A report commissioned by CTIA said the U.S. economy grows by $3.1 billion each year with every 10 MHz of spectrum made available, said a Tuesday CTIA news release. Every 10 MHz also means more than 100,000 new jobs are supported and more than $1.6 billion “in additional economic benefits from mobile apps and content that rely on mobile broadband services,” CTIA said. The report was written by Recon Analytics. “The astounding growth in employment will likely continue as the US economy becomes more competitive through the use of advanced wireless technology and services, with apps and the on-demand economy still primed for considerable growth,” the report said. “We need to work collaboratively to find additional opportunities to unlock new spectrum for mobile broadband to support Americans’ mobile-first lives and to ensure that America’s wireless industry remains the global leader,” said Meredith Baker, CTIA president.
Sprint moved up the expected date of the release of fiscal Q3 financial results by a week to Tuesday at 8:30 a.m. Wells Fargo analyst Jennifer Fritzsche said the move was likely aimed at stopping its bond and equity “free fall.” Fritzsche said in a note to investors that she welcomes the report. “Our checks would show that S saw some momentum with net adds and continued low churn,” she wrote, referring to its stock symbol. “We continue to believe the bonds (which are trading at distressed levels) and equity are trading a worst case scenario and well below the asset value of the 2.5 GHz spectrum” owned by Sprint, she wrote. Jonathan Chaplin, analyst at New Street Research, said recent Sprint moves on its network mean the carrier won’t be deploying additional macro cell sites (see 1601150061). “We always thought Sprint needed to significantly boost the number of cell sites in order to have a competitive network,” Chaplin wrote. “They may be able to get there more cheaply and quickly using small cells for 2.5 GHz rather than traditional macro cells. The expense savings come primarily from using wireless backhaul for the small cells rather than fibre. The time savings come from a significantly streamlined zoning and permitting process (in many cases none is required at all).” Sprint did not comment.
Sen. Cory Gardner, R-Colo., raised spectrum availability as a key transportation consideration Thursday during a Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee hearing on automotive industry innovation. “We have questions of spectrum,” said Gardner, who last year formed a Smart Transportation Caucus with Sen. Gary Peters, D-Mich. “How are cars going to be able to communicate with each other? Do we have enough spectrum to make sure cars can communicate with each other?” Gardner, a member of the Commerce Committee, has been involved in the spectrum legislation debates happening in that committee and referred to the issue of spectrum as one of the relevant questions that “go beyond” the Senate Energy Committee. He mentioned the problem of traffic jams in Colorado. “The solutions that we have to look for are being talked about on this panel -- vehicle-to-vehicle communication and alternative transportation methods and modes,” Gardner said. He asked National Renewable Energy Laboratory Transportation and Hydrogen Systems Center Director Chris Gearhart about how connected vehicles may ease congestion. “I can’t give you an answer right now,” Gearhart said, citing the efforts to find out and predicting a “big” effect. Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers CEO Mitch Bainwol said connected vehicles' "technical communications systems that rely on wireless spectrum allocated for public safety are designed to allow vehicles to communicate with one another and the environment around them to enhance safety and eliminate congestion in our cities and on our highways,” in written testimony. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration "estimates connected vehicle technology could potentially mitigate or eliminate up to 80 percent of crash scenarios involving non-impaired drivers. The implications are profound, and justify why both automakers and the government have invested hundreds of millions of dollars in the development of connected vehicle technologies.” David Friedman, principal deputy assistant secretary for the Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, testified that connected and automated vehicles “are expected to have important impacts on transportation energy use, though key questions remain on whether those impacts will be positive or negative.” His office “has partnered with the University of Michigan, and both Argonne and Idaho National Laboratories to examine how drivers interact with different technologies in connected vehicles, including whether or not those technologies help them" drive more efficiently he said in his testimony.
