Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., plans to register concerns Monday with the State Department over the Biden administration naming Steve Lang, deputy assistant secretary of state-international information and communications policy, to replace FCC Commissioner-designate Anna Gomez as head of the U.S. delegation to the upcoming World Radiocommunication Conference in Dubai, as expected (see 2309120074). "On multiple occasions during" Gomez's confirmation process, "I emphasized the importance of thoughtfully proceeding ... to ensure the U.S. remains well positioned for the WRC," which begins Nov. 20, Blackburn said in a letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken we obtained ahead of its release. "Ideally, the Senate would have delayed Gomez's confirmation vote until after" the conference's conclusion and State "would have been more transparent in its contingency planning and execution." That transition "was handled irresponsibly," Blackburn said: The administration "has shown little regard for the ramifications of its actions on global spectrum policy or the need to protect U.S. leadership in telecommunications." Blackburn pressed for Lang to "brief me and my staff" before Oct. 13 "on his priorities for the WRC and the continued role -- if any" that Gomez will play in the conference. "It is important for members of Congress to be informed about this transition and how it will affect our representation before" the ITU, Blackburn said. State didn't comment.

SpaceX and T-Mobile urged the FCC to approve their joint proposal for mobile supplemental coverage from space (see 2305190057). “By swiftly processing pending supplemental coverage applications while it considers long-term rules, the Commission will not only benefit millions of Americans, but through U.S. leadership in authorizing SCS, also will help enable this transformative technology to quickly bring connectivity to potentially billions of people in areas where terrestrial mobile networks are absent or have been impacted by natural disasters,” said a filing posted Thursday in docket 23-135. The companies said they met with staff from the Wireless and Space bureaus and provided “an update on the extensive work already being completed.”

The upper 12 GHz band "is an integral part" of the global Ku-band satellite ecosystem, and repurposing it for terrestrial use would undermine critical services, Intelsat representatives told staffers of the FCC Space and Wireless Bureau and Office of Engineering and Technology, said a docket 22-352 filing Wednesday. Intelsat urged removing restrictions on use of the Ku band by geostationary and non-geostationary orbit satellite services. It said thousands of satellites share 500 MHz of Ku uplink spectrum adjacent to the upper 12 GHz band and there's a need for more.

AST SpaceMobile and AT&T made the first 5G call using a standard, unmodified smartphone and a satellite, AST said Tuesday. The call was placed in Maui, Hawaii, to a Vodafone engineer in Madrid using AT&T spectrum, a Samsung Galaxy S22 smartphone and AST's BlueWalker 3 test satellite, it said. It said a separate test achieved a download rate of about 14 Mbps. "Making the first successful 5G cellular broadband connections from space directly to mobile phones is yet another significant advancement in telecommunications AST SpaceMobile has pioneered," said AST CEO Abel Avellan. "We are more confident than ever that space-based cellular broadband can help transform internet connectivity across the globe by filling in gaps and connecting the unconnected.”

A draft rule published in the Federal Register Friday by the Office of Personnel Management would protect the due process rights of federal employees from “a president hostile to the civil service,” said a news release from the National Treasury Employees Union, which represents FCC employees. The draft rule is intended to block future versions of President Donald Trump’s Schedule F plan, which would have taken away civil service protections from many federal workers (see 2010300048). That plan was rescinded by President Joe Biden before ever being implemented. Under the new draft rule, federal employees affected under a resurrected Schedule F “would retain their basic rights to notice of an adverse action and an opportunity to respond,” said NTEU: “These rights would help shield them from unlawful and politically motivated firings.” Said NTEU National President Doreen Greenwald in the release: “We never want another attempt at Schedule F but just in case, this rule establishes some important guardrails to ensure that whatever is done is consistent with civil service laws and regulations": “The merit-based civil service is a critical part of our democracy, and no one should be able to undo that by Executive Order.” The draft rule stems from an NTEU petition that was supported by the Federal Worker’s Alliance, a coalition of 13 unions representing federal employees. “Today’s action by President Biden is a reminder that we have a responsibility to take action to shore up the civil service and prevent any president from pursuing these corrupt schemes,” said American Federation of Government Employees National President Everett Kelley in a release.

