Howard Buskirk

Relative to the epic battles preceding the FCC’s last two votes on net neutrality rules, in 2015 and 2017, things have been relatively quiet on net neutrality since Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel announced she would seek a vote on an NPRM Oct. 19 (see 2309260047). There have statements for and against, but nothing compared with the fights of the past, industry observers told us.

With FCC commissioners set to vote Oct. 19, the Department of Transportation questioned whether the -27 dBm/MHz out-of-band emission limit allowed by the FCC for very-low power portable devices and mobile access points in the 6 GHz band will be harmful to cellular vehicle-to-everything operations in the adjacent 5.9 GHz band. The FCC’s draft order addresses the C-V2X concerns raised by DOT.

Experts see a shift in focus for wireless automotive technologies from a focus on driverless vehicles to features that make conventional cars safer to drive, experts said Wednesday during a Keysight webinar. Experts agreed getting more autonomous vehicles on the road is taking longer than expected a few years ago.

China’s focus on 5G is tied to that nation's desire to “reclaim” what it believes is its “rightful place at the center of the world,” said James Lewis, Center for Strategic and International Studies senior vice president, at the Hudson Institute Tuesday. Lewis also warned the U.S. may not be keeping up with China headed into the World Radiocommunication Conference, which begins Nov. 20. Lewis was interviewed by Harold Furchtgott-Roth, Hudson senior fellow and former FCC commissioner.

CTA urged the FCC to base its proposed voluntary cybersecurity labeling program for smart devices on existing National Institute of Standards and Technology guidance, in comments posted Tuesday (see 2308100032). Other commenters urged the FCC to proceed with caution and involve industry in developing the program. Products would be labeled with the "U.S. Cyber Trust Mark" logo, for which the FCC is seeking registration from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Comments were due at the FCC Friday on an August NPRM (see 2307180054).

The FCC reopened the possibility of making changes to its spectrum screen, focused on mid-band frequencies, seeking comment on a 2021 petition by AT&T asking for a rulemaking (see 2309220064). Industry experts said that doesn’t mean action is necessarily forthcoming, though some believe it could be. Comments are due on the public notice Oct. 23, replies Nov. 8, in docket 23-319.

The Wireless ISP Association wants a pilot program as a next step in response to the FCC’s August notice of inquiry on understanding nonfederal spectrum use. The pilot should “study occupancy in a small number of bands with different characteristics, such as an exclusively licensed band, a Part 101 point-to-point band and a band in which multiple use cases are present,” WISPA said: “These bands should be reviewed to determine whether and to what extent they are ‘occupied’ or ‘fully occupied,’ taking into account geography, frequency and time and the particular licensing structure.” Among other comments filed this week in docket 23-232 (see 2310040056), the Aerospace and Flight Test Radio Coordinating Council reminded the commission of the importance of aeronautical mobile telemetry (AMT). “Bottom line, interference-free access to adequate and ‘always ready’ flight test spectrum in the AMT bands is a fundamental element of all flight tests,” the council said: “There is no Plan B if spectrum is unavailable for a flight test when it is scheduled.” For alarm radios “and other quasi-safety operations (as well as public safety operations) in the Part 90 spectrum, crowding the channels with the maximum amount of user traffic should not be the Commission’s spectrum management goal,” said the Alarm Industry Communications Committee. Any measurement approach “should be tailored to the Commission’s intended use of the data” and “avoid over or undervaluing a particular service or technology,” said NCTA. “The Commission should measure how much total data is carried by all users of a particular service in a particular spectrum range -- and should do so in a way that recognizes differences between technologies rather that designing a measurement system with one technology or service in mind,” the group said. “There is no one-size-fits-all in calculating spectrum utilization,” the Enterprise Wireless Alliance said. EWA noted most of its members rely on frequency-specific spectrum licensed under Parts 90 and 101 of FCC rule. “These are narrowband, non-contiguous frequencies with very limited bandwidth,” the group said: “Unlike systems authorized for broad swathes of spectrum over large geographic areas, these private internal systems are held accountable for each frequency and site authorized. Their license data is captured in the Universal Licensing System, which, when functioning, offers as detailed a description of utilization of this spectrum as any alternative system could provide.”

The FCC appears likely to get a significant number of comments in response to an August NPRM on a voluntary cybersecurity labeling program for smart devices (see 2308100032), based on what has been filed. Comments are due today after the FCC delayed the initial deadline of Sept. 25. More than 140 comments have already been filed responding to the NPRM in docket 23-239. One early area of concern is medical devices already regulated by other government agencies.

Commenters disagreed sharply on what the FCC should do in response to an August notice of inquiry on understanding nonfederal spectrum use. Some observers have questioned how much will be gained by the inquiry, especially because it doesn’t ask about federal use (see 2308020054). Comments were posted Wednesday in docket 23-232.

Fred Moorefield, who long oversaw spectrum policy at DOD, was charged with promoting and furthering animal fighting. Moorefield has been on leave from DOD, where he was deputy chief information officer-command, control and communications. Industry officials said Monday's announcement was a surprise but may have limited effect since Moorefield’s retirement was expected. Charges were filed in U.S. District Court for Maryland.