New drone rules, AT&T E-rate update … 5 things to know today

1. New rules governing the commercial use of drones take effect in the U.S. today. The Federal Aviation Administration will no longer need to grant an exemption from existing regulations to every business that wants to use drones. However, a person operating a drone must either hold a remote pilot airman certificate with a small unmanned aerial system rating or be under the direct supervision of a person who holds that certificate. Drone operators must follow federal guidelines, which include a requirement that the team operating the drone must keep it within line of sight. In addition, drones cannot fly after dark, nor they can they fly above people not involved in the drone operation.
Drones are used by cell tower technicians to photograph towers before and after tower top equipment is added or changed. They can also provide real time video feeds from the tower top, and some companies are experimenting with drones that could actually carry equipment to the tower top and use robotic arms to install it.
2. AT&T is contesting accusations that it overcharged two Florida school districts through the federal E-rate program. In a blog post published Friday, the carrier’s vice president for federal regulatory matters said AT&T wholeheartedly supports E-rate, and did not break any FCC rules in Florida. According to AT&T, the two school districts never requested or signed annual contracts, but were instead paying AT&T month by month. The carrier said the FCC compared the rates charged the school districts to those charged other customers who were on annual contracts. AT&T noted that “the Commission has previously expressed the view that length of contract is a valid basis to price services differently among customers.”
3. Real estate giant CBRE will standardize the way it characterizes cellular networks inside its buildings. The commercial property owner has partnered with Mosaik to test and quantify indoor network quality and present the results to building owners in a visual format. CBRE, which calls itself the world’s largest commercial real estate services firm, said mobile network quality directly impacts the value of a property. The company said it wants to “raise awareness” with its partners and customers about the importance of good cellular coverage. CBRE calls its new tool Benchmark In-building Cellular Signal Mapping.
4. Samsung may move further into the automotive business by acquiring all or part of Fiat Chrysler’s telematics business. The automaker’s CEO told Bloomberg he has a good relationship with Samsung, and that several potential buyers are intersted in Fiat Chrysler’s Magneti Marelli components unit, which includes the company’s telematics business. Samsung has said that it hopes to be a leader in the drive to connect vehicles to the internet.
5. Syniverse has tapped a Cisco veteran with close ties to AT&T to lead its global sales operation. Jeff White spent 17 years at Cisco, where he held global account responsibility for AT&T, as well as leadership roles serving customers in India and the Asia Pacific region. Syniverse connects mobile operator networks to one another to enable roaming, and facilitates billing and connection charges.
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