Open fronthaul, a telecom concept that started with 4G, is becoming key as carriers launch 5G, speakers said during a Light Reading open radio access network virtual seminar Tuesday. Questions remain about ORAN, and when it will launch at scale (see 2209070052), but experts said growth is undeniable. The fronthaul is the connection between the baseband unit and the remote radio head, which became more important under LTE networks as operators moved their radios closer to the antennas.
Rural broadband providers and electric cooperatives stressed the need Tuesday for more partnerships with communities and industry for broadband deployment. It’s “time to think creatively” about how to “get the job done” given recent federal broadband investments, said NTCA CEO Shirley Bloomfield during a webinar.
The FCC's 2020 order on unbundled network elements (UNEs) rules "has had a chilling effect" on fiber to the home deployment, said Sonic Telecom in reply to comments opposing its 2021 petition for reconsideration of portions of the order Monday in docket 19-308 (see 2209160070). Sonic sought reconsideration of the order's findings that there's "no impairment and grant of forbearance for unbundled DS0 Loops and unbundled dark fiber." USTelecom continued to express opposition, but consumer advocacy groups and CLECs urged the commission to grant the petition to promote competition.
The new EU-U.S. trans-Atlantic data flow agreement goes far beyond previous deals by allowing EU residents privacy redress and introducing new legal concepts in the U.S., government officials from Washington and Brussels said Monday.
The FCC appears close to releasing a public notice on testing and public trials prior to certifying automated frequency coordination providers in the 6 GHz band, industry officials said. The PN is reportedly in Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel’s office, though it could be sent back to the Office of Engineering and Technology for further work. A decision on rules for very-low-power devices in the 6 GHz band appears further off.
Edge computing is one of the hottest concepts in wireless, but what the edge will look like and even where it’s located is evolving, speakers said Friday during a Mobile World Live webinar. Speakers predicted edge will be a key feature of 5G.
The FCC’s second request for information is “highly irregular” and fodder for “an endless fishing expedition,” said Standard General, Tegna and investor Apollo Global Management in their joint response to the Media Bureau’s questions, posted partially redacted Friday in docket 22-162. With just days left on the deal’s 180-day shot clock, the transaction isn’t expected to progress soon at the commission and could be in danger of being blocked, broadcast industry officials told us. Standard, Tegna and Apollo “are astonished that this Transaction, with all of the benefits that it offers to the public interest, is at the receiving end of unrelenting and baseless attacks and delay tactics from the petitioners,” said the information submissions.
The idea that content providers should pay for use of telco networks is becoming a hot topic in Europe, stakeholders said. Major network operators unveiled a report in May suggesting that making over-the-top providers pay for use of the networks could bring socioeconomic benefits. EU regulators tentatively found no need for such compensation. The European Commission said it's in discussions with stakeholders on the "complex issue." The internet community fought back Thursday with its own analysis.
If Congress passes the House Commerce Committee’s bipartisan privacy bill, it would need to double the FTC’s budget for the agency to meet the new law’s requirements, FTC Commissioner Rebecca Kelly Slaughter said Thursday.
Congressional telecom policy leaders and other observers are hopeful but not certain that additional funding for the FCC’s Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Reimbursement Program and next-generation 911 tech upgrades will remain top priorities in FY 2023 appropriations talks, amid the apparent lack of consensus so far on allocating future spectrum auction proceeds for that purpose. Lawmakers agreed last month to temporarily extend the FCC’s auction authority through Dec. 16 via a continuing resolution to buy additional time for talks on a broader spectrum legislative package that allocates sales proceeds to telecom projects (see 2209300058).