The failure of the recently concluded World Radiocommunication Conference to work out any agreements on the future of the 600 MHz band, which the FCC will offer in the TV incentive auction, and its shortcomings on the 28 GHz band raise real questions about the viability of the entire process, FCC Commissioner Mike O’Rielly said Friday in a blog post. O’Rielly, who spent most of the opening week in Geneva at WRC (see 1511050041), praised the efforts of the U.S. delegation under Decker Anstrom. “For a number of reasons, other countries prevented a global 600 MHz allocation, even going so far as trying to block any discussion of the band at WRC-15,” O’Rielly said. “They also barred the 28 GHz band from inclusion in the 5G feasibility studies. It is incomprehensible that even doing studies should be a non-starter or off the table. Science should dictate the efficient allocation of spectrum, not politics or international protectionism.” Making matters worse in the 600 MHz band was a decision that individual nations could support a mobile allocation in the 600 MHz band through a footnote only upon the approval of neighboring countries, he said. “Ultimately, this de facto veto power led to a domino effect of countries blocking other countries at the end of the conference,” he said. “Therefore, many governments that supported the U.S. position were forced to sit on the sidelines.” O’Rielly said the failures of WRC-15 raise big questions about the ITU and the entire process. “There is a real possibility” that some of the practices at the WRC “undermined the value of future WRCs and increased the risk that the ITU will become a tool for governments and incumbent spectrum users to halt spectral efficiency and technological progress,” he wrote. “Global spectrum harmonization for future services will be difficult, if not impossible, or, at a minimum, be years behind innovation if such practices are allowed to occur.” O'Rielly "raises some important and legitimate concerns," an administration official said in response to the blog post. "Important progress was made, however, at WRC-15 for the future use of 470-698 MHz for mobile broadband, helped by Commissioner O'Rielly's very effective advocacy. In the Americas, the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Colombia and some Caribbean countries will move ahead, with no restrictions." The debate also revealed, as O'Rielly noted, that "many other countries supported the U.S. position and are clearly interested in using this band for mobile, particularly once they finish their digital transitions," the official said. "Much like the movement that started in 2007 and culminated at WRC-15 to globally harmonize the 700 MHz and 3400-3700 MHz bands for mobile broadband, WRC-15 has stimulated a similar process that will occur over the next decade for the lower UHF bands."
The FCC Wireless Bureau released filing instructions for FCC Form 175, which companies must file to bid in the TV incentive auction. Attachment 1 provides filing instructions “including how an applicant can assert its eligibility for a designated entity bidding credit, select the license area(s) on which it wishes to bid (including for reserved spectrum), disclose auction-related agreements, and provide information regarding its ownership structure,” the bureau said in a Tuesday notice. Applications are due Feb. 9, but the filing window opens Jan. 26. The bureau reminded potential bidders that the information they file will be made available to the public. “An applicant should take care not to include any unnecessary sensitive information, such as Taxpayer Identification Numbers or Social Security Numbers, in its application,” the bureau said. “An applicant may also request that information submitted not be made routinely available for public inspection.”
Globalstar critics continue to hammer on what they say is a lack of transparency about its broadband terrestrial low-power service (TLPS). In an ex parte filing posted Thursday in FCC docket 13-213, the Entertainment Software Association (ESA), Microsoft, NCTA, Sony Electronics and the Wi-Fi Alliance said Globalstar's TLPS demonstrations don't back up FCC approval of spectrum use for the broadband, especially since it didn't say whether it "fixed the problems that rendered previous demonstrations unreliable." The problems include transmitters operating at low power levels, testing unrepresentative equipment and not testing for TLPS effect on latency or jitter, they said: Any mitigation plan involving Globalstar addressing interference issues after it gets complaints "is unworkable." The same critics -- minus Sony -- have criticized Globalstar's evidence in the past for not being complete (see 1512110068). In a statement Thursday, Globalstar said, "The only 'problems' that occurred during the Commission demonstration were Cable and Bluetooth's inability to show any interference that would realistically be caused by TLPS. The lack of any such 'problems' continues to be confirmed by Globalstar and its nationally recognized engineering consultants in TLPS deployments in Chicago and D.C. where dramatic consumer benefits were generated by the addition of TLPS' clear channel to existing wireless networks. In Chicago, throughput nearly doubled on the tested devices as existing Wi-Fi congestion was offloaded to Globalstar's clean TLPS Channel 14." The deployment at Washington School for Girls in Washington, D.C., "has allowed the school to significantly increase the number of students on its wireless network with no decrease in service quality," it said. "It is time for the Commission to take final action and allow this innovative new solution into the marketplace." The filing said ESA and others met with a representative of Commissioner Michael O'Rielly.
