The FCC International and Wireless bureaus sought additional comment Friday on a move to make part of the C band available for 5G. “Commenters have now weighed in by supporting or opposing a variety of clearing mechanisms, and their comments raise additional issues concerning the Commission’s authority to employ elements of those mechanisms,” said a public notice in docket 18-122. “What are the enforceable interference protection rights, if any, granted to space station operators against co-primary terrestrial operations?” the bureaus ask. “Do those rights depend on the extent incumbent earth stations receive their transmissions within the United States?” The bureaus asked similar questions on rights granted to licensed or registered receive-only earth station versus co-primary terrestrial operations. The C band is one of the main alternatives the FCC is looking at to provide mid-band spectrum for 5G, a top focus of wireless carriers (see 1904190054). Comments are due 30 days, replies 45 days after Federal Register publication.

"To encourage more broadband deployment," ACT | The App Association members back a Further NPRM to bar local franchise authorities from "duplicative and disproportionate demands in return for" ISPs building broadband facilities, the group told Commissioners Brendan Carr and Mike O’Rielly and aides to the other FCC members. The association itself also holds that position, a spokesperson emailed. The "FNPRM prevents unlawful taxation of broadband deployment," the association reported executives such as NeuEon Chief Technology Officer Scott Weiner; Hacksmith Labs co-founder Thomas Gorczynski; BadVR co-founder Jad Meouchy; Canned Spinach Partner Andrew Savitz; and Communication Circles founder Betsy Furler saying. Not all executives attended all meetings. The association and members "asked the FCC to continue on its current trajectory to ensure that states and localities facilitate 5G deployment without undue delay." The disclosures posted Friday in dockets including 05-311: here, here, here, here and here. The group also asked the agency to continue work to make more spectrum available for unlicensed use (see 1905030050).

The 5G Automotive Association urged FCC action on the group's proposed waiver to deploy cellular vehicle-to-everything technology (C-V2X) in the upper 20 MHz of the 5.9 GHz band (see 1902270041). “As part of this momentum, Ford Motor Company has committed to deploy C-V2X in all of its new vehicles in the United States beginning in 2022,” the group told Commissioner Brendan Carr and an aide to Commissioner Geoffrey Starks, said a filing posted Friday in docket 18-357. It said granting 5GAA’s request “would help remove the most significant regulatory roadblock that stands in the way of Ford and other stakeholders deploying this technology and -- in doing so -- dramatically improving safety on America’s roads.”

The Prague 5G Security Conference released a set of proposals Friday for making 5G networks more secure, emphasizing a cooperative approach to security, with each nation free to develop its own policies. No suppliers were named. The U.S. has repeatedly raised concerns about Chinese equipment maker Huawei, which continues to grow its share of the worldwide smartphone market. Huawei didn’t comment and China wasn’t invited to the conference. The document says each nation must develop its own policies, which should consider “the overall risk of influence on a supplier by a third country.” The U.S. and 31 other countries attended the conference, hosted by the Czech government. FCC Chairman Ajit Pai spoke Thursday (see 1905020011). The statement appears to address U.S. concerns that Chinese banks are working with equipment suppliers to finance networks in other countries (see 1902060056). “Communication networks and network services should be financed openly and transparently using standard best practices in procurement, investment, and contracting,” the statement says. Networks and services “should be designed with resilience and security in mind,” the document says. “They should be built and maintained using international, open, consensus-based standards and risk-informed cybersecurity best practices. Clear globally interoperable cyber security guidance that would support cyber security products and services in increasing resilience of all stakeholders should be promoted.” Security is more than a technical issue, the statement says: “A safe, secure and resilient infrastructure requires adequate national strategies, sound policies, a comprehensive legal framework and dedicated personnel … trained and educated appropriately.” The U.S. government “supports” the Prague 5G Security Conference's set of proposals for making 5G networks more secure and plans to use them “as a guide to ensure our shared prosperity and security,” the White House said. The conference was “an extremely productive meeting on the need for secure telecommunications networks as the game-changing” 5G becomes “the new global system.” The FCC didn't comment.

Security issues for 5G need to be addressed “upfront,” while networks are being built, FCC Chairman Ajit Pai said at the Prague 5G Security Conference Thursday. “Making the right choices when deployment is beginning is much easier than trying to correct mistakes once network construction and operation is well underway,” Pai said. “Decisions that impact 5G security need to be made with the long term in mind. Focusing too heavily on short-term considerations could result in choices that are pennywise but pound foolish.” When it launches, 5G will affect the military, critical infrastructure and industry, he said: “The procurement and deployment decisions made now will have a generational impact on our security, economy, and society. … We cannot afford to make risky choices and just hope for the best.” Pai noted Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis convened the conference: “When presidents and prime ministers get personally involved in a communications issue, the message is clear: 5G is a critical subject with major implications for economic growth, national security, and our quality of life.”

