Wireless Telecommunications

The Federal Communications Commission proposed revisions to its rules in the 3.5 GHz band to promote investment, keep up with technological advancements, and maintain US leadership in the deployment of next-generation services. In particular, the FCC seeks comment on changes to the rules governing the second service tier, known as Priority Access Licenses, of the band’s novel three-tier framework. These changes include longer license terms with the possibility of renewal; larger geographic license areas; and modifications to the rules governing license auctions, secondary market transactions, and certain technical criteria.

These changes to the licensing and technical rules in the band could help increase incentives for investment, encourage more efficient spectrum use, and promote robust network deployments in both urban and rural communities. Additionally, over the past few years, it has become clear that the 3.5 GHz band will be a core component of 5G network deployments, with several countries moving forward with policies that will make this band available for such services. These rule changes will facilitate the implementation of 5G networks in this band and accelerate deployment of a promising new generation of wireless technologies for all Americans

The Federal Communications Commission is looking to expand the consumer and economic benefits provided by consumers being able to take their phone number to any carrier. Number portability enables consumers and businesses to keep their current phone number when changing providers or, in some instances, when moving to a new location. But currently, nationwide number portability is limited. Now, the FCC is seeking comment on the best ways to provide complete nationwide number portability.

In a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking and Notice of Inquiry, the FCC is seeking comment on the regulatory and technological changes that would be required to implement complete nationwide number portability between all service providers, regardless of size or type. Because the transition to complete nationwide number portability will require extensive work, collaboration and support by all parties involved, the Notice proposes taking an incremental approach.

Globally, the average price of a smartphone is expected to rise 6 percent to $324 this year, according to new data from GfK, a market research firm that collects customer checkout data. The hike is surprising as the price of smartphones — and electronics in general — tends to decrease over time as components are produced in larger quantities, bringing costs down.

Ever since Apple released the first iPhone, competition has been lowering prices as more players entered the market with cheaper and cheaper options. Additionally, smartphone demand in markets like India and China brought about local competitors whose lower prices appealed to customers in those areas, driving down the average price of phones globally. Now, however, as the majority of people in the world become smartphone owners, smartphone makers are adding in all sorts of new features to encourage consumers to upgrade their phones. These upgrades engender bigger price tags.

[Commentary] Some sectors have learned to exploit the explosive possibilities of digital tools, while others by and large have not. I call this the “information gap.” The upshot is that information technologies have not lost their power and can in fact lead to a productivity resurgence. These results reinforce our hypothesis that a more rapid diffusion of information technology into the physical industries, such as healthcare, education, transportation, manufacturing, and energy, could substantially boost innovation and incomes in these sectors.

Cloud computing and 5G wireless networks are thus foundational platforms to increase economic opportunity to more people in more places.

[Bret Swanson is concurrently president of Entropy Economics LLC.]

The FBI hasn’t been able to retrieve data from more than half of the mobile devices it tried to access in less than a year, said FBI Director Christopher Wray, turning up the heat on a debate between technology companies and law enforcement officials trying to recover encrypted communications.

In the first 11 months of the fiscal year, federal agents were unable to access the content of more than 6,900 mobile devices, Wray said. “To put it mildly, this is a huge, huge problem,” Wray said. “It impacts investigations across the board — narcotics, human trafficking, counterterrorism, counterintelligence, gangs, organized crime, child exploitation.” The FBI and other law enforcement officials have long complained about being unable to unlock and recover evidence from cellphones and other devices seized from suspects even if they have a warrant, while technology companies have insisted they must protect customers’ digital privacy.

The long-rumored and much-anticipated merger of T-Mobile and Sprint merger may be happening soon. Both companies have decided to forego the investor question-and-answer sessions that typically take place after the carriers release their quarterly earnings.

T-Mobile struck first Oct 23 releasing its third-quarter earnings a day earlier than expected and, instead of a live Q&A with telecommunication analysts, the No. 3 wireless carrier opted for a video blog starring CEO John Legere. "With all the rumors and speculation out there we decided that we wanted to make sure you all saw and focused on our Q3 results," he said in the video. Also on Oct 23, two days before its own second-quarter results are released, Sprint said it will not host a conference call Wednesday.

[Commentary] No matter how valuable the Lifeline program is in theory, it’s wasting millions of taxpayer dollars. It allows the telecommunications carriers who profit from the program to verify eligibility for their participants — and too many are turning a blind eye. Lifeline was poorly structured and badly executed from the start. The goal of providing low-income Americans help regaining their economic footing with phone and broadband service is worthwhile and admirable — but that doesn’t mean that any plan doing that is worthy of unequivocal support.

Sidestepping the problems in this terribly run program is a disservice to all participants as well as those footing the bill, and will endanger the program’s existence if we allow it to continue. I’ll remain engaged on this issue and committed to serious changes. In the meantime, I encourage my party, as well as my friends from across the aisle, to join me in pushing for oversight and accountability regardless of its political convenience.

I’m sure that those that love to regulate will try to make the weak case that the status of the wireless industry occurred because of — and not despite — the Federal Communications Commission’s regulations, particularly our Net Neutrality burdens. Beyond being desperate to validate their myopic decision, this argument completely ignores the counterfactual, or what would have occurred absent such burdens. The reality is that had the Commission rejected the liberal mantra of Net Neutrality, the entire wireless picture could have been even better.

In the wake of the devastating and deadly California wildfires, Sens Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) and Kamala Harris (D-CA) have written the Federal Communications Commission with their concerns that wireless emergency alerts (WEAs) lack potentially lifesaving precise geotargeting, and are urging the FCC to implement that requirement ASAP.

The FCC in 2016 proposed rules, which FCC Chairman Ajit Pai voted for as a commissioner, that would require wireless carriers to provide precise geotargeting of WEA warnings, but Sens Feinstein and Harris wrote Pai that they were disappointed the FCC has never voted a final order, and that it provided "a temporary waiver of the existing, imprecise geotargeting requirements for certain carriers." They ask if the chairman intends to proceed with the rulemaking and if so, will he do it expeditiously, and if not, why not. They also want to know whether the FCC has gotten feedback from emergency services in Northern California about whether the WEA system is meeting their needs, referring to news stories that suggested it was not, and whether it has sought the same info from hurricane-it areas.

Gov Jerry Brown (D-CA) vetoed a bill that would have streamlined policies for small-cell deployments, handing CTIA - The Wireless Association and major wireless carriers a significant defeat in the nation’s most populous state. The bill, SB 649, essentially would have given wireless companies the same rights as public utilities. It would have enabled carriers and infrastructure vendors to place transmitters in public rights-of-way and capped fees cities could charge to install their devices.

The bill had become a top priority for CTIA, which claimed it would boost California’s economy and pave the way for faster network speeds, better coverage and increased capacity. But it was opposed by some 300 California cities, dozens of counties more than 100 local organizations. “There is something of real value in having a process that results in extending this innovative technology rapidly and efficiently,” Gov Brown said. “Nevertheless, I believe that the interest which localities have in managing rights of way requires a more balanced solution than the one achieved in this bill.”