The Federal Communications Commission last week upheld the rejection of 15 spectrum licenses after finding the license holder did not meet the requirements for providing service in the 220 MHz band. According to the order, the mobility division of the FCC’s Wireless Telecommunications Bureau originally denied renewal applications for 35 licenses filed by Cornerstone SMR…

A California congresswoman this week urged the chairman of the Federal Communications Commission to reverse decisions approving the recent sales of spectrum holding companies to Verizon and AT&T. Rep. Anna Eshoo, a Democrat who represents portions of Silicon Valley, wrote in a letter to FCC Chairman Ajit Pai that the acquisitions of Straight Path and…

T-Mobile on Wednesday announced an agreement to relocate a Texas NBC affiliate from its 600 MHz spectrum ahead of schedule.   Fort Worth’s KXAS-TV will move to its new frequency in May, which officials noted is more than a year before the FCC’s repacking deadline. The carrier previously reached agreements in the New York City…

This week, Roger Entner on the bipartisan bill to help clear the way for auctions in the 28 GHz and 24 GHz bands, plus the latest on Broadcom and Qualcomm. Follow Roger on Twitter at @RogerEntner for more insights throughout the week, and stay up to date on the latest industry news by following Wireless Week at @WirelessWeek. You can…

Verizon recently wrapped up its $3.1 billion acquisition of spectrum holding company Straight Path after paying a record penalty to the Federal Communications Commission. The FCC said the carrier and its new subsidiary paid more than $614 million under a January 2017 settlement to resolve allegations that Straight Path violated FCC rules by failing to…

Roger Entner of Recon Analytics wraps up Mobile World Congress, including announcements from T-Mobile and Sprint and more spectrum auctions in the U.S. Need to listen on the go? Tune in to Tuesdays with Roger episodes in podcast form here. Also, follow Roger on Twitter at @RogerEntner for more insights throughout the week, and stay up to date on the…

Two companies this week hosted a live, private LTE network in the 3.5 GHz band at Mobile World Congress as U.S. regulators continue to craft rules to utilize spectrum known as the Citizens Broadband Radio Service. Sierra Wireless supplied its AirLink MG90 multi-network router, with an AirPrime EM75 Series LTE-A Pro embedded module, for the…

The Federal Communications Commission on Thursday began the process of establishing rules governing spectrum above 95 GHz for the first time. Those bands, the agency said, are considered the “outermost horizon of the usable spectrum range” and are currently regulated only for amateur or experimental use, but new radio technology developments could enable “productive use”…

Comcast hopes to test fixed wireless and mobile service within the Citizens Broadband Radio Service band its native Philadelphia beginning next month. The cable giant filed an application with the Federal Communications Commission to conduct pre-commercial outdoor field trials in the 3.65 GHz to 3.7 GHz band under a one-year experimental license effective March 1. The…

Federated Wireless recently announced a new program designed to assist companies in commercializing the CBRS spectrum band. The Virginia-based company, which develops systems to enable spectrum sharing, said its Partner Program is a first for the industry and will enable operators to accelerate commercial deployments and meet increasing demand for wireless data. The Citizens Broadband…

Wireless industry groups this week praised the introduction of legislation in the U.S. House to require additional federal spectrum auctions. Reps. Leonard Lance, R-N.J., and Mike Doyle, D-Pa., on Wednesday announced the AIRWAVES Act, which Lance argued would bring the country one step closer to providing all consumers with “faster speed, better reliability and affordable…

AT&T is seeking federal approval sell 16 of its licenses in the 600 MHz band to a Florida firm. The companies filed the request with the Federal Communications Commission last month and said the deal would support “investment in the nation’s wireless infrastructure and the deployment of next-generation networks.” RCRWireless noted that the buyer, LB…

