Monica Alleven

While wireless operators generally and wholeheartedly support the Federal Communications Commission’s decision to classify SMS and MMS texting services as “information services” rather than “telecommunications services” or “commercial mobile services,” Verizon is urging the commission to go a step further and include Rich Communication Services (RCS) as well. In a draft of the declaratory ruling that the FCC will consider at its Dec 12 meeting, the FCC acknowledged that RCS is the next-generation SMS and is an IP-based asynchronous messaging protocol.

T-Mobile is known for breaking the rules in wireless, but now it wants Federal Communications Commission permission to bend the rules, so to speak, as part of a 600 MHz experiment in North Carolina. More specifically, T-Mobile wants to conduct tests in parts of NC to investigate the possibility of transmitting on portions of the 600 MHz B Block that’s spectrally closer to TV stations than permitted by the FCC’s rules. The operator says it will do so “in a manner that will not cause harmful interference to television viewers.” 

At the request of Federal Communications Commission staff, Verizon executives met with FCC officials just prior to Verizon’s Oct. 1 5G launch in parts of Houston, Los Angeles, Indianapolis, and Sacramento. In the meeting, Verizon executives once again noted the need for low-, mid- and high-band spectrum and encouraged the FCC to continue its work to make more spectrum available for 5G. The meeting was related to T-Mobile’s application to combine with Sprint, although Verizon didn't take an official position on that transaction.

Another Federal Communications Commission meeting is in the books with no final decisions on the 3.5 GHz Citizens Broadband Radio Services (CBRS) band. When asked about the timing of the 3.5 GHz item, FCC Commissioner Michael O’Rielly deferred to the chairman, who determines those things. Separately during Sept 26's press briefing, FCC Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel answered the same reporter’s question with a decidedly different tone, but one that reiterated her previous level of frustration at the lack of movement on the issue.

The Federal Communications Commission has denied a request to stop the clock or extend the pleading cycle associated with the proposed T-Mobile/Sprint combination. The FCC denied the request by Public Knowledge, the Benton Foundation, and others to stop the review clock in order for operators to supplement their public interest statement with more specific information. In denying the request, the FCC said the the movants failed to establish any basis for granting the extension.

CTIA and T-Mobile are repeating their calls for larger licensed areas and 10-year spectrum license terms. T-Mobile and CTIA representatives met with Federal Communications Commissioner Michael O’Rielly Legal Advisor Erin McGrath to discuss the 3.5 GHz Citizens Broadband Radio Services (CBRS) proceeding. In 2017, both filed petitions with the FCC requesting that it revisit the 3.5 GHz rules that were originally passed in 2015. Their meetings with O’Rielly’s team are notable given that he’s been leading the charge to revise the rules and has made recommendations to FCC Chairman Ajit Pai.

A group of entities calling themselves the Public Interest Spectrum Coalition (PISC) [including the Benton Foundation] is urging the Federal Communications Commission to stick to its original rules for the Citizens Broadband Radio Service (CBRS) for the 3.5 GHz spectrum, arguing that larger licensed areas will undermine the goal of the small-cell innovation band.  PISC, whose members include the Open Technology Institute at New America, Public Knowledge and the American Library Association, among others, reiterated in a May 30 letter the importance of retaining small license areas with shor

One of the things that will enable T-Mobile and Sprint to move fast with their 5G integration is a not-so-little thing called Massive multiple-input, multiple-output (MIMO). Of course, it’s business as usual for each company while they make their case before regulators, but Sprint CTO John Saw said one of the things that will make for a faster integration is Massive MIMO, something Sprint has been working on for some time.  “With Massive MIMO we are able to actually upgrade existing towers,” Saw said.

The Federal Communications Commission’s Wireless Telecommunications Bureau announced it will not stand in the way of Straight Path’s millimeter wave (mmWave) license transfer to Verizon, denying a request from the Competitive Carriers Association (CCA) to stay a Jan. 18 order approving the transfer. The bureau said CCA failed to meet its burden for a “grant of an extraordinary remedy” of a stay.

Several organizations representing the interests of rural telecommunication and electric cooperatives recently met with Federal Communications Commission staff to discuss rules for the 3.5 GHz Citizens Broadband Radio Service (CBRS)—namely, that they want the rules to remain much the same as they were crafted in the first place.