CTIA representatives updated the FCC about its stance on a proposed 5G Fund, now before commissioners (see 2403260052). An auction should occur only after funding is released for the broadband access, equity and deployment program, the CTIA representatives urged in meetings with aides to Commissioners Geoffrey Starks, Nathan Simington and Anna Gomez. “The wireless industry is making record investments to deploy 5G nationwide, but there are some areas where difficult geography or sparse population mean that subsidies will be necessary to support mobile broadband,” a filing posted Monday in docket 20-32 said: “While the BEAD program will not directly fund mobile broadband deployment, it is likely to result in the deployment of fiber broadband backhaul facilities and fixed wireless services that will facilitate the expansion of 5G coverage in rural areas.” Representatives of AT&T, UScellular, Verizon and T-Mobile attended the meetings.

Summit Ridge, which serves as the 3.45 GHz Clearinghouse, said clearing costs were slightly above estimates in a status progress report posted Monday in docket 19-348. Nexstar clearing and reimbursement payments are complete, the report said. The clearinghouse must extend operations several months while the other incumbent, NBCUniversal, “completes its relocation activity and submits its final invoices.” The longer the Clearinghouse stays open, “the less likely it is that the Clearinghouse will be able to stay within its initial budget” of $3.6 million, the report said.

NCTA representatives discussed concerns about Samsung Electronics America’s request for a waiver for a 5G base station radio that works across citizens broadband radio service and C-band spectrum (see 2309130041), speaking with an aide to FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel. Earlier, NCTA raised questions as well (see 2404090058). Samsung’s proposed radio threatens the utility of the CBRS band because of Samsung’s design choice not to use a filter between the C-Band and the CBRS band,” said a filing last week in docket 23-93. “The Commission could not justifiably grant Samsung’s waiver request without setting a precedent that future parties would rely on for other radios in these frequencies and many others,” NCTA said. Among those represented at the meeting were Comcast, Charter Communications and Cox Enterprises.

T-Mobile is proposing a swap with SoniqWave in which it would trade licenses purchased in the 2021 3.45 GHz auction for more 2.5 GHz spectrum. The swap would let T-Mobile “provide improved broadband coverage and enhanced data capacity using contiguous 2.5 GHz … spectrum in multiple markets throughout the United States,” said a Form 603 filing at the FCC. In exchange, SoniqWave would get 28 licenses in 14 partial economic areas “in the developing 3.45 GHz band,” the filing said: “SoniqWave believes that the growing eco-system around the 3.45 GHz band, coupled with the variety of wireless carriers that are, or soon will, be deploying in that band, offers exciting opportunities not presently available to it.”

T-Mobile will launch a private 5G network at the Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville this week for the PGA Championship there. T-Mobile is working with CBS in what it says is a 5G first. “More wireless cameras can mean the course is freed of thousands of feet of wiring and cabling, resulting in faster setup and teardown, and major cost savings potential,” T-Mobile said Monday: “Plus, the private network is portable and can be deployed without a major installation effort.”

Bentina Terry, new president and CEO of Southern Linc, and other company representatives met with FCC Commissioners Brendan Carr, Geoffrey Starks and Anna Gomez “to provide an overview of the company and its policy priorities,” said a filing posted Friday in 21-346 and other dockets. “Southern Linc offers comprehensive geographic coverage, serving the extensive rural territory within its footprint as well as major metropolitan areas and highway corridors,” the company said. Terry explained how the communications needs of utilities are changing. “Historically, utilities mainly needed systems that supported two-way land mobile voice communications for line crews and field workers,” the company said: “With the digitization of the electric grid that is now underway, utilities now need broadband networks capable of handling large amounts of data -- data that is used to monitor and control the electric grid, to facilitate customers' pursuit of greater energy efficiency, and to ensure both the physical security and cybersecurity of the Nation’s critical electric infrastructure.”

FCC commissioners approved a notice of apparent liability of $8 million against K20 Wireless “for apparently willfully and repeatedly violating” affordable connectivity program rules. Also, the carrier will be removed from the program. “From at least June 2022 to May 2023, K20 sought and received ACP Tribal lands support for subscribers who were not eligible for those benefits,” said an order posted Friday. “For approximately 50 percent of these subscribers, the Company, after switching the subscriber’s ACP enrollment to K20, then changed the subscriber’s existing non-Tribal lands home address to a false address on Tribal lands not associated in any way with that subscriber,” the order said: “K20 then sought ACP reimbursement for those subscribers at the rate available for consumers residing on Tribal lands.”

Electric utilities are urging that the FCC allow networked operations for drones in shared-use parts of the 5030-5091 MHz band, where technically feasible. Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel recently circulated an order on the band (see 2404080065). Electric utilities representatives met with an aide to Commissioner Brendan Carr. Drones allow businesses in the critical infrastructure industry "to more efficiently inspect and repair infrastructure, improve worker safety, and maintain consistent, reliable service for customers,” said a filing posted Friday in docket 22-323. Represented at the meeting were Florida Power & Light, Pacific Gas & Electric, Xcel Energy and the Edison Electric Institute. The utilities offered examples of how they use uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS). “PG&E’s 79,000-square mile service territory includes extremely remote areas such as the Trinity Alps in Northwest California,” the filing said: “To inspect and maintain infrastructure in such difficult-to-reach areas, crews work extended shifts under difficult conditions, such as poor roads, which increases the risk that crews and property will suffer injury. … By allowing utilities to inspect infrastructure remotely, UAS reduces the need for unnecessary truck rolls, thereby improving worker safety.”

The Coalition for Emergency Response and Critical Infrastructure (CERCI) took aim at what it said is a Public Safety Spectrum Alliance (PSSA) proposal asking the FCC to issue a “nationwide overlay license” in the 4.9 GHz band to a band manager to sign "a sharing agreement to hand over the spectrum to the First Responder Network Authority.” The two groups have a sharply divided vision on the best future for the band (see 2401190067). “PSSA would have the Commission turn the Band Manager role on its head," resulting in "the launch of a new lengthy, resource-intensive rulemaking,” said a filing posted Friday in docket 07-100. “PSSA would nullify the Band Manager’s two roles to coordinate public safety use and enable non-public safety access, instead proposing to make the Band Manager a licensee only to share the 4.9 GHz spectrum” with FirstNet, CERCI said.

T-Mobile is reportedly examining purchasing spectrum and other assets from UScellular, The Wall Street Journal reported Thursday. The newspaper also mentions UScellular is in separate discussions with Verizon. Both Verizon and T-Mobile declined comment. Industry officials said while Verizon held discussions with UScellular, those talks aren’t ongoing. T-Mobile is closing in on a deal to buy part of the regional carrier for more than $2 billion, taking over some operations and spectrum licenses, the paper reported, citing unnamed sources. The boards of TDS and UScellular are exploring the future of the carrier and examining “strategic alternatives," the companies said in August (see 2308070043). T-Mobile Chief Financial Officer Peter Osvaldik said in January his company was eyeing UScellular (see 2401260071). New Street’s Jonathan Chaplin questioned whether a joint deal with Verizon and T-Mobile makes sense. The firm recently evaluated UScellular’s spectrum portfolio as worth “very conservatively” $3.2 billion, he told investors: “The strongest overlap would be with T-Mobile. Moreover, when T-Mobile set guidance, we thought they were preserving capacity to buy this asset. As such, we are not surprised to see T-Mobile reportedly in talks.” News of the talks initially sent UScellular’s stock price up almost $14 Thursday. The stock closed up $9.90 at $45.95, an increase of 9.9% for the day.