In adopting its medical body area network (MBAN) rules, the FCC wasn't thinking about possible secondary users of the 2360-2400 MHz band and definitely wasn't looking to protect commercial space launch operations in the 2360-2395 MHz band, GE HealthCare Technologies said. In a docket 13-115 filing Monday, GE said there was no mention of space launch operations in the MBAN orders. Numerous health care facilities rely on GE's telemetry within 200 miles of a SpaceX launch site, and many of those facilities will transition to MBANs in the near future, the company said. It said it's "committed to cooperating" with other users of 2360-2400 MHz, but the FCC should ensure that MBAN operations are protected from newly introduced space launch operations.
The Ultra Wide Band (UWB) Alliance supported a Tesla request for a waiver of FCC rules to allow authorization for a UWB positioning system operating in the 7.5-8.5 GHz frequency range to be used for wireless charging of electric vehicles. The FCC Office of Engineering and Technology sought comment last month, due Monday in docket 25-101 (see 2502250037). Tesla’s proposed use of UWB for peer-to-peer communication and ranging “leverages the unique capabilities of UWB to precisely position the vehicle," the filing said: “UWB is optimal technology for this use, with superior performance, at a very small fraction of the transmit power and thus potential for disruptive interference, compared to other available technologies.”
New Street’s Blair Levin warned Monday that the FCC may block transactions beyond Verizon's proposed buy of Frontier based on whether the companies get rid of diversity, equity and inclusion policies (see 2503210049). Levin specifically mentioned T-Mobile’s proposed purchase of wireless assets from UScellular (see 2405280047) and other deals.
Questions from judges on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit appeared particularly pointed Monday, aimed at T-Mobile lawyer Helgi Walker of Gibson Dunn, as the court heard the carrier’s challenge of an $80 million FCC fine for allegedly not safeguarding data on customers' real-time location (see 2502190029). T-Mobile was also fined $12.2 million for violations by Sprint, which it later acquired.
A few tweaks are expected to the two wireless items to come before FCC commissioners Thursday at their open meeting, said industry officials active in the proceedings. The items are a notice of inquiry about a wide range of possible alternatives to GPS for positioning, navigation and timing (PNT) and a draft Further NPRM on 911 wireless location accuracy. The GPS NOI saw numerous ex parte filings seeking tweaks, with only CTIA seeking changes to the location accuracy notice.
FCC Chairman Brendan Carr names Carlos Minnix, staff assistant to Commissioner Nathan Simington, to a similar post in his office.
The FCC Space Bureau has signed off on SpaceX's first-generation Starlinks using parts of the 137-138 MHz unlink and 148-150.05 MHz downlink bands during launch, in early operations and in mobile satellite service, said a notice in Friday's Daily Digest. It said no more than 150 of SpaceX's Starlinks or Swarm satellites can operate in the bands simultaneously.
Some of the launch spectrum streamlining that Congress seeks can be achieved by consolidating in one place post-license site and station registration, per-launch coordination, and final launch registration, said SpaceX, Blue Origin and Firefly Aerospace. In a docket 13-115 filing Friday, the launch providers said information today is scattered across the universal licensing system and the frequency coordination system. Consolidating coordination data "would provide a one-stop-shop for launch coordination." They also urged a five- to 10-day window before launch for launch service providers to be required to submit per-launch coordination details, rather than a longer requirement of submitting 60 or even 30 days before launch. They said the shorter window would align with current coordination practices among launch service providers.
YouTube CEO Neal Mohan on Friday denied allegations that the video platform discriminates against Christian programmer Great American Media on its YouTube TV streaming service. FCC Chairman Brendan Carr said earlier this month that the agency had received complaints from GAM and wanted YouTube to brief it on the YouTube TV carriage negotiation process, "including the potential role of viewpoint-based discrimination" (see 2503070052). "We don't discriminate on the basis of that sort of content," Mohan said during a Semafor podcast (see at the 31-minute mark). He said YouTube was "in productive conversations" with GAM. YouTube makes carriage decisions "the way you would imagine" -- based on business considerations and audience demand, he said, adding that the company will explain that "in detail" to the FCC. He said GAM has a YouTube channel, and the YouTube app has "orders of magnitude" greater reach than YouTube TV.
FCC Chairman Brendan Carr said he won’t scrap the news distortion proceeding against CBS despite a collection of conservative groups urging him to do so (see 2503200047). “With respect to their request that the FCC immediately dismiss the complaint against CBS, my answer is simple: no,” Carr said in a statement. “The FCC’s review of the complaint against CBS remains active and ongoing.” The Center for American Rights, which filed the complaint, also responded Friday to the conservative groups’ filing. "Conservatives have complained about media bias for decades, and today it's worse than ever before,” said CAR President Daniel Suhr in an email. “Rather than just grouse about it, we are committed to doing something about it: to protect consumers from broadcast stations that will slant and distort the news in violation of their legal obligations."