Development of open radio access network technology is progressing, with 48 specification documents released since July, said the O-RAN Alliance Friday. Its Global Plugfest has featured 77 companies at seven venues. “O-RAN technical specification effort progresses with healthy momentum,” the group said. It keeps expanding RAN standards "with open interfaces and intelligent RAN functions," it said. "All published specifications will soon be available to the general public."

T-Mobile will delay shutting down CDMA by three months until March 31, the carrier said Friday. To build out the carrier's 5G network, "we need to sunset outdated CDMA technologies as soon as possible so every consumer, no matter their circumstances, will have access to the best connectivity and best experience," it said. "This is why we have aggressively executed on plans to take care of transitioning our impacted Sprint CDMA customers by the end of this year and provided our partners plenty of time and resources to take care of their customers as well. Recently it’s become increasingly clear that some of those partners haven’t followed through on their responsibility to help their customers through this shift. So, we’re stepping up on their behalf.” The postponement won’t have “material financial impact” to T-Mobile’s business, it said. T-Mobile and Dish Network are feuding over the 3G sunset in California and at the FCC (see 2110150012 and 2105060024). DOJ raised red flags in August (see 2105060024). DOJ declined to comment now. Dish, which got Boost prepaid wireless customers as part of a divestiture when T-Mobile bought Sprint, didn't comment by our deadline. Neither did the FCC or California Public Utilities Commission.

The National Advertising Division upheld some T-Mobile 5G claims Wednesday but had quibbles with others, following up on complaints from Verizon. Better Business Bureau's NAD said T-Mobile’s claim to offer the “‘largest’ 5G network is substantiated and that its ‘5G speeds as fast as Wi-Fi’ claim was supported in the context in which it was presented.” T-Mobile should “discontinue the claim that it has the ‘fastest’ 5G Network or qualify the claim to indicate that T-Mobile’s 5G Network has the fastest average overall, combined 5G Network speeds” and claims that it's “‘the leader in 5G coverage and speed’ should be modified to limit the claim to its advantages in coverage and average, overall combined 5G speeds.” Tuesday, NAD gave similar mixed marks to Verizon, in response to T-Mobile complaints. NAD recommended “challenged claims be modified or discontinued, including those that overstate the benefits of 5G Ultra Wideband (5G UWB) or obscure the differences between Verizon’s wireless offerings and among its service plans.” Verizon didn't comment. “We are pleased that NAD was largely supportive of a majority of our claims,” a T-Mobile spokesperson emailed: “We plan to make minor modifications to our ‘fastest 5G network’ claim and other ads to ensure consumers have an even clearer understanding.”

Verizon 5G Edge with AWS Outposts, a “cloud computing platform that brings compute and storage services to the edge of the network on the customer premises,” is now available, Verizon said Monday. The offering provides the bandwidth and low latency needed for “real-time enterprise applications” including “intelligent logistics, factory automation and robotics,” Verizon said.

Verizon, working with Samsung Electronics and Qualcomm, said Thursday it got 711 Mbps uploads in a lab trial using aggregated bands of millimeter-wave spectrum.

The “sophistication and safety” of Huawei’s 5G products “have been recognized by most operators around the globe,” said a Chinese Foreign Affairs Ministry spokesperson Tuesday when asked about a Nanos Research poll for the Globe and Mail that found 76% of Canadians support banning Huawei from participating in Canada’s 5G network buildout, following the lead of the U.S. and Australia. A similar Nanos poll in 2019 found 53% supporting a Huawei ban. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau hasn’t ruled out including Huawei in Canada’s 5G buildout and is expected to announce his decision soon. “The Canadian side should adopt an objective and unbiased attitude, independently make decisions that are in line with its interests, and provide a fair, just, open and non-discriminatory business environment for Chinese companies,” said the spokesperson.

The Multicultural Media, Telecom and Internet Council urged FCC OK of Verizon buying Tracfone, in a letter posted Monday in docket 21-112. MMTC noted it normally doesn’t weigh in on such transactions, but “the need to maintain competition and customer choices in this market to benefit the communities we serve convinces us of the need to take a stance.” Giving Tracfone access to the Verizon network “will enhance the quality of service, service plans, and product availability for low income customers,” the group said. Tracfone, meanwhile, cited T-Mobile’s recent move to offer Metro, its prepaid brand, at 2,300 Walmarts (see 2109130009). “Standalone TracFone is constrained in its ability to respond to our main competitors in the prepaid space at the same pace and with the same efficiencies,” the company said. “As a pure reseller, TracFone cannot pivot or adjust its offerings with the speed or agility necessary to compete with the offers of competitors like Metro, Cricket, and Boost that have the backing of a network operator.”

Ericsson, working with PowerLight Technologies, said Monday it showed a 5G millimeter wave base station can be powered wirelessly, through a laser beam. The technology converts electricity into high-intensity light, converted back to electricity at the base station. Ericsson noted the technology has been shown to work for smaller devices like cellphones. “The ability to safely transfer power across distances without having to be connected to the power grid eliminates one of the big obstacles we have when building new cellsites,” said Kevin Zvokel, Ericsson North America head-networks.

Open Radio Access Network Policy Coalition representatives spoke with Wireless and Wireline bureau staff about steps the FCC can take to promote ORAN, said a filing posted Friday in docket 18-89. “We discussed ways in which the FCC can ‘leverage the [Supply Chain Reimbursement Program] process and related funding to inform testbeds, demonstration projects and pilots, which in turn can accelerate and enhance network upgrades,’ including the possibility of the FCC convening additional events or record-building inquiries."

Her agency's effort with NTIA last week on the latter's annual Spectrum Policy Symposium (see 2109210066) was an important step on collaboration, FCC acting Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel said Thursday at the virtual CTIA 5G Summit. “5G is an essential part of unlocking technologies we've been talking about and slowly developing for years,” including the IoT, “telemedicine, virtual and augmented reality, smart transportation networks, smart energy grids,” she said: “This in turn is going to drive the future of industry and expand the potential for machine learning and the possibilities of artificial intelligence.” The 3.45 GHz auction is important because of more than the mid-band spectrum it will make available for 5G, she said. It will “demonstrate the future viability of coordination zones that require private carriers to depend on other federal actors for information or access,” she said. The FCC is “continuing to work with our federal partners” on opening 3.1-3.45 GHz for a future auction, she said. Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass., said Congress should pass legislation like the Secure Equipment Act (S-1790), which the Senate Commerce Committee cleared in August (see 2108040077). 5G “can be the best of technologies or the worst of technologies, if we don't address the safety and security threats that come alongside expanded connectivity,” he said: “We must take the proper steps to keep compromised equipment out of our networks, as well as safeguard all of the connected technology that is proliferating in consumers' homes and across our critical infrastructure.” Many trends from this pandemic, “including touchless retail, work from home and hybrid work and school arrangements,” will continue, predicted Verizon Consumer Group CEO Ronan Dunne. A survey Verizon commissioned found “more than half of employed adults said that they were working at least partially remotely, nearly twice the share before the pandemic began,” he said: And 60% of respondents “said that they expect kids to be able to attend remote school during inclement weather.”