New America’s Open Technology Institute urged the FCC to act on a proposal to allocate part of the 5.9 GHz band to Wi-Fi (see 2004300032). “As the 5.9 GHz band remains stuck in idle, Wi-Fi’s use of the neighboring 5 GHz band has accelerated to the point that the unlicensed bands on which nearly all Americans rely for affordable connectivity, particularly indoors, have become increasingly congested due to more devices, more high bandwidth applications, and more off-loading of mobile carrier traffic onto fixed networks,” OTI said in a paper, posted Wednesday in docket 19-138. Dedicated short-range communications is “outdated, costly to implement, and at this point the amount of spectrum allocated two decades ago … is not being used, nor is it necessary to achieve the critical vehicle safety communications functions that justify the allocation," it said.
It's commendable that streamer Pluto TV has dropped its ask for a one-year waiver from IP captioning requirements (see 1906270061), but it's still not compliant on several platforms and the FCC should set firm deadlines if it doesn't take enforcement action. That's according to Telecommunications for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Inc.'s docket 11-154 posting Wednesday. Pluto TV last month withdrew its waiver petition and said it has "redoubled its efforts" to be fully compliant with captioning on all platforms.
Broadcast entities and white space devices proponents accused one another of attempting to seize control of spectrum they don’t own, in replies posted in docket 20-74 Tuesday in the FCC ATSC 3.0 distributed transmission system proceeding (see 2006150060). Microsoft’s opposition to relaxing interference rules to allow DTS systems is “a back door spectrum grab,” said One Media. The proposed changes “will only benefit a subgroup of broadcasters pursuing their vision of Broadcast Internet by allowing them to extend their respective coverage footprint,” Microsoft said. Though a broadcaster, PMCM also argued that DTS supporters’ motives aren’t pure. “The proposal is essentially a grab for new territory at the cost of decades of Commission adherence to community values,” PMCM said. "The only opposition to this proposal comes from parties with secondary or non-existent spectrum rights that ask the Commission to provide them with unprecedented and unwarranted protections,” said NAB and America’s Public Television Stations. Rule changes are premature because broadcasters have “yet to deploy ATSC 3.0 services in any widespread manner” and they aren’t aimed at improving TV broadcasting, said the New America Foundation’s Open Technology Institute and Public Knowledge. Assertions that broadcasters aren’t seeking those changes to improve over-the-air TV and would heavily invest in single-frequency networks only to compete in a datacasting market that doesn’t yet exist are naive, BitPath said. Revenue and public service benefits from datacasting won’t justify those sorts of investments on their own “for the foreseeable future,” said the company. “While the Commission does not propose granting the DTS spillover area any protection or rights today, based on the history of ATSC 3.0, we know such a request will be forthcoming,” Microsoft said. “It is only a matter of when.”
Broaden the USF contribution base by including one-way VoIP services among contributors, the phone industry asked the FCC in comments posted through Tuesday in docket 06-122. "Given the rising contribution factor and the shrinking base of assessable services, the Commission should consider comprehensive USF reform that sets USF contributions on a sustainable path," USTelecom said. "While it is unlikely to make a noticeable difference to the contribution factor at this time, one way to begin addressing this issue in an incremental way is to broaden the base by including one-way VoIP services." Zoom wanted the FCC to ensure new obligations "are consistent with its long-standing commitment to fostering a regulatory environment that will invite investment in information services, including those that incorporate voice." Inaction on more comprehensive changes to USF contribution methodology threatens "the stability of USF funding and its mission to provide universal service nationwide," said the Ad Hoc Telecom Users Committee. Incompas urged comprehensive changes to contribution methodology, seeing the one-way VoIP matter as a distraction.
Tests show Wi-Fi in part of 5.9 GHz would interfere with intelligent transportation systems, said a Ford Motor report filed at the FCC. “A single device running popular Wi-Fi applications can create interference conditions for the ITS safety applications even in low duty-cycle scenarios,” said the report, posted Tuesday in docket 19-138. “Wi-Fi usage at scale presents persistent levels of harmful interference.” The FCC is expected to reallocate the band in coming months, with 45 MHz set aside for unlicensed use (see 2004300032).
Assertions that integrated receiver/decoder equipment costs should be excluded from the C-band transition lump sum payments to MVPD earth station operators wrongly claim MVPDs that replace earth stations with fiber-based video delivery still have to employ IRDs, MobiTV said in an FCC docket 18-122 posting Monday: MVPDs that use MobiTV as a fiber-centric replacement to their C-band earth stations will still get video content while not using IRDs. The IPTV service said the C-band order seems to offer earth station operators a lump sum that could be used on alternatives such as fiber-based solutions, and the commission should be technology neutral and open to alternatives that don't require IRDs at local earth station sites.
A draft approval of Amazon's Kuiper 3,236-satellite non-geostationary orbit constellation (see 1907050053) is circulating among the FCC commissioners, Chairman Ajit Pai tweeted Friday. An FCC official told us Monday there are no remarkable conditions placed on Kuiper different from what other NGSO providers have received. We were told approval could be unanimous since it doesn't appear to be controversial, but the item also doesn't appear to be fast-tracked for the August agenda.
Policy fixes for tackling the 20 million or more "digitally invisible" Americans who lack digital access include universal broadband service, continuing to lift the regulatory restrictions and providing telehealth services, said Nicol Turner Lee, Brookings Institution director-Center for Technology Innovation, Monday on a panel. FCC Commissioner Geoffrey Starks, organizer of the event about communications technology ways of addressing Black mental health needs, said "internet inequality ... has exacerbated other long-standing social gaps in every aspect of American life." Telehealth service provision surged during the pandemic, but Black communities disproportionately lack access to telecom services that allow access to telehealth, he said, according to prepared remarks.
Ford is backing Swarm's ask for U.S. market access for a planned UHF non-voice non-geostationary satellite constellation (see 2003020002). Approval will help ensure global coverage of connected vehicles, Ford told FCC Chairman Ajit Pai in a letter Thursday. The carmaker wrote in 2019 urging OK of Swarm's VHF NVNG constellation.