Monica Alleven

In what’s described as a “proposed decision,” California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) Administrative Law Judge Karl Bemesderfer has denied a petition by Dish Network that seeks more time in migrating CDMA customers off T-Mobile’s network. In a filing in early February 2022, the CPUC said the decision by ALJ Bemesderfer has no legal effect “until and unless” the commission hears the item and votes to approve it. The item may be heard, at the earliest, at the California commission’s March 17 meeting. But it essentially signals defeat for Dish at the CPUC level on this item.

AT&T will shut down its 3G network in February 2022, making way for 5G spectrum and services. But other operators worldwide, whose customers roam onto AT&T, still require the use of circuit-switch fallback, and that’s where Syniverse comes in. On January 25, Syniverse announced, in collaboration with AT&T, the development and deployment of a solution that preserves inbound voice roaming after AT&T phases out its 3G network on February 22, 2022.

Remember the bit about the 12 GHz band that 5G proponents were using to advance their argument at the Federal Communications Commission? The one about “no federal encumbrances”? That seems to be rising to the top in the wake of all the recent problems associated with C-band spectrum. Granted, the 12 GHz band has its own set of challenges for the 5G for 12 GHz Coalition, which represents Dish Network, among others.

Starry, a small internet service provider based in Boston (MA), is celebrating a milestone for its Starry Connect service, expanding the reach of its digital equity program to more than 55,990 household units of public and affordable housing. Starry reached that goal at the end of 2021, a year that saw the company ink a deal with FirstMark Horizon Acquisition Corp. that will take it public. The company remains on track to close that SPAC transaction by the end of the first quarter of 2022. Starry Connect, its $15/month product that promises 30 Mpbs, targets public and affordable housing.

The US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit ruled in favor of the Federal Communications Commission in its decision to designate a large swath of the 6 GHz band to unlicensed users, including Wi-Fi. AT&T had challenged the FCC’s decision, saying it posed potential interference with existing fixed microwave users. “Petitioners have failed to provide a basis for questioning the Commission’s conclusion that the Order will protect against a significant risk of harmful interference,” the court wrote in its December 28 decision.

RS Access, one of the firms that holds 12 GHz licenses alongside Dish Network, is behind a new analysis that accuses SpaceX of using erroneous data in its evaluation of how satellite companies can use the adjacent 10.7-11.7 GHz band. SpaceX and OneWeb are considered non-geostationary orbit fixed satellite service operators, and they contend the 10.7-11.7 GHz band is too encumbered with other users for them to use it for their satellite services. They want to be able to use the 12.2-12.7 GHz band without having to deal with the likes of Dish and/or RS Access.

T-Mobile announced it now covers 200 million people with Ultra Capacity 5G, the moniker for its 2.5 GHz coverage, which is six weeks ahead of schedule. It’s also farther ahead of its rivals than what was envisioned even a couple weeks ago.

The 3.45 GHz auction, which started October 5, completed 23 rounds on October 14, with bids tallying more than $4 billion. Demand started out high at the beginning of the month, but Auction 110 observers saw a large drop in demand on October 8. Actions over the past week suggest the auction is at risk of closing. If demand reaches supply before the minimum price of $14.8 billion is reached, the auction will fail, warn analysts at New Street Research. If things go south in a hurry, the outcome could be known by October 20.

Federated Wireless, one of the pioneers in Citizens Broadband Radio Service (CBRS) announced availability of its Spectrum Exchange, which allows CBRS license holders to lease their spectrum, when not in use, to third parties. The exchange is an automated portal that will provide nearly instant access to spectrum without interacting directly with the Federal Communications Commission. The system still awaits final FCC approval, but the company says it’s close to obtaining that.

Starry, a Boston-based fixed wireless broadband provider, is going public with FirstMark Horizon Acquisition Corp in a business combination valued at $1.66 billion. It marks a big turning point for Starry; the provider is using 802.11 technology to disrupt the home broadband space, going up against cable companies and increasingly, wireless carriers. The company charges $50 per month for internet service.