OMB approved for three years information collection in rules for the FCC Connect America Fund Phase II and Rural Digital Opportunity Fund auctions, says Monday's Federal Register. The requirements take effect that day.
Texas Instruments supported Tesla's request to market a sensing device for the 60-64 GHz band at higher power than specified in FCC rules. The carmaker said the technology is intended for applications including child safety systems and seat belt reminders (see 2008200027). A waiver “will create substantial benefits to the public by enabling the inclusion of technology that will enhance passenger safety and vehicle security” and “will not cause harmful interference in the band,” TI said in a filing posted Friday in docket 20-264. Comments are due Sept. 21.
SES/O3b in calls with aides to FCC members other than Commissioner Brendan Carr and with International Bureau Chief Tom Sullivan repeated its arguments against SpaceX's ask to move 2,824 broadband satellites to a lower orbit (for example, see 2008100002), said an International Bureau ex parte posting Thursday. SES/O3b said SpaceX in discussing interference protection limits was potentially trying to mislead the agency by wrongly claiming criticisms used incorrect data. SpaceX didn't comment Friday.
The best course for the 5.9 GHz band would be reallocating it for cellular vehicle to everything technology (C-V2X), the 5G Automotive Association said in a call with staff from the FCC Office of Engineering and Technology and Office of Economics and Analytics. 5GAA proposed two plans but preferred the one to allocate the band's upper portion for basic C-V2X direct services and the lower portion for advanced C-V2X. “Should the Commission choose to reallocate the lower portion of the band for unlicensed operations, the 5GAA representatives stressed the importance of adopting rules that allow for robust C-V2X Direct operations in the upper portion,” the group said. If the FCC opens the band for Wi-Fi, “identify 40 MHz of dedicated, mid-band spectrum elsewhere for Advanced C-V2X Direct,” the association asked. Representatives of major automakers and tech companies including Qualcomm, Nokia and Panasonic participated, said a filing posted Thursday in docket 19-138.
The Advisory Committee on Diversity and Digital Empowerment when it meets virtually Sept. 18 at 10 a.m. EDT will open with remarks from FCC Chairman Ajit Pai, said a public notice in Wednesday’s Daily Digest. The meeting will include presentations from each working group: Access to Capital, Digital Empowerment and Inclusion, and Diversity in the Tech Sector.
U.S. antitrust agencies won't challenge OneWeb's purchase by the consortium of the U.K. government and Bharti Global as part of its bankruptcy reorganization, per an early termination notice Friday. It was released Tuesday.
CTA and member company representatives spoke with an aide to FCC Chairman Ajit Pai urging action on a June petition to allow presale of new RF devices before authorization (see 2006030044). CTA got general support when the FCC took comments in July (see 2007100042). “The unequivocal national priority of 5G deployment warrants an expeditious launch of the requested rulemaking proceeding,” said a filing posted Friday in RM-11857: “As the winter holiday season approaches, the requested interim waivers will benefit both companies and consumers.” This would bring policies “more closely in line with today’s marketplace realities.” Amazon, Samsung and Google were among attendees.
The FCC Wireline Bureau said Thursday it’s extending its gift rules waiver to the Rural Health Care and E-rate programs by three months, to Dec. 31. The original waiver cut-off date was Sept. 30 (see 2003180054). The Schools, Health & Libraries Broadband Coalition, Consortium for School Networking and State Educational Technology Directors Association sought an extension through June 30, citing the pandemic (see 2008050052). “We find good cause to extend” the waiver because of “the ongoing disruptions caused by COVID-19 to program participants and the continued need for robust connectivity,” the bureau ordered. It waived “the RHC deadline for responding to” Universal Service Administrative Com. information requests through Dec. 31. It directed USAC “provide a 30-day extension to E-Rate program participants impacted by the pandemic that request an extension to respond to certain USAC information requests, including those related to Program Integrity Assurance (PIA) requests, issued through December 31.”
About one-third of U.S. employees, 51 million, worked remotely in 2019, NTIA said Thursday in initial results on internet use. The survey was done in November.
The 5G Automotive Association corrected its proposed rules for cellular vehicle-to-everything in 30 MHz of the 5.9 GHz band. Among the changes, “delete in its entirety subsection (b) in 5GAA’s proposed rule section 95.3167 and make any necessary conforming edits,” the group said in a filing posted Thursday in docket 19-138: “This subsection is unnecessary because 5GAA proposed an on board unit transmit power limit based only on effective isotropic radiated power (EIRP) levels.” NCTA, meanwhile, countered a July Ford Motor report on the threat from Wi-Fi in part of the band to intelligent transportation systems (see 2007140057). The report “does not contain any new test results or analysis of existing data,” NCTA said: “Instead, the Ford Submission … repackages its previous ineffective advocacy with new mistaken assertions.”