CTIA asked the government to reallocate the top 150 MHz of the 3.1-3.45 GHz band to wireless broadband, noting the spectrum is seen globally as a “core 5G workhorse, providing the capacity needed to connect the industries of the future.” More than 70 countries are planning or using 5G in this band, and in 30 of those countries it safely coexists with the same U.S. military radar systems that are used domestically, CTIA said Tuesday. CTIA released three other reports, by GSMA, DLA Piper and CCS Insights, exploring how the military uses the band.

Verizon seeks expedited review of its allegations against Ocean City, New Jersey, for its “unreasonable and unsupportable” denial of Verizon’s application for “minor site plan approval” to build and install a personal wireless services facility, said its complaint Friday (docket 1:23-cv-04370) in U.S. District Court for New Jersey in Camden. The facility consists of antennas and related equipment and cabling on the roof of and on the ground adjacent to an existing two-story commercial building at the property in town, it said.

An FCC proposal to allow fixed-wireless use of the lower 12 GHz band remains hotly contested. Multiple satellite interests argued expanded terrestrial use of the upper 12 GHz band, if allowed, must include protection for adjacent-band satellite services. Comments were posed Wednesday and Thursday in docket 20-443. Leaders of the 5G for 12 GHz Coalition are seeking FCC action by year's end (see 2308090061). The FCC also sought comment on an NPRM on the upper 12 GHz band.

CBP plans to form a “dedicated” outbound oversight office after the Office of Inspector General said the agency's existing infrastructure may be causing it to miss inspections of illegal exports.

The Congressional Research Service this month issued an updated version of its overview of the Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S. The report notes Congress is proposing legislation to expand CFIUS jurisdiction over certain land purchases and potentially add the USDA secretary as a permanent member of the committee (see 2307280052 and 2307180022). CRS listed several items Congress should be considering, such as how the Treasury Department will implement any “new agriculture-related responsibilities in regulation and practice”; how “sufficient are CFIUS’ current authorities” now that five years have passed since the Foreign Investment Risk Review Modernization Act was enacted; and how the Commerce Department’s process of identifying emerging and foundational technologies for export controls is “facilitating or hindering CFIUS reviews of transactions related to such technologies.”

The Commerce Department stuck by its benchmark picks for the land program and the aluminum plate, sheet and strip program in a suit on the 2016-17 administrative review of the countervailing duty order on aluminum foil from China. Submitting its remand results to the Court of International Trade on Aug. 4, Commerce said Trade Data Monitor data on Harmonized System subheading 7606.12 was properly used as the benchmark for the aluminum plate program, and that a 2010 Coldwell Banker Richard Ellis (CBRE) report on Thailand was the proper land benchmark (Jiangsu Zhongji Lamination Materials Co. v. U.S., CIT # 21-00133).

The FCC Wireless Bureau and Office of Native Affairs and Policy asked for comment, due Nov. 30, on “ways in which the Commission can improve its understanding of how and the extent to which Tribal Nations and the Native Hawaiian Community are able to access wireless spectrum today.” The FCC noted Friday that the agency created the 2.5 GHz rural tribal priority window in 2019 (see 2001140059), which resulted in awarding 336 licenses covering tribal lands of more than 350 tribal nations based in 30 states. “The number of Tribes and Tribal entities now holding spectrum licenses has significantly increased as a result of this opportunity alone,” the notice said. “While this represents progress, we nonetheless recognize the long-standing connectivity challenges facing Tribal Nations and the Native Hawaiian Community and remain committed to addressing this digital divide,” the FCC said: “In order to assess current and future policy efforts relating to spectrum designed to achieve this goal, we seek additional information about how Tribal Nations and the Native Hawaiian Community are accessing spectrum, whether it be through direct licensing or other means.” The notice asks about the potential addition of “legal entity categories or demographic questions” to wireless licensing forms to more readily identify Tribal or Native Hawaiian applicants. “We seek comment on whether collection of this information should be mandatory or optional,” the FCC said. “We also seek comment on what the resulting impacts on applicants or our licensing records would be depending on which approach we choose.” Comments are due in docket 23-265.

The U.S. needs to better protect agricultural technology from Chinese theft and push Beijing to reduce tariffs on U.S. crops, American farmers told lawmakers last week. Speaking during a panel in Iowa organized by the House Select Committee on China, at least one farmer said U.S. trade policy should focus more on securing free trade deals, which would help exporters become less reliant on China.

The titanium sponge working group, convened after a Section 232 report on the product, as an alternative to imposing tariffs or tariff rate quotas, says that eliminating the 15% tariff on titanium sponge could benefit domestic titanium producers.

The Wyoming Public Service Commission won't vote at Thursday’s meeting on a staff proposal to grant a Dish Wireless application for eligible telecom carrier designation. The application in docket 60061-6-RA-23 was on the consent agenda, but Commissioner Chris Petrie said he has questions for Dish and asked to table the item until the Aug. 8 meeting at 1:30 p.m. MDT. Dish seeks “limited designation to provide Lifeline service to qualifying Wyoming consumers, including those customers residing on federally recognized Tribal lands,” said a July 24 staff memo. The company doesn’t seek access to USF high-cost support. The Utah PSC last month set a Nov. 28 hearing on a similar Dish petition (see 2307240029).