The Competitive Carriers Association raised concerns about a Georgia Institute of Technology third-party mobile speed test app in the FCC’s broadband data collection mobile challenge process. The FCC’s Broadband Data Task Force and Office of Engineering and Technology sought comment on the app in September and replies were due Friday (see 2409170010). “CCA is concerned that allowing additional speed test apps alone will not solve the underlying issues that are undermining a vigorous and user-friendly challenge process as called for in the Broadband DATA Act and that are plaguing the Commission’s mobile availability maps,” said a filing posted Monday in docket 24-2. “The Commission must address these issues before it can expect CellWatch, the FCC Mobile Speed Test app, or future third-party apps to meaningfully contribute to the mobile challenge process,” CCA said.

The Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials warned that dispatchable location of wireless calls to 911 may not happen. APCO representatives met with an aide to FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel. “The promise of dispatchable location has substantially faded since it was heralded by the industry and identified as the gold standard for public safety” in an FCC order “nearly 10 years ago,” said a filing last week in docket 07-114. “While wireless carriers may be delivering dispatchable locations for a small number of wireless 9-1-1 calls, the methods being used and whether/how any testing has been conducted are unknown,” APCO said. There is also “a lack of uniformity among the reports produced by the carriers, which makes it difficult to compare and evaluate their efforts.”

Industry groups repeated in reply comments their earlier arguments that addressing tribal issues shouldn’t slow the awarding of funds through the $9 billion 5G Fund that FCC commissioners approved in August (see 2410180036). Replies were posted on Monday in docket 20-32. Commissioner Brendan Carr dissented on the 5G Fund item, which included a Further NPRM on tribal issues (see 2408290022). Tribes and their associations have stressed the importance of collaboration with tribal governments (see 2410170045). The record shows “that any 5G Fund Tribal consent requirements need to account for the time and uncertainties involved in obtaining Tribal consent,” CTIA said. The commission “should also consider whether Tribal entities’ consent may be presumed after a certain period of good-faith efforts by the 5G Fund applicant,” the group said: “In no event, … should a winning bidder be placed in default or otherwise subject to penalties if the winning bidder demonstrates good-faith efforts to obtain consent in accordance with the rules.” The Rural Wireless Association said the rules should mirror the tribal land bidding credit framework used in other FCC programs. “Obtaining Tribal consent during the long-form application process can be unduly burdensome,” RWA said: “It is also unnecessary for the Tribal consent to be obtained prior to the filing of the long-form application as such consent can still be obtained and provided to the FCC before funding is received."

The bulk of wireless data is carried over Wi-Fi rather than mobile connections, though differences are notable in the traffic ratio among wireless operators, OpenSignal said last week. Major wireless carriers Verizon, T-Mobile and AT&T see significantly more of their data moving over mobile connections than Comcast's and Charter's mobile services do, it said. More use of Wi-Fi by cable mobile virtual network operator subscribers is a product of Comcast and Charter Wi-Fi offload strategies. The cable operators use their in-home Wi-Fi and extensive out-of-home Wi-Fi hot spot networks to help reduce their wholesale cellar traffic costs, OpenSignal said. Both home and away, T-Mobile users spend the most time on mobile, reflecting in part its lack of public Wi-Fi hot spots, OpenSignal said. With all five, though, the vast bulk of their data usage is over Wi-Fi rather than mobile -- anywhere from 82% for T-Mobile to 89% for Comcast.

Vermont National Telephone (VTel) Wireless' reconsideration petition concerning the FCC Wireless Bureau extending EchoStar's 5G network buildout deadlines (see 2410230004) never mentions commitments that come with those new deadlines, EchoStar said in an opposition posted Friday (docket 22-212). It added the extension is fully within bureau precedent of giving licensees additional time so they can "complete the arduous process of building wireless networks." In addition, EchoStar said, the bureau's order comports with the FCC's objective of promoting a fourth national wireless provider. No one else has opposed the new deadlines, and VTel's "meritless" petition seems likely to have sprung from its unrelated litigation against EchoStar that alleges fraud against Dish Network in the FCC's 2015 AWS-3 auction.

With T-Mobile not receiving good offers for its 800 MHz spectrum (see 2410240044), the company's options range from deploying or leasing the spectrum to selling it, consultant Terry Chevalier wrote Thursday on LinkedIn. Deployment of the spectrum into T-Mobile's network would require a significant capital investment, as well as higher operational expenses, Chevalier said. Potential leasing opportunities include utilities or other IoT-based users looking at industrial IoT or smart network applications, or private network uses, he said. He said the long timeline for new spectrum in the U.S. pipeline could mean a better return on auctioning the 800 MHz.

Since the FCC sits on reconsideration petitions as it tries insulating itself from judicial review, the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals shouldn't wait for "the futile exhaustion of arguments," said petitioners Maurine and Matthew Molak. In a letter to the 5th Circuit, the Molaks -- who unsuccessfully challenged the FCC's August E-rate hot spots order (see 2409260046) and are challenging the agency's 2023 declaratory ruling authorizing E-rate funding for Wi-Fi on school buses (see 2312200040) -- said they have filed a reconsideration petition on the hotspots order. Three months later, the FCC has not acted on that petition, the Molaks said. Given that the hot spots litigation was dismissed in part because the FCC hasn't acted on the recon petition, the 5th Circuit shouldn't dismiss the bus litigation on the basis that no recon petition has been filed, they said Thursday in the letter in docket 23-60641. The FCC didn't comment Thursday.

Federated Wireless has withdrawn its request for a waiver of rules that require environmental sensing capability (ESC) systems to protect federal incumbents in Florida in the citizens broadband radio service band from harmful interference. It said in a docket 15-319 filing posted Wednesday the waiver is no longer needed as ESC sensor redundancy lost during Hurricane Milton has been restored. Federated and Google received waivers in advance of the hurricane's landfall (see 2410080058).

Petitions to deny the transfer of UScellular authorizations and spectrum licenses to T-Mobile are due Dec. 9, the FCC Wireless Bureau said in a public notice posted Wednesday in docket 24-286. It said oppositions to petitions are due Jan. 8 and replies Jan. 28. The companies in May announced a $4.4 billion deal that would see T-Mobile buying UScellular's wireless operations (see 2405280047). T-Mobile also would pick up about 30% of UScellular's spectrum holdings, the bureau said.

If the FCC grants Axon Enterprise a waiver to market surveillance devices using the 5725-5850 MHz (U-NII-3) band (see 2402060082), then it shouldn't entertain requests to use bands like U-NII-3 for other noncompliant analog devices, NCTA said in a docket 24-240 filing posted Tuesday. Recapping a meeting with FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel's office, NCTA said the commission should state clearly that Axon and other parties shouldn't count on a waiver being precedent for additional devices. NCTA discussed potential conditions, including the devices -- which are intended to be mobile -- not using a fixed infrastructure or being mounted on indoor or outdoor structures, and operating only on batteries and only for short durations.