Neology, which provides a platform for tolling services that uses the 900 MHz band, filed a technical study at the FCC this week challenging arguments by NextNav in support of its proposal to use the spectrum for a “terrestrial complement” to GPS for positioning, navigation and timing (PNT).
The Senate Commerce Committee’s FCC oversight hearing Wednesday remains likely to feature a heavy emphasis on examining commission Chairman Brendan Carr’s media regulatory actions, including his mid-September comments against ABC and parent Disney, which were widely perceived as inciting the network’s since-reversed decision to pull Jimmy Kimmel Live! off the air (see 2509220059). Carr threatened ABC in a podcast interview, saying the network should discipline Kimmel for comments about the reaction to the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk (see 2509170064) or face FCC action.
Countries all over the globe are competing to advance in the fields of technology, and the U.S. needs to be engaged internationally and to be constantly working to win that race, said FCC Commissioner Olivia Trusty in remarks Tuesday at the International Institute of Communications' North America Digital Communications & Media Forum. Trusty’s speech focused on what she learned by speaking with communications regulators from around the world while recently representing the U.S. at the World Telecommunication Development Conference. “These conversations reinforced for me that the work we do at the FCC has implications far beyond our borders, and that staying engaged internationally is not optional, it is essential,” she said. “These global lessons are a wake-up call: U.S. leadership in communications policy is not guaranteed. Initiatives like Delete, Delete, Delete show we are taking steps to modernize our rules and procedures, but we must continue to act with intention to remain the global benchmark.”
A U.S. Chamber of Commerce representative urged the FCC to move quickly to streamline siting in a meeting with aides to FCC Commissioner Olivia Trusty, according to a filing posted Wednesday in docket 25-133. Chamber members “have expressed concerns with obtaining federal decisions in a variety of contexts in the communications sector including siting” and “spectrum licensing decisions for space activities,” the filing said.
At their November meeting Thursday, the FCC approved a rollback of cybersecurity rules, an NPRM seeking comment on modernizing the telecommunications relay service, and a direct final rule order deleting 21 public safety provisions. The commissioners also approved a proposal for upper C-band rules.
The FCC on Thursday approved 3-0 an NPRM, with tweaks, that moves the agency closer to an auction of upper C-band spectrum, in what would be the first major sale since the 3.45 GHz auction, which ended in 2022. Among the changes were questions on a window to make spectrum available to tribes (see 2511170055) and on access to unused or unassigned spectrum and how to incentivize buildout.
FCC Commissioner Anna Gomez on Wednesday slammed the agency's move to reverse its January declaratory ruling and NPRM addressing the Salt Typhoon cyberattacks. The new FCC item, set for a vote at Thursday's meeting, would withdraw the NPRM and find that the FCC erred in affirming the legal responsibility of carriers to secure their networks under the Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act (CALEA).
FCC Commissioner Olivia Trusty emphasized the importance of cutting red tape for building infrastructure Monday in a speech to the ITU’s World Telecommunication Development Conference in Azerbaijan. “Connectivity flourishes under pro-market policies that foster mutually beneficial innovation,” she said.
CTIA representatives supported an NPRM on an upper C-band auction, which was proposed for the Nov. 20 FCC meeting (see 2510290047), in discussions with aides to FCC Chairman Brendan Carr and Commissioner Olivia Trusty. Other groups have raised concerns.
Former FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler and other witnesses at a Public Knowledge event Wednesday called for Congress to end what they see as actions by Chairman Brendan Carr's commission infringing media's First Amendment rights. PK CEO Chris Lewis framed the event as the first in an anticipated series of “people’s oversight” hearings on the FCC and other federal agencies in response to what he sees as Congress’ failure to counter Trump administration actions against the president's perceived enemies.