Britain’s National Security Council allowing Huawei to provide some non-core technology for the U.K.'s 5G network is a security risk, blogged American Enterprise Institute visiting fellow Shane Tews Wednesday. She noted the foreign, defense, home and international development secretaries voted no. “Huawei is using its ability to provide cheaper (subsidized) telecommunications equipment to integrate itself into the UK and European countries,” Tews said. Tews said China took advantage of British insecurity after other nations pulled investments because of Brexit. “They hold parties for political leaders and send large donations to charities such as Prince Charles’ ‘Prince’s Trust,’” she said: Prime Minister Theresa May “sent UK Finance Minister Philip Hammond to China this past week to discuss British-China economic and financial cooperation and to search for more contracts for British companies to be part of China’s Belt and Road Initiative.” The company didn’t comment.

NTIA highlighted work to make open the 3.5 GHz citizens broadband radio service band, and wrapped up lab tests of spectrum access system vendors this week. It said the Institute for Telecommunication Sciences turns "to crafting test reports with a target of providing them to the vendors in June for their submission to the FCC.” This week, working with NTIA, the FCC cleared environmental sensing capability providers (see 1904300208). “These milestones give momentum to development of the 3.5 GHz band, which affords an excellent mix of capacity and coverage capabilities, defining characteristics of mid-band spectrum,” NTIA said Wednesday. Its Office of Spectrum Management and ITS worked together, the agency said: “From shrinking exclusion zones into smaller protection zones to designing the concept of dynamic protection areas to assisting the FCC in certifying the components of the spectrum sharing mechanism, it has been a long, complex process, but the light at the end of the tunnel is getting brighter.” Each radar detector had "to see thousands of low-power radar pulses successfully," blogged ITS Director Keith Gremban. "Detectors also had to keep functioning in the presence of high-power radar pulses that were equivalent to what you would see if you were just 6 miles from a radar transmitting a billion watts.”

FCC Chairman Ajit Pai thanked DOD for cooperation in developing rules for sharing in the upper 37 GHz band, approved by commissioners this month despite concerns by Commissioners Mike O’Rielly, Jessica Rosenworcel and Geoffrey Starks (see 1904120058). The rules clear the way for the 37, 39 and 47 GHz auction, to start Dec. 10. Pai spoke Tuesday at a National Spectrum Consortium event in Arlington, Virginia. “The issues here are quite complex, and I appreciate [DOD’s] working in good faith to reach a mutually agreeable resolution,” Pai said. “Reaching a compromise that worked for both sides wasn’t easy, but it was well worth it. And I hope that those efforts will serve as a model for future collaboration between the FCC and federal agencies. ... We recognized that at the end of the day, we are all on the same team working towards the same goal: advancing the national interest of the United States.” Pai said the FCC is focused on making more mid-band spectrum available for 5G. “We have ongoing rulemakings to free up spectrum in the 2.5 GHz, 3.7 GHz, 4.9 GHz, and 6 GHz bands, an upcoming auction in the 3.5 GHz band, and ongoing work with our federal partners to share the 3.1 GHz, 3.45 GHz, and 5.9 GHz bands,” he said.

FCC Commissioner Mike O’Rielly said at a Citizens Broadband Radio Service Alliance meeting Tuesday the 3.5 GHz band will likely be the first mid-band spectrum to come online for 5G, next year. “Left on the Commission’s plate to get CBRS fully operational is concluding the review and approval of the Spectrum Access Systems, or SAS, and Environmental Sensing Capability systems, commonly referred to as the ESC,” O’Rielly said. “I have been working with the leadership of the CBRS Alliance to help make sure this process stays on track. While some steps experienced unfortunate delays and this process has taken far longer than anyone would have liked, it appears to be nearing the end.” The FCC this week approved the first ESCs, he said. “I must admit that I never expected it to leapfrog ahead of the SAS testing and development process,” he said: “Unfortunately, the SAS testing is still in progress.” Monday, staff OK'd environmental sensing capabilities of CommScope, Federated Wireless and Google in the 3550-3650 MHz portion of the 3550-3700 MHz band. "These ESCs may operate in areas covered by registered and approved ESC sensors subject to ... compliance obligations," said the public notice.

Strength in the industry’s 5G “ramp” contributed much of the 15 percent Q1 revenue growth in ON Semiconductor’s “communications end-market” sector, with networking and wireless components, said CEO Keith Jackson on a Q1 call Monday. Revenue of $259 million in the sector was 19 percent of total sales, he said. “We are seeing strong ramp in our power products in the 5G infrastructure market,” said Jackson. “We expect this ramp to accelerate in 2019 with increasing 5G deployments in a few parts of the world.” The “current indication” suggests a “better than expected rate of deployment for 5G systems in the near term,” he said. ON’s power “content” in 5G infrastructure systems is “many times” that of 4G systems, he said. “Our participation in 5G systems is expected to be significantly higher than our participation in 4G systems.”