T-Mobile remains a strong proponent of net neutrality and its zero-rated Binge On video streaming service is “VERY” pro open Internet, CEO John Legere said an open letter to consumers, posted on the carrier’s website. Last week, net neutrality advocates led by the Electronic Frontier Foundation raised questions about the service, provoking a expletive-laced response from Legere (see 1601080030). Many are missing a key component of Binge On, Legere said. “You can turn it on and off in your MyTMobile account -- whenever you want,” he said. “Turn it on and off at will. Customers are in control. Not T-Mobile. Not content providers. Customers. At all times.” T-Mobile wanted to make Binge On easy for subscribers to use and that’s why it was made an automatic feature on all devices, he said. “We don’t like to make customers dig around to find great new benefits.” Binge On uses proprietary technology to detect video, “determine its source, identify whether it should be FREE and finally adjust all streams for a smaller/handheld device,” he said. “Most video streams come in at incredibly high resolution rates that are barely detectable by the human eye on small device screens and this is where the data in plans is wasted.” Legere said despite the complaints about the service, “T-Mobile is a company that absolutely supports Net Neutrality and we believe in an open and free Internet.” Legere apologized for "offending EFF and its supporters" and said "just because we don’t completely agree on all aspects of Binge On doesn’t mean I don’t see how they fight for consumers. ... We look forward to sitting down and talking with the EFF and that is a step we will definitely take. Unfortunately, my color commentary from last week is now drowning out the real value of Binge On."
The Competitive Carriers Association, T-Mobile and US Cellular asked the FCC not to back down from a firm deadline for broadcasters to leave their spectrum after the TV incentive auction. Carrier representatives met with Wireless Bureau Chief Roger Sherman, Media Bureau Chief Bill Lake and Gary Epstein, chairman of the Incentive Auction Task Force, among others at the FCC. “CCA and its members expressed concern about calls for a delay of the current 39-month transition period for incumbent relocation,” CCA said in a filing in docket 12-268. “As CCA and the Commission have previously acknowledged, there are reasonable activities that broadcasters and tower construction companies can commence now to prepare for the relocation process including ‘construction planning, installation of new power line[s], equipment purchases, and onsite storage of equipment.’” NAB attacked CCA's objections to loosening a 39-month deadline (see 1601110067).
NAB expects "robust broadcaster participation" in the reverse auction, it said in a released statement on the closing of the Form 177 filing window Tuesday. "We hope to see similarly robust participation from wireless bidders in the forward auction," NAB said. "While we’ve expressed our concerns, we hope that the rules and systems the FCC has in place will ensure that this voluntary auction goes off without a hitch, and we look forward to the close of a successful auction."
The Competitive Carrier Association's objections to a proposed loosening of the 39-month FCC repacking deadline and an expansion of the associated reimbursement fund for broadcasters are “unreasonable and unbalanced,” said NAB in a filing in docket 12-268 Monday. CCA’s “unwillingness to engage in a factual discussion of the repacking challenge” is exposed by its recommendation of punishments for broadcasters who don't complete relocation inside 39 months, NAB said. “None of the sanctions CCA proposes depend on whether a broadcaster’s inability to complete its transition was within its control.” A CCA suggestion that broadcasters could abide by the timeline by beginning preparation work for the repacking now misunderstands the facts of the situation, NAB said. “Obviously, stations cannot possibly know in advance whether or not they will be repacked or to which channel they may be reassigned.” The CCA letter also wrongly dismisses broadcaster concerns about the availability of qualified tower crews, NAB said. The idea that more crews can easily be trained ignores the difficult “unique tasks” associated with broadcast antennas and “the tragic consequences of the wireless industry’s own experience with crash programs of antenna installation using unqualified personnel,” NAB said. Repacking deadlines shouldn't be set until the results of the incentive auction are known, NAB said. "It is irresponsible and unreasonable to take a 'fingers crossed' approach to one of the most complex transitions the Commission has ever undertaken.” “CCA continues to believe that the budget set by Congress and the FCC’s planned timeline based on the Spectrum Act, which was approved by the D.C. Circuit, for broadcaster relocation are reasonable and should be re-affirmed,” said CCA President Steve Berry in an emailed response. “Setting a definitive transition period and enforcing the congressionally mandated budget will encourage forward-auction participation, reallocate more spectrum for mobile broadband use that consumers crave, and help create next-generation technology investment. We continue to support the FCC’s transition timeline and look forward to a successful auction and transition.”