Southern Linc representatives met with Flynn Rico-Johnson, new wireless aide to Commissioner Geoffrey Starks, to update him on the most important issues to the Southern Co. subsidiary. “With the digitization of the electric grid that is now underway, utilities now need broadband networks capable of handling large amounts of data,” a filing Tuesday in 21-346 and other dockets said. “We discussed the importance of access to spectrum for the deployment of private LTE and 5G broadband networks to meet utilities’ ever-increasing capacity, reliability and security needs,” the company said. Southern Linc stressed its support for a proposed rulemaking authorizing 5/5 MHz broadband deployments in the 900 MHz band (see 2402290064).

Electric vehicle (EV) company Tesla sought a waiver of FCC ultra-wideband rules in support of a vehicle positioning system. “Grant of the waiver would help unleash innovation for applications such as EV charging, providing consumers with additional charging options, and would advance United States leadership and interests in the clean energy transition,” an undocketed filing posted Wednesday said. Tesla said the waiver is consistent with the commission’s hand-held UWB rules “because the proposed Tesla operations will not communicate any data other than for the positioning of the vehicle and the transmissions are only for the short duration necessary to align an EV.”

The FCC Enforcement Bureau removed K20 Wireless and its CEO, Krandon Wenger, from the commission's list of providers participating in the affordable connectivity program. In addition, it barred them from participating in any successor program. On Tuesday, the bureau denied K20 and Wenger's request to stay its removal order following a May order claiming they "engaged in serious, willful misconduct in violation of multiple ACP rules." In an investigation, the bureau found K20 "changed the non-tribal residential addresses associated with subscribers to false addresses on tribal lands when it transferred the subscribers to its ACP service." Providers receive a greater subsidy when tribal households are offered the benefit. A proposed $8 million fine was not imposed in the removal order (see 2405100032).

The FCC Office of Engineering and Technology sought comment on a waiver request by Norway's Kontur for ultra-wideband (UWB) devices, a public notice said Wednesday. Kontur requested the commission waive sections 15.503(d), 15.31(c), and 15.521(d), letting Kontur certify and market a UWB device that would operate as a stepped-frequency, continuous-wave-modulated ground penetrating radar (GPR) transmitter. The device “would improve the quality and quantity of information used by a variety of industries,” Kontur said. However, it does not meet the FCC’s definition of a UWB because it's frequency hopping. Comments are due Aug. 9, replies Sept. 10, in docket 24-209.

The Wireless ISP Association questioned whether the FCC has legal authority to adopt a draft order and Further NPRM that lets schools and libraries use E-rate support for off-premises Wi-Fi hot spots and wireless internet services. The issue is set for a July 18 vote (see 2406270068). WISPA said in light of the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent decision in Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo (see 2406280043), “the Commission’s authority to adopt the rules proposed in the Draft Order may not withstand judicial scrutiny.” Loper overturned the Chevron doctrine, which gave agencies like the FCC deference in interpreting laws that Congress approved. WISPA said if the FCC moves forward anyway, it should expand the rules to also support fixed wireless connections and citizens broadband radio service deployments. A WISPA representative spoke with aides to Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel and Commissioners Brendan Carr and Nathan Simington, a filing Wednesday in docket 21-31 said.

Funding Wi-Fi on school buses through the E-rate program (see 2312200040) will advance students’ education, according to a Monday brief supporting an FCC declaratory ruling before the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. The Schools, Health & Libraries Broadband Coalition filed the brief (docket 23-60641). Petitioners Maurine and Matthew Molak challenged expanding the program, contending it will increase the federal universal service charge they pay as a line-item on their monthly phone bill (see 2406040024). SBLB said when the Telecommunications Act of 1996 was enacted, teachers worked with chalkboards and handouts and students carried their textbooks home at night to do their homework. Today, “students are instructed to access reading assignments on web-based learning platforms, to watch online video presentations, and to complete and submit interactive homework assignments online,” SBLB said. The shift to remote learning during the COVID-19 pandemic “greatly accelerated the use of Internet-based education,” the group said: “School-bus Internet access serves an important educational purpose because Internet access is essential to modern learning.” The Molaks, whose son was a cyberbullied suicide victim, have also argued that the ruling will give children and teenagers unsupervised social media access.

NextNav said Monday it won a $1.9 million award from the Department of Transportation to conduct real-world field tests of its 3D positioning, navigation and timing technologies. In April, NextNav asked the FCC to reconfigure the 902-928 MHz band “to enable a high-quality, terrestrial complement” to GPS for PNT services (see 2404160043). “We realize the importance of a terrestrial PNT complement and backup to support our nation’s critical infrastructure, and we look forward to working with the U.S. DOT to demonstrate our PNT capabilities,” NextNav CEO Mariam Sorond said.

NTCA urged that the FCC adopt additional safeguards as part of a draft order and Further NPRM that lets schools and libraries use E-rate support for off-premises Wi-Fi hot spots and wireless internet services. Commissioners are set to vote on the measure July 18 (see 2406270068). “The most effective use of E-rate funds would be to ensure that funded Wi-Fi hotspots are not made available where service is already available as reflected in the National Broadband Map,” a filing posted Tuesday in docket 21-31 said. The FCC shouldn’t fund a hot spot “at any location that is currently connected leveraging the use of high-cost USF support,” NTCA said. NTCA met with aides to FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel and Commissioner Nathan Simington.

The FCC Office of Engineering and Technology on Monday sought comments, due July 29, on a C3Spectra proposal to join the list of companies operating an automated frequency coordination (AFC) system to manage access to the 6 GHz band. OET conditionally approved C3Spectra’s application, subject to a testing process, “which may begin immediately.” In February, OET approved AFC operations by seven companies and sought initial comments on C3Spectra’s proposal, in docket 21-352 (see 2402230050).

The FCC Wireless Bureau sought comment on a waiver sought by McMurdo of FCC performance standards for emergency position indicating radio beacons (EPIRBs) the company hopes to market and sell in the U.S. McMurdo “explains that its EPIRBs currently meet an updated standard that is not referenced in the FCC’s rules” and that the updated standard is “as at least equivalent to the version cited in the current FCC regulations,” the bureau said. Comments are due July 29, replies Aug. 8, in docket 24-206.