House Communications Subcommittee Republicans and Rep. Anna Eshoo, D-Calif., filed opposing legislation Wednesday aimed at encouraging broadband deployments. House Communications Republicans filed three bills as part of an additional wave of legislation aimed at forming the backbone of the House Commerce Committee's work on a broadband infrastructure title that will follow the expected release of an infrastructure legislative proposal from President Donald Trump's administration (see 1801110058 and 1801160048). The Making Available Plans to Promote Investment in Next Generation Networks without Overbuilding and Waste (Mapping Now) Act, filed by Reps. Bill Johnson, R-Ohio, and Brett Guthrie, R-Ky., aims to direct NTIA to update and improve the National Broadband Map. The Promoting Exchanges for Enhanced Routing of Information so Networks are Great (Peering) Act, from Rep. Billy Long, R-Mo., would authorize an NTIA matching grant program to promote creation and expansion of peering centers, and authorize recipients of funding from the USF E-Rate and Telehealth programs to use those funds to obtain connections to peering facilities. The Wireless Internet Focus on Innovation in Spectrum Technology for Unlicensed Deployment (Wi-Fi Study) Act, from Rep. Ryan Costello, R-Pa., would direct the General Services Administration to study the role of unlicensed spectrum and the potential for gigabit WiFi service in spectrum bands below 6 GHz. Eshoo and Rep. David McKinley, R-W.Va., separately filed their Broadband Conduit Deployment Act. The bill, which Eshoo circulated in draft form last year, would mandate “dig once” policies that require the inclusion of broadband conduit during the construction of road projects that receive federal funding (see 1703200067). “By laying broadband conduit during construction of roads that receive federal funding, broadband providers can later install fiber-optic cable without costly excavation of newly built roads,” Eshoo said in a news release.

Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Cisco and Broadcom stressed in meetings at the FCC why the agency should move forward on key 6 GHz spectrum as part of its actions on mid-band spectrum. “We discussed the importance of the 6 GHz band to unlicensed broadband investment and innovation, as well as approaches to protect incumbent licensees from harmful interference,” said a filing in docket 17-183. The executives met with Office of Engineering and Technology Chief Julius Knapp and aides to the commissioners, except Brendan Carr. “A set of FCC rules requiring interference-protection mechanisms tailored to the environment in each 6 GHz sub-band will protect incumbents, and ... the Commission should reject calls to clear portions of the band of incumbents,” the filing said.

FCC Chairman Ajit Pai won't postpone a Dec. 14 vote on rolling back Title II net neutrality regulation under the Communications Act, spokespersons said Monday after calls for delay. In a news conference Monday, Democrats New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman and FCC Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel urged Pai to wait until questions, including questions about millions of allegedly fake comments, are fully investigated. Rosenworcel said the process lacks integrity. Some senators sought delay, which USTelecom opposed (see 1711290032).

An Intelsat/Intel plan for freeing up some C-band downlink spectrum in metropolitan areas nationwide (see 1710020047) is getting mixed responses. Meanwhile, wireless interests continue to push for opening up the 6 GHz band for unlicensed operations, raising red flags with public safety. Wednesday was the deadline for replies in the mid-band notice of inquiry docket 17-183 that already had disagreements among industries and saw many comments posted through Friday (see 1710030052).

Sprint CEO Marcelo Claure made clear Wednesday that a potential transaction with T-Mobile fell apart (see 1711060068) because Masayoshi Son, CEO of Sprint parent SoftBank, didn’t want to give up control of the combined company. Son saw the deal as essentially “a merger of equals,” Claure said at Wells Fargo conference. “It came down to Masa wasn’t prepared to relinquish control of Sprint.” SoftBank wanted to maintain control of a player in the “largest market,” he said. Executives with T-Mobile parent Deutsche Telekom pushed for the deal but were unable to convince Son, Claure said. Claure said he was able to convince the SoftBank board, on which he serves, that Sprint has a “bright future” and would continue to grow its customer base. “We’ve proven that we have the ability to add customers,” he said. “We’ve proven that we can take costs out.” The talks weren't a waste, he said: “It was a fascinating experience, for the first time getting to know and meet the T-Mobile management team.” Claure views the Altice mobile virtual network operator deal as a test case for further wireless/cable integration. “It’s very different than a traditional MVNO,” he said. “We have full access to Altice’s backhaul, we have full access to cable infrastructure.” The deal will help Sprint expand in markets like New York, he said. “We’ve said it very publicly, we believe eventually there is going to need to be a tie-up between a telco and cable,” he said. Claure said Sprint will “dramatically increase” its capital expenditures next year to the $5 billion-$6 billion range. “We’re going to spend more if possible,” he said. Sprint wants to “accelerate” its network buildout and recognizes it needs to install more macro cell towers, he said. the carrier plans to put its 800 MHz, 1.9 and 2.5 GHz spectrum on all of its towers, many of which today only carry 2.5 GHz spectrum, he said. “I want to make sure that we fix the foundation.” T-Mobile didn't comment.

The 5.9 GHz band likely is the best near-term opportunity for additional Wi-Fi spectrum, said speakers at WiFi Forward discussions Monday. A benefit of the band is lack of significant deployed incumbents there, as opposed to the C-band, said NCTA Associate General Counsel Danielle Pineres, noting that, paired with the 6 GHz band, it could represent a wide swath of spectrum. Public Knowledge Senior Vice President Harold Feld said the change in administration at the Transportation Department could move things along since the Republican administration brings a suspicion of technology mandates and there are LTE options in the market.