The FCC’s Wireless Bureau and Office of Native Affairs and Policy will hold a videoconference July 15 to allow tribal groups to consult with agency staff about a CTIA petition (see 2503270059) that asked the FCC to streamline its rules involving the National Environmental Protection Act, said a public notice Monday. The consultation opportunity is “in furtherance of the Commission’s express desire to work with Tribal Nations” on proposals involving its environmental review processes, the notice said. “Attendance will be limited to elected and appointed leaders or duly appointed representatives of federally-recognized Tribal Nations and NHOs [Native Hawaiian Organizations], including Tribal Historic Preservation Officers.”
Comments are due July 23, replies Aug. 22, regarding the FCC's proposal to codify some long-standing processes regarding foreign-ownership rules for broadcasters, common carriers and aeronautical radio licensees, the Media Bureau said Monday. Commissioners unanimously adopted the foreign-ownership NPRM at their April meeting (see 2504280038). The docket is 25-149.
Comments are due July 21, replies Aug. 5, regarding AST SpaceMobile's request to operate an additional 243 satellites atop the five already authorized, said an FCC Space Bureau public notice Friday (docket 25-201). However, the bureau said it isn't taking comments on AST being allowed to conduct operations other than telemetry, tracking and control. The company earlier this month asked for approval to start offering supplemental coverage from space service in the U.S. using AT&T’s 800 MHz and lower 700 MHz spectrum and Verizon’s 800 MHz spectrum (see 2506130002).
The FCC Media Bureau’s move to seek comment on relaxing national broadcast ownership limits just a day after the confirmation of incoming Commissioner Olivia Trusty is an indication that the agency will act quickly to enact Chairman Brendan Carr’s agenda now that he has a majority, industry officials told us. That agenda likely “picks up some pace” in the next couple of months as Carr can move on items he couldn’t advance with a 2-2 FCC, said former Commissioner Mike O’Rielly. The FCC is likely to swear in Trusty as a commissioner on Monday or Tuesday, a former Republican FCC aide told us.
The Better Business Bureau's National Advertising Division found Wednesday that some Verizon advertising claims about its satellite coverage weren’t misleading, but the phrase “largest network” in other ads was “ambiguous.” NAD examined the ads at the urging of T-Mobile and concluded that Verizon “has provided a reasonable basis for the claims ‘VERIZON Satellite Powered’ and ‘Verizon is conquering dead zones with satellite.’” But NAD recommended that in the future, "Verizon ensures that any accompanying disclosures describing the availability of the satellite texting features be clear and conspicuous.”
The FCC administrative law judge will hear Anuvu's arguments concerning reimbursