Indian Peak Properties has long flouted Rancho Palos Verdes land use laws and ignored neighbors, the California city said. In addition, the company is using its appeal before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit "as a post hoc end-run around five different state or federal court rulings and two prior [FCC] rejections," it added. In an amicus brief filed Monday with the appellate court (docket 24-1108), the city said the company, operating from a home, is trying to get protection of FCC rules by expanding the agency's over-the-air reception devices (OTARD) rule in a way the commission didn't envision, the statute didn't authorize and that is inconsistent with legislative intent. Indian Peak is appealing an FCC order denying its petitions for declaratory ruling seeking a federal preemption under the OTARDs rule of a decision by Rancho Palos Verdes to revoke, under local ordinances, the company’s conditional use permit for the deployment of rooftop antennas on a local property (see 2405060035). Rancho Palos Verdes urged dismissal of Indian Peak's appeal. The city said Indian Peak's arguments that its first FCC petition, sent in April 2020, should have stayed all ongoing proceedings in the California courts "is a manifest abuse of the process and a misreading of governing law."

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.

The FCC Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau extended until Nov. 15 the deadline for reply comments on an NPRM and notice of inquiry addressing abuse from AI-generated robocalls and robotexts in an order Thursday. A coalition of banking, telecom, and consumer groups petitioned the FCC for more time (see 2410210039). Replies are due in docket 23-362.

The 3.45 GHz relocation reimbursement clearinghouse is seeking the FCC's permission to begin closing. In docket 19-348 Thursday, Summit Ridge Group said it reimbursed incumbents in the band for their approved relocation expenses, and they have confirmed no more expenses will be submitted. In addition, there are no disputes outstanding regarding incumbents, the 3.45 GHz band auction winners or any other party, it said.

EchoStar "apparently cut a deal" with the FCC's Wireless Bureau for more time to complete Dish Network's 5G terrestrial network, yet the bureau lacked legal authority to grant that extension, VTel Wireless said this week in a docket 22-212 recon petition. VTel is seeking reconsideration of the bureau's September grant of extended milestone deadlines for the 5G network buildout (see 2409200049). EchoStar hasn't shown specific facts and circumstances that warrant a waiver, VTel argued.

The FCC Wireless Bureau and Office of Economics and Analysis have approved T-Mobile’s buy of 600MHz spectrum licenses from LB License, said an order in Wednesday’s Daily Digest. “After carefully evaluating the potential competitive effects of the proposed assignment, we find that the likelihood of competitive harm is low,” the order said. T-Mobile has leased the spectrum from LB since 2020, the order said. EchoStar filed a petition to deny the deal, arguing that it would harm competition, but the agency disagreed. “We find that, post-transaction, the likelihood of competitive harm remains low in the markets that are the subject of this transaction,” the order said.

A coalition of banking and utility companies urged that the FCC adopt a draft order that was removed from consideration during its September open meeting (see 2409200036). The American Bankers Association, America's Credit Unions, ACA International, Bank Policy Institute, Mortgage Bankers Association, Student Loan Servicing Alliance, and Edison Electric Institute said in a meeting with an aide to Commissioner Brendan Carr that the draft order's proposal that requires wireless providers to offer email-to-text as an opt-in service will "significantly reduce the use of email-to-text to send illegal text messages." Texts impersonating legitimate businesses "harm consumers and undermine those business' ability to communicate with their customers," the coalition said in an ex parte filing posted Monday in docket 17-59.

Fraud isn't a valid reason to reject an FCC proposal requiring that all mobile wireless providers unlock handsets, as there are ways to reduce fraud risk, according to the cable industry. In a docket 24-186 filing Monday, it urged a 180-day period after a provider initiates service before unlocking is required, instead of the FCC's proposed 60 days. It said the shorter span often isn't enough time for a customer to identify fraud, such as through an unauthorized credit card charge, and get the issue resolved before the handset gets unlocked. It said the agency also should make clear a provider has the ability to decline an unlocking request if it has a good-faith belief the handset is subject to fraud. Cable representatives want a transition period of at least six months before unlocking rules take effect, letting providers update their internal procedures. The filing recapped meetings NCTA, Comcast, Charter and Cox Communications conducted with the offices of FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel, Commissioners Brendan Carr, Geoffrey Starks and Nathan Simington and with Office of Engineering and Technology and Wireless Bureau staff.

A one-day GPS outage could cost the American economy $1.6 billion, NextNav said Monday, citing a Brattle Group economic analysis it commissioned. NextNav said its petition seeking to reconfigure the 902-928 MHz band to allow a terrestrial complement to GPS for positioning, navigation and timing services (see 2404160043) represents "the equivalent of offering the American economy a $10.8 billion insurance policy to protect against GPS outages," or 20 years of insurance premiums.

SpaceX is backing AT&T's proposal that SpaceX and T-Mobile gain approval for direct-to-device operations while deferring consideration of SpaceX's petition to harmonize U.S. out-of-band-emissions limits for supplemental coverage from space with international protections for terrestrial systems (see 2410080045). Such an approach ensures "consumers and first responders can receive emergency alerts and use text messaging during the early stages of SpaceX’s deployment of its direct-to-cellular network" yet not foreclose other essential supplemental coverage services like voice and video as the network scales up, it said in a docket 23-135 filing posted Monday.