Charter Communications last week urged regulators to limit geographic licensing of 3.5 GHz spectrum to areas “no larger than counties” as it prepares to enter the wireless market later this year. The cable giant added in comments filed with the Federal Communications Commission that it will employ an “inside-out” strategy, shifting from indoor to outdoor…

Demand for Uncapped Broadband Providers Reaches a Fever Pitch 2018 can feel a lot like 1998 when your broadband provider is making you suffer with 200 GB data caps. And while originally designed to block a small group of BitTorrent bandwidth hogs, data caps are now more likely to stop TV cord cutters from leaving…

Dish Network this week announced a restructuring plan and an increased emphasis on the satellite TV provider’s wireless operations. Dish Chairman and co-founder Charlie Ergen stepped down as CEO “to devote more attention to the company’s emerging wireless business,” the company said in a statement, while a new group structure would “more effectively organize the…

Two wireless industry groups on Thursday announced a collaborative effort to develop the Citizens Broadband Radio Service spectrum band. The Wireless Internet Service Providers Association and the CBRS Alliance hope to address technical challenges and accelerate commercialization of spectrum between 3.55 GHz and 3.7 GHz. The groups plan to jointly develop standards, planning schedules and…

Two members of a House communications panel last week introduced legislation designed to ease federal auctions of spectrum. The Spectrum Auction Deposits Act, authored by Reps. Brett Guthrie, R-Ky., and Doris Matsui, D-Calif., would enable the Federal Communications Commission to partner with the Treasury Department to hold the deposits of those bidding in spectrum auctions…

The U.S. wireless industry is already running into capacity constraints as forecasts predict demand will continue to skyrocket in coming years.  But more spectrum, while welcome, isn’t necessarily the answer, according to a panel of wireless executives at the annual Competitive Carriers Association Convention. “When you build it, they will use it,” Nathan Sutter of…

The Competitive Carriers Association this week called for federal regulators to develop uniform procedures for spectrum licensing as the government works toward freeing up unused 700 MHz spectrum. The group, which represents smaller and rural carriers, wrote in comments to the Federal Communications Commission that the agency should establish flexible relicensing for 700 MHz spectrum…

T-Mobile said this week that its wireless coverage and capacity in the New York metro area will grow more quickly under a new spectrum repacking agreement with FOX Television Stations. The carrier and network announced a partnership to assist with the repacking of FOX’s 600 MHz spectrum, which T-Mobile said would move that process up…

Some of the world’s largest tech companies this week urged the Federal Communications Commission to promptly adopt rules that would allow unlicensed users to take advantage of additional spectrum in the 6 GHz band. A group of 29 companies — including Apple, Google, Microsoft, Facebook, Intel and Qualcomm — submitted comments to the agency Monday…

Two weeks after T-Mobile began lighting up its first 600 MHz sites in Wyoming, the Un-carrier on Thursday announced the first handset that will actually be capable of supporting those new airwaves: LG’s V30. Unveiled at IFA2017 in Berlin, the new V30 smartphone is packed with high-end device features, including a 6-inch OLED display, Android…

Verizon might be one of many pushing for rule changes in the 3.5 GHz CBRS band, but the carrier isn’t stalling its work with those airwaves while that debate plays out. The carrier on Monday said it achieved the first ever use of CBRS band 48 spectrum in an LTE-Advanced demonstration of carrier aggregation working…

Roger circles back to CBRS, taking a look at the current debate about changing the rules in the 3.5 GHz band and what consequences any alterations might have.   On the run? Catch Tuesdays with Roger episodes in podcast form here! Also, follow Roger on Twitter at @RogerEntner for more insights throughout the week, and stay up to…

T-Mobile promised a “record-breaking” rollout of its new 600 MHz airwaves, and it seems it’s keeping its word. Less than six months following the close of the FCC’s spectrum incentive auction, the Un-carrier announced it has turned up its first 600 MHz sites in Cheyenne, Wyoming using equipment from Nokia. T-Mobile also revealed that additional 600 MHz deployments…