Both big infrastructure items teed up for votes on Thursday were approved 3-0, without dissent from Democratic Commissioner Anna Gomez. The items were laid out in advance of their circulation (see 2507020036) in a speech by Chairman Brendan Carr on his "Build America Agenda.” More infrastructure items are on their way at the Aug. 6 meeting, Carr noted during a news conference.
An FCC order couched as being about deleting outdated rules but outlining a new agency process that does away with notice-and-comment drew Anna Gomez’s first dissent as a commissioner. The direct final rule (DFR) order was approved at the agency’s open meeting Thursday over her objections, 2-1. The commissioners also approved items on auctioning AWS-3 spectrum, georouting 988 texts, and slamming rules. “The way we do things matters,” Gomez said. “The fact that the process adopted today effectively evades review by an informed public is a feature not a bug.”
The Senate confirmed Republican Arielle Roth as NTIA administrator Wednesday on a largely party-line 52-42 vote, as expected (see 2507160076). Senate Commerce Committee member John Fetterman of Pennsylvania was the only Democrat who joined Republicans in backing Roth, as he was when the panel advanced her in April (see 2504090037). The chamber invoked cloture on Roth last week 50-34 (see 2507170065). President Donald Trump nominated Roth, who was Senate Commerce Republicans’ telecom policy director, to the NTIA role in February (see 2502040056).
Opponents of NAB’s petition for a mandatory transition to ATSC 3.0 pressed their case with aides to FCC Commissioner Olivia Trusty in a meeting last week, according to an ex parte filing Monday. The Consumer Technology Association, Public Knowledge, cable trade groups and the LPTV Broadcasters Association said the FCC shouldn’t require a nationwide shift to ATSC 3.0. “If broadcasters are concerned about market demand for ATSC 3.0 tuners, they need to do their part in consumer education and promotion rather than seeking a technology mandate,” said the filing. “Stakeholders representing all aspects of the television ecosystem do not support NAB’s proposal. This Administration has prioritized regulatory reduction, and it would be counterproductive to adopt new mandates that decrease flexibility and increase costs.”
Counsel for Assist Wireless, enTouch Wireless, Easy Wireless and Access Wireless met with FCC Commissioner Olivia Trusty, asking for the agency to grant the companies' applications for review on upward revisions for reimbursement of services provided in the last month of the Lifeline COVID-19 waiver period (see 2504030027). In June, Chairman Brendan Carr circulated an order that would deny the carriers’ requests (see 2506270060).
EchoStar, parent of Dish Network, said the FCC should use the same designated entity rules in the reauction of AWS-3 that it employed in the original 2014 auction (see 2504020017), according to a filing Tuesday in docket 25-70. EchoStar representatives met with aides to Commissioners Anna Gomez and Olivia Trusty. The agency is slated to vote on auction rules Thursday. Many of the licenses for sale were returned to the FCC by Dish. “If EchoStar will owe deficiency payments as part of the reauction, then the reauction should proceed under the same designated-entity rules as Auction 97,” the company said. “Doing so would avoid impermissible retroactivity and violating EchoStar’s due process rights while encouraging greater participation.”
Opponents of T-Mobile’s purchase of wireless assets from UScellular continue to raise questions following FCC Wireless Bureau approval of the deal (see 2507110045). In a meeting with an aide to Commissioner Olivia Trusty, the Rural Wireless Association, Communications Workers of America, Public Knowledge and New America’s Open Technology Institute said UScellular's transactions with T-Mobile, Verizon and AT&T should be looked at together, according to a filing posted Monday in 25-150 and other dockets.
CEO Jennifer Prather and others from Totelcom Communications discussed concerns about the enhanced-alternative connect America cost model with aides to FCC Chairman Brendan Carr and Commissioners Anna Gomez and Olivia Trusty. They raised “potential issues with locations being added to the map that had already been challenged and adjudicated, and concerns that the latest E-ACAM interim file was not complete as it relates to challenges,” said a filing on the Carr meeting posted Monday in docket 10-90.
Republican FCC Commissioner Olivia Trusty voiced support Monday for Congress’ narrow passage last week of the 2025 Rescissions Act (HR-4), which includes a clawback of $1.1 billion in advance CPB funding for FY 2026 and FY 2027 (see 2507170045). Commissioner Anna Gomez opposes the rescissions, as do congressional Democrats (see 2507180048).
Despite pressure from tribal and public interest groups, the FCC appears unlikely to change rules for the AWS-3 auction to allow a tribal window, industry officials and observers said Friday. With Olivia Trusty, a second Republican, joining the commission, Chairman Brendan Carr probably has the votes to approve auction rules regardless of opposition from Democratic Commissioner Anna Gomez, officials said. The agency is scheduled to vote on the order Thursday.