Many of the bands highlighted in the Dec. 19 presidential memo on spectrum for 6G will likely take years to bring to auction, but that may be all right with carriers, who will face two auctions in the next two years, industry officials told us.

Conservatives such as Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Ted Cruz, R-Texas, have suggested eliminating the FCC’s public interest authority (see 2512170070) as a way to keep it from pressuring broadcasters over their content, but public interest attorneys and academics said doing so would also strip the agency of most of its power.

Communications Daily is tracking the lawsuits below involving appeals of FCC actions. New cases are marked with an *.

The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department voiced concerns in comments filed this week in docket 13-111 about the FCC’s proposal to allow signal jammers in correction facilities. Other law enforcement interests supported the use of jammers. FCC commissioners approved 3-0 in September a Further NPRM seeking comment on whether correctional facilities should be allowed to jam cell signals, with an eye on curbing contraband phones (see 2509300063).

Lawmakers and other observers said in recent interviews that Congress’ deal to pass the FY 2026 National Defense Authorization Act without language giving the defense secretary and Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman authority to essentially veto commercial use of 3.1-3.45 GHz and 7.4-8.4 GHz bands (see 2512080055) will only temporarily pause fighting between the wireless industry and DOD supporters over military spectrum holdings. Officials pointed to President Donald Trump’s memorandum last week directing NTIA to explore reallocating federal systems currently on the 7.125-7.4 GHz band to the 7.4-8.4 GHz band and other frequencies (see 2512190086) as a fresh indicator that the ceasefire will be fleeting.

The New Jersey House and Senate voted Monday to adopt SB-3695, which would restrict students' cellphone use in school. State Sen. Paul Moriarty (D), one of the bill's sponsors, told us Tuesday that outgoing Gov. Phil Murphy (D) plans to have a public signing of it in two weeks. Murphy had set phone-free schools legislation as one of his priorities for his last year in office, Moriarty said.

The FCC notified the U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation on Tuesday that five challenges have been filed in five circuits over its latest incarcerated people's communications services (IPCS) order, which significantly revised an order approved in 2024 (see 2510280045). In the latest complaint to be posted, IPCS provider NCIC challenged the order in the historically conservative 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. The next step is expected to be a lottery to pick which circuit will hear the case.

The RAIN, LoRa, Wi-Fi, WiSUN and Z-Wave alliances asked the FCC to force NextNav to pause a field test of its 900 MHz 5G positioning, navigation and timing (PNT) network in Santa Clara County, California (see 2512110060). The commission should also amend NextNav’s experimental license to require it to provide additional information on interference and to submit periodic reports, said a filing Monday in docket 25-110.

With Warner Bros. Discovery's board continuing to urge shareholders to opt for Netflix's takeover offer (see 2512170049), Paramount Skydance is sweetening parts of its rival offer. Paramount said Monday it would boost its regulatory termination fee from $5 billion to $5.8 billion, matching Netflix's.

USTelecom and other industry groups urged the FCC to move forward on proposals in its notice of inquiry about streamlining wireline infrastructure rules. Reply comments on the NOI, which commissioners approved 3-0 in September (see 2509300063), were due last week in docket 25-253. State and local government groups largely opposed changes that could take power away from their members (see 2511180033), but the industry groups said there's a consensus that change is needed.