Close to two dozen providers notified the FCC last week about possibly or actually having fallen short of Rural Deployment Opportunity Fund (RDOF) deployments that were to be completed by the end of 2025. Several said pole attachment and permitting woes were the hold-up or cited delays tied to the fall 2025 federal government shutdown and changes to the BEAD program. The RDOF notifications involved locations in at least 28 different states.
The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) voted unanimously Thursday to approve Verizon's purchase of Frontier Communications. The deal represents “a major shift” in the communications competitive landscape in California, CPUC President Alice Reynolds said. A lot of Frontier's network in the state needs investment, particularly in rural and tribal areas, and Verizon will bring that, she said. She and other commissioners repeatedly cited what they called significant commitments that Verizon made for broadband deployment, digital equity, service quality, discounted service for low-income households and labor protections.
Crown Castle said Monday that it had terminated its wireless infrastructure agreement with Dish after the latter company defaulted on payment obligations. Meanwhile, Fujitsu has joined the ranks of companies and groups urging the FCC not to approve transfers of EchoStar spectrum licenses until Dish's parent company makes good on contracts tied to its now-abandoned terrestrial wireless network buildout. MoffettNathanson told investors Tuesday that there's "a decent chance" the FCC could step in and try to force EchoStar to make good on its contracts with the tower companies.
Paramount Skydance is ratcheting up its fight to try to buy Warner Bros. Discovery, saying Monday that it's suing WBD in Delaware Chancery Court. Paramount also said it will nominate a slate of directors for WBD's annual meeting who would enter into a transaction with Paramount rather than Netflix. WBD's board has recommended that shareholders support Netflix's proposed purchase of WBD (see 2601070048).
The FCC's approval of SpaceX launching an additional 7,500 of its second-generation satellites opens the door for the company to enhance direct-to-device connectivity and also points to the Space Bureau's efforts to speed up its approvals process, according to SpaceX and space policy experts. A previous block of 7,500 second-generation satellites was approved in 2022 (see 2212010052).
EchoStar and SpaceX arguments that the FCC has no role in contract disputes over EchoStar's now-aborted terrestrial wireless buildout plans ignore the fact that the companies are citing agency action as the reason for those plans' demise, said critics of the EchoStar/SpaceX spectrum deal in reply comments last week. Wireless infrastructure interests have urged the commission not to approve SpaceX's purchase of EchoStar terrestrial spectrum licenses until the latter company commits to fulfilling contracts related to its wireless buildout (see 2512160006).
States will surely get access to at least some non-deployment BEAD funds, though it's not clear what limits will be put on their use, said Fiber Broadband Association CEO Gary Bolton and Kathryn de Wit, director of the Pew Charitable Trust's broadband access initiative, during an FBA webinar Wednesday. Bolton said he's optimistic that the National Institute of Standards and Technology will accelerate its review and approval of states' final BEAD proposals, as NTIA Administrator Arielle Roth told him that the process "will go very, very quickly." NTIA and NIST didn't comment.
SpaceX's direct-to-device ambitions, powered by a proposed 15,000 additional satellites in orbit, are facing opposition from rival satellite operators and astronomy interests. SpaceX submitted an FCC application in September to operate the constellation to provide D2D service globally, as well as mobile satellite service (MSS), using spectrum that the company is buying from EchoStar (see 2509220006). In comments filed this week in docket 25-340, numerous parties complained about potential spectrum interference or orbital clutter.
Finance and dealmaking experts said they expect robust merger and acquisition activity in the tech, media and telecommunications (TMT) sector this year.
Citing a need for more spectrum to keep up with mobile satellite service (MSS) competition, Iridium asked the FCC to update its rules for and give the satellite operator more access to the 1.6 GHz band, including spectrum used by Globalstar.