The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit on Friday reversed a lower court’s dismissal of a False Claims Act (FCA) case brought by lawyers Mark O’Connor and Sara Leibman, who allege that UScellular fraudulently obtained nearly $113 million in bidding credits in an FCC auction by participating through a “shell company,” Advantage Spectrum. The D.C. Circuit didn’t rule on the merits and said the case could continue.
Abmnus, a prepaid master agent and global distributor of mobile handsets, has joined the National Wireless Independent Dealer Association, the group announced Thursday. The company plans to “offer its full suite of services” to association members, “with a strong focus on opening and supporting Total Wireless Stores.”
The FCC Enforcement Bureau ordered F&F Realty Partners on Thursday to explain within 10 days the alleged interference of Telematrix cordless phones used in a hotel that it owns in Rosemont, Illinois, with T-Mobile’s network. Nextel West, a subsidiary of T-Mobile, complained that the phones were “generating spurious emissions” in the 1883-1893 MHz band, interfering with the network's use of the 1885-1890 MHz band.
The Better Business Bureau's National Advertising Division said Thursday that AT&T should modify its “Learn How Everyone Gets iPhone 16 Pro on Us” advertising claim. The group acted on a Verizon complaint. “The limitation that the offer only applies to certain plans is material information that should be disclosed,” it said, adding that AT&T indicated it plans to appeal the decision.
The FCC is getting comments from consumers who don’t want the agency to speed up the retirement of copper networks, arguing that wireless connections aren’t a suitable alternative. Comments were posted Thursday in docket 25-208. In July, commissioners approved an NPRM on ways to accelerate copper retirements (see 2507240048).
Representatives from the Wireless Infrastructure Association urged the FCC this week to approve an NPRM that examines ways to streamline wireless infrastructure rules. According to a filing posted Wednesday in docket 25-276, the group met with a staffer from the Wireless Bureau about the item, which is set for a commissioner vote Tuesday (see 2509090060).
N77 Holdings, which holds the N77 spectrum band license in the U.S., is asking the FCC to sign off on the company's indirect foreign ownership over 25%. In a petition Tuesday, N77 said the ownership changes are due to investment by Columbia Capital-managed investment vehicles. The new investors, including those investing in the Columbia vehicles, will exceed the 25% benchmark in the aggregate, N77 said. The additional capital will support its plans for deployment or potential sale of its licensed spectrum, the company added.
T-Mobile closed out a round of discussions with the FCC about the carrier’s support for infrastructure reform (see 2509230061), recapping its meeting with an aide to Commissioner Anna Gomez in a filing posted Wednesday in docket 25-276. Commissioners are scheduled to take up items on wireless and wireline rule changes at their meeting Tuesday (see 2509090060).
The Schools, Health & Libraries Broadband Coalition and other groups urged FCC commissioners not to approve proposals circulated by Chairman Brendan Carr to zero out programs created under the Biden administration to fund Wi-Fi hot spots and Wi-Fi on school buses (see 2509030064). The filing, posted Wednesday in docket 21-31, was also signed by the American Library Association, Education and Libraries Networks Coalition and Homework Gap Coalition.
WISPA urged the FCC this week to release the data specifications that providers should follow when seeking to restore locations in the broadband data collection (BDC) and to post a public notice with detailed guidance. The FCC Office of Economics and Analytics was instructed to provide direction, in consultation with other bureaus and offices, in an order last year, WISPA noted.