The FCC should ensure that any changes to space technology licensing, as proposed in an NPRM on the agency's October meeting agenda (see 2510070038), maintain "a transparent and predictable sharing environment," CTIA told Commissioner Anna Gomez, Space Bureau Chief Jay Schwarz and aides to Chairman Brendan Carr and Commissioner Olivia Trusty. In an ex parte filing posted Tuesday in docket 25-306, the group said updates must not "inadvertently undermine the rights of terrestrial license holders in shared bands ... where a mutual operational understanding is critical to enable network deployments, prevent confusion, and ultimately speed implementation" of modernization efforts. The FCC should also clarify its meaning of "blanket licensing" and keep existing limits for out-of-band emissions, CTIA said.
An array of faith-based organizations are lobbying the FCC's 10th floor to get it to reverse or alter course on the prison-calling draft order and Further NPRM that are before commissioners. FCC Chairman Brendan Carr circulated the draft order earlier this month (see 2510070044), proposing to change the agency's rate-cap-setting methodology and include security and surveillance costs in the rates. "Deeply held Catholic beliefs show that the lowest possible rates should be offered to families and incarcerated people," the faith groups said in a docket 23-62 filing posted Friday to recap meetings with FCC Commissioner Olivia Trusty and staffers for Carr and Commissioner Anna Gomez.
The ongoing federal shutdown is causing anxiety and a lack of clarity for both FCC staff and industry attorneys, they told us in interviews. The FCC’s expectations for required filings during the shutdown are unclear, agency staffers are uncertain about when or if they will be paid, and less than two weeks remain before the Oct. 28 open meeting, which has the longest agenda the FCC has seen in years. Industry officials told us the shutdown could lead to some items being taken off the October agenda, but all three commissioners told us they're still taking meetings and calls on the planned items.
FCC Commissioner Olivia Trusty told the Mobile World Congress this week that the FCC’s “Delete” proceeding remains a key focus for the agency. She said that as a former Senate staffer, she understands that making more spectrum available for carriers is a national security issue. Commissioner Anna Gomez noted that the FCC has a lot of work to do to move forward on spectrum auctions. Trusty and Gomez didn't attend the conference because of the federal government shutdown, but both offered recorded remarks.
Given the growing problem of deliberate attacks on and damage to communications networks, Congress needs to close the loophole that excludes privately owned networks from federal protection, FCC Commissioner Olivia Trusty said Tuesday at a California event convened by the telecom industry to discuss the issue. She also said industry needs to do more to harden the targets of such attacks.
The Senate Commerce Committee is eyeing November dates for an FCC oversight hearing that will likely feature heated confrontations between panel Democrats and commission Chairman Brendan Carr over his media regulatory actions, congressional aides and lobbyists told us. The hearing will also include the agency's other Republican, Olivia Trusty, and its lone Democrat, Anna Gomez, lobbyists said. Senate Commerce Chairman Ted Cruz, R-Texas, has faced pressure from committee Democrats to specifically bring Carr in to answer questions about his mid-September comments against ABC and parent Disney, which were widely perceived as influencing the network’s since-reversed decision to pull Jimmy Kimmel Live! from the air (see 2509220059). Cruz was among several Republicans who also criticized Carr’s comments (see 2509190059).
FCC commissioners approved 2-1-- over dissents from Democrat Anna Gomez -- a declaratory ruling finding that school bus Wi-Fi is no longer eligible for E-rate support. Also approved over Gomez's dissent at Tuesday's meeting was an order canceling the funding of internet hot spots off school and library premises. Unlike other items voted on Tuesday, both were late additions to the meeting agenda, and drafts weren’t made public in advance.
FCC commissioners on Tuesday approved 3-0 a Further NPRM seeking comment on whether correctional facilities should be allowed to jam cell signals, with an eye on curbing contraband phones. Commissioners also approved notices seeking comment on revamped wireless and wireline infrastructure rules and a direct final rule deleting other wireline rules.
The Benefit of the Bargain (BoB) version of BEAD is shaping up to be "a tremendous success," with state plans to date coming in $15 billion under what they were allocated, NTIA head Arielle Roth said Monday. Speaking at SCTE's TechExpo event in Washington, Roth said NTIA is also pressing states in some cases to submit cheaper final proposals.
T-Mobile wants to work with the FCC on revised rules for wireless and wireline deployments, carrier representatives said in meetings with aides to FCC Chairman Brendan Carr and Commissioner Olivia Trusty. The agency will take up items on wireless and wireline rule changes at the Sept. 30 meeting (see 2509090060).