House action on the Senate-cleared version of the HR-1 budget reconciliation package, previously known as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, appeared in doubt Wednesday afternoon amid resistance from several GOP lawmakers. Critics of Senate Commerce Committee Republicans’ HR-1 spectrum language held out hope amid the ruckus that lawmakers would make additional bands ineligible for potential reallocation. The Senate narrowly passed its HR-1 language Tuesday (see 2507010070).

The Senate narrowly passed an amended version Tuesday of the HR-1 budget reconciliation package, formerly named the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, with a proposal for an 800 MHz spectrum auction pipeline but without a controversial Commerce Committee proposal for a voluntary freeze on enforcing state-level AI rules. The chamber voted 99-1 to strip out that language after a deal between Commerce Chairman Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn. (see 2506300072), collapsed Monday night.

Wi-Fi Alliance CEO Kevin Robinson and others from the group met with aides to FCC Chairman Brendan Carr and Commissioner Anna Gomez to warn that NextNav’s proposals for the 900 MHz band are a threat to “Wi-Fi HaLow,” a Wi-Fi technology operating in the band. The technology is “being used to deliver robust, long-range connectivity for a wide range of industrial and consumer [IoT] applications,” said a filing posted Monday in docket 25-110. “We expressed concern that the use of Wi-Fi HaLow devices is imperiled by NextNav’s proposal to reallocate the 900 MHz band to support its 5G-based alternative positioning, navigation, and timing” service (see 2503030023).

The proposed restoration of the FCC's spectrum authority coming out of the Senate Commerce Committee (see 2506250054) isn't ideal, "but half a loaf and all that," consultant Richard Bennett wrote last week. A better pipeline would have made the whole 3 GHz band available for civilian use, but the 800 MHz of federal and nonfederal spectrum it makes available "will probably hold us over for 5-7 years, at which time we can begin to create a pathway for the next generation of mobile broadband." Unaddressed is a clawback of the overallocation of the upper 6 GHz and lower 7 GHz bands, Bennett said. "This would be a good candidate for reassignment, obviously, but nothing good happens in DC without a fight."

The FCC Office of Engineering and Technology approved commercial operations for Axon Networks' 6 GHz automated frequency coordination system. The approval lets Axon's AFC system manage access to spectrum in the 5.925-6.425 GHz and 6.525-6.875 GHz portions of the 6 GHz band for standard power access points and fixed client devices, OET said Friday (docket 21-352). Separately, OET approved a modification of Comsearch's 6 GHz AFC system.

Cisco Systems continues to lobby the FCC 10th floor regarding its proposal that the commission end rules that prevent use of the 6 GHz band for Wi-Fi on cruise ships. In a docket 18-295 filing Wednesday, it recapped a meeting with an aide to Chairman Brendan Carr, during which it argued that earth exploration satellite services migrating out of the 6 GHz band make obsolete the agency's prohibition on 6 GHz low-power indoor access points on boats to protect EESS. Cisco had similar talks with Commissioner Anna Gomez earlier this month (see 2506170061).

The Fixed Wireless Communications Coalition on Friday asked the FCC to rethink its approval of waivers for Comsearch and C3Spectra, which provide automated frequency coordination systems in the 6 GHz band, to take building entry loss into account for “composite” standard- and low-power devices that are restricted to indoor operations (see 2505200016). The Office of Engineering and Technology approved the waivers last month.

Cisco Systems met with an aide to Commissioner Anna Gomez on the company’s proposal that the FCC end rules that prevent the use of the 6 GHz band for Wi-Fi on cruise ships. The 6 GHz Wi-Fi would enhance “cruise experience and critical ship operations,” said a filing posted Tuesday in docket 25-133. Cisco made the proposal in April as part of the FCC’s “Delete” proceeding (see 2504140046).

Apple and Meta Platforms representatives met with FCC Office of Engineering and Technology staff on a proposed geofenced variable power (GVP) device class in the 6 GHz band (see 2408270034). They discussed GVP use cases, said a filing posted Monday in docket 18-295. “GVP will help enable a class of body-worn devices that can operate at power levels higher than very low power device power levels within permissible zones,” the companies said. “These higher powers will help address significant body loss that body-worn devices will experience.” Body loss is a form of signal attenuation.

Senate Commerce Committee Republicans released the panel's portion of a budget reconciliation bill Thursday night with language that proposes mandating that the FCC sell at least 800 MHz of reallocated spectrum, as expected (see 2506050064). Some communications industry groups praised the measure, but observers said they expect other stakeholders to criticize it. Lobbyists said they expect that Senate Commerce Democrats will likely vote against the proposal, as party-affiliated House Commerce Committee members did last month when that panel marked up its part (see 2505140062) of what became the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (HR-1).