The status of the FTC's "click to cancel" rule, which is being challenged by NCTA and others before the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals (see 2411220029), is unclear under the new presidential administration, Venable wrote this week. New FTC Chairman Andrew Ferguson voted against the rule when it was originally promulgated, and arguments that Commissioner Melissa Holyoak made in her dissent were seemingly echoed in the petitioners' brief before the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, according to Venable. President Donald Trump's executive order requiring regulatory agency leaders to assess rules for potential rescission or modification "add[s] to the uncertainty of the rule's future," it said.
FCC Chairman Brendan Carr said Thursday that staffing changes are coming to the FCC and that Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency is likely headed to the agency. Democratic Commissioner Anna Gomez warned about the Donald Trump administration’s continuing moves against the federal workforce. Commissioners agreed on three wireless items (see 2502270042) and Calm Act rules at the meeting, as well as taking additional steps on robocalls.
Schools, Health and Libraries Broadband Coalition Executive Director John Windhausen said Wednesday that the group is holding out hope that it can still head off a Congressional Review Act resolution of disapproval (S.J.Res. 7) to undo the FCC's July 2024 order allowing schools and libraries to use E-rate support for off-premises Wi-Fi hot spots and wireless internet services. Windhausen, who will retire next month, spoke during a SHLB webinar.
Facing what it sees as an onerous and lengthy process of submarine cable system licensing and permitting, the submarine cable industry is hoping the new White House administration offers a path to streamlining and speedier turnarounds. The FCC approval process used to be roughly 14 months, but now it sometimes reaches two years, said Sarah McComb, Amazon Web Services (AWS) principal business developer overseeing its undersea cable development activity in the Pacific. "That's just too long," she told an Information Technology and Innovation Foundation webinar Wednesday.
After years of discussions, wired/wireless convergence is happening this year, consultant John Cankar, COO of Wiverse and managing director at GravityPath, said Wednesday during a Georgetown Center for Business and Public Policy webinar. Other speakers said the outlook on spectrum auctions remains unclear. A top Verizon executive said separately that the carrier won't need more spectrum in the near future.
FCC Chairman Brendan Carr appoints Bradley Craigmyle, formerly U.S. House of Representatives, as the agency's deputy general counsel ... Changes at Ericsson: Per Narvinger is promoted to executive vice president and replaces Fredrik Jejdling as head-business area networks; Jenny Lindqvist becomes head-business area cloud software and services; Yossi Cohen promoted to head-market area Americas; Patrick Johansson advanced to head-market area Europe, Middle East and Africa … DLA Piper taps Julie Kearney, ex-FCC, as co-chair-space exploration and innovation practice and partner-telecom group … Rep. Haley Stevens, D-Mich., named House co-chair of Congressional Internet Caucus ... Telesat Government Solutions adds Wayne Sullens, ex-Aerospace Corp., as senior director-U.S. government programs.
Federated Wireless executives spoke with an aide to FCC Commissioner Geoffrey Starks about the company’s support for some changes to citizens broadband radio service rules, but its opposition to allowing some devices to operate at higher power levels. Federated “articulated its support for codification of the processes that are being used to manage CBRS spectrum access, greater harmonization of the CBRS rules with adjacent bands, and strengthening of the rules that would facilitate use of AI and other advanced tools to maximize efficient use of CBRS spectrum by a wide range of use cases and business models,” said a filing posted Tuesday in docket 17-258. Federated has been making the rounds at the FCC, with company representatives meeting last week with an aide to Chairman Brendan Carr.
While President Donald Trump has torn out some key guardrails protecting against bias and discrimination in AI, the administration might consider discussions about returning them, panelists representing underserved community interests said Tuesday. Independent of government action, the tech community seems open to maintaining those protections, some said during an event to discuss Trump's first 100 days in office.
FCC Chairman Brendan Carr sent a warning Monday to iHeartMedia about compliance with agency payola rules and gave the broadcaster 10 days to submit information on its deals with artists related to an upcoming concert, according to a letter to CEO Robert Pittman. “To the extent that radio industry executives believe that the FCC has looked the other way on ‘payola’ violations in recent years, I assure you that this FCC will not be doing that,” Carr wrote. The FCC issued an enforcement advisory on payola earlier this month (see 2502060054). The letter focused on the upcoming May 3 iHeartCountry Festival in Austin. “It would be particularly concerning to me, if on the heels of the FCC's Enforcement Advisory, iHeart is proceeding in a manner that does not comply with federal ‘payola' requirements.” Carr said he wants to know if iHeart is “secretly forcing” musicians to choose between being compensated for playing the festival or receiving less favorable airplay. The letter gave iHeart 10 days to inform the FCC about the artists playing the concert, their typical compensation, their compensation for playing iHeart’s event, and whether those deals involve airplay. It also asked for information on iHeart's payola policy, whether it shared the FCC enforcement advisory with stations, and any specific training given to employees at the festival on FCC rules.
Free Press co-CEOs Jessica Gonzalez and Craig Aaron urged the Senate Commerce Committee to "refuse to ratify" President Donald Trump's FTC and FCC picks ahead of a Tuesday hearing with FTC nominee Mark Meador, a former staffer for Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, and FCC nominee Olivia Trusty, who was an aide to Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss. Gonzalez and Aaron said in a Monday blog that the committee should not act "unless and until the Trump administration reverses course, guarantees the independence of expert agencies, disavows any plans to remove sitting commissioners, and respects the separation of powers." They also urged the Senate Commerce Committee to "haul in" FCC Chairman Brendan Carr and FTC Chairman Andrew Ferguson to "answer for their actions before giving them even more power to abuse." The Trump administration is "threatening to remove sitting commissioners without cause, slashing budgets with abandon, and sacking staff without authority or due process," the co-CEOs said. "It’s a brazen abuse of executive power designed to settle political scores and undermine the long history of bipartisan deliberation and debate that informs decision-making at these essential agencies."