The FCC activated the disaster information reporting system for eight counties in Maine and two in Massachusetts for Hurricane Lee, said a public notice Friday. DIRS Reports were due starting Sunday. The alert encompasses Cumberland, Hancock, Knox, Lincoln, Sagadahoc, Waldo, Washington, and York counties in Maine, and Barnstable and Nantucket in Massachusetts. The agency also issued public notices on emergency contact procedures for licensees that need special temporary authority, priority communications services and on 24-hour availability of FCC staff. The Public Safety Bureau sent a reminder to entities working to clear debris and repair utilities to avoid damaging communications infrastructure.

Residential phone service costs in the U.S. in August rose 6.1% over last year, and cable, satellite and livestreaming TV service costs were up 6.3%, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics consumer price index unadjusted data out Wednesday. Wireless phone service costs were down 0.8% year over year, but internet was up 5.2%. Smartphones prices dropped 17.2%, and computers, peripherals and smart home assistants fell 5%, it said. June prices overall were up 3.7% year over year before seasonal adjustment, BLS said.

The administration’s selection of Steve Lang to replace Anna Gomez as head of the U.S. delegation to the World Radiocommunication Conference (see 2309120069) didn’t come as a surprise to WRC watchers. Lang was viewed as the most likely choice. An email went to members of the U.S. delegation Tuesday confirming the change. Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., told us before the email went out she would raise “concerns” with the State Department if this far into preparations it replaces Gomez as WRC delegation lead. The potential leadership shift was the chief reason Blackburn voted against Gomez’s confirmation both within the Senate Commerce Committee (see 2309070081) and on the chamber floor. “This is an important conference” with implications for U.S. spectrum policymaking in the years ahead, Blackburn said Tuesday. “The preparation is important,” as is “representation” of the U.S. delegation head given that person needs to be “able to respond quickly” to developments. “It should not be taken lightly or haphazardly,” she said. Lang, an economist, has been deputy assistant secretary of state-international information and communications policy since November and has held numerous postings in the department. He is expected to be designated as ambassador, which doesn't require Senate confirmation. The other potential choice, unless the State Department tapped an outsider, was Erica Barks-Ruggles, a veteran diplomat who has headed the U.S. delegation to other recent ITU meetings, including last year's plenipotentiary conference, but is nearing retirement and currently heading the U.S. delegation to UNESCO in Paris, industry officials said. Gomez was widely seen as facing a major challenge serving both as a commissioner and also as the eventual ambassador to the WRC, which starts Nov. 20 in Dubai (see 2309080060). Industry officials said they expect Gomez to remain active on WRC matters and likely attend parts of the conference as an FCC commissioner. One former delegation member said that while Gomez has led recent meetings with other nations headed into WRC, she is always joined by staff who will play the same role under Lang.

The 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline added American Sign Language services nationwide for the deaf and hard of hearing, Health and Human Services said Friday. "This is a testament to our ongoing commitment to ensure that no one is left behind when it comes to mental health support," said HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra. The agency said deaf and hard of hearing users can reach a 988 Lifeline counselor in ASL by clicking the "ASL Now" button at 988lifeline.org and following the prompts. It said direct dialing to 988 from a videophone will be available in the coming weeks, and ASL users can call 800-273-8255 from their videophone for ASL service.

NTIA's IT systems for managing federal use of spectrum are "outdated" and the agency has an "acute" need to modernize them, the agency said Wednesday in a request for information (RFI). "The current systems are inadequate to execute NTIA’s spectrum functions in a timely manner and limit NTIA’s ability to accommodate the demands of advanced technologies, such as deploying 5G, advancing space commerce, and securing government missions dependent on spectrum," it said. The RFI asks for input such as feedback on the agency's proposed acquisition approach.