The FCC signed an agreement Thursday to continue to work with regulators from traditional U.S. allies to strengthen cooperation “in response to evolving threats and challenges in the telecommunications sector." Regulators from the U.K., Canada, Australia and New Zealand also signed the agreement. Industry experts told us that the pact shows that despite tariff fights and other disagreements with the nations under President Donald Trump, cooperation on security continues.
Staff departures under the current administration are starting to have an effect on federal permitting reviews, said Jill Springer, NTIA's senior adviser for permitting, during a Broadband Breakfast webinar Wednesday. Amid a wave of departures from the federal government under President Donald Trump, Springer said the retirements are one of her biggest concerns.
Private cellular networks are growing worldwide and can offer advantages over both Wi-Fi and more traditional networks offered by carriers, experts said Tuesday during RCR Wireless’ Industrial Wireless Forum. A variety of spectrum bands are being used, including the citizens broadband radio service band in the U.S., speakers said.
SBA Communications on Monday became the last of the three major U.S. tower companies to report Q3 earnings, releasing results after the close of the financial markets. In recent calls, American Tower and Crown Castle executives were positive on the outlook for their sector as U.S. carriers continue to deploy 5G.
The U.S. is at a “crossroads” concerning the standards process, and decisions made in the next two years could have big effects for a long time, said Laurie Locascio, CEO of the American National Standards Institute, during a Center for Strategic and International Studies conference Friday. Alliance for Telecommunications Industry Solutions CEO Susan Miller warned that as the process becomes more political, the Trump administration isn’t putting enough attention on standards work.
Eric Tamarkin, Samsung's public policy counsel, called on the FCC to move forward to fully implement the voluntary cyber trust mark program, approved by FCC commissioners 5-0 in March 2024 (see 2403140034). Tamarkin spoke during the final policy panel of the Mobile World Congress last week in Las Vegas.
A new study by the Computer & Communications Industry Association questions whether European carriers really have been hampered by EU regulation. European providers “have promoted this narrative to justify radical changes in European regulation,” it argued. “Europe, they say, is lagging behind in digital investment even though telecom operators, and particularly incumbents, have been investing heavily in 5G and FTTP [fiber-to-the-premises] coverage.”
Changes to rules for how wireline is deployed, not just wireless, are important to Southern Linc, said Holly Henderson, its external affairs and compliance director, during a panel discussion this week at the Mobile World Congress in Las Vegas. Other speakers at the conference, which is sponsored by CTIA and GSMA, highlighted the importance of the upper C band to the wireless industry.
The advent of AI means that everything is changing for the telecom industry, Qualcomm Chief Information Officer Atilla Tinic said Wednesday at the Mobile World Congress in Las Vegas. AI was again the main topic of keynote discussions on the second day of the conference (see 2510140041), which is co-sponsored by CTIA and GSMA.
Experts warned Wednesday that there are no easy answers to shoring up the USF and making predictable funding available for years to come. During a Broadband Breakfast webinar, panelists noted that some federal funding is disappearing, with FCC commissioners voting 2-1 last month to delete support for school bus Wi-Fi and internet hot spots that aren't on school or library premises (see 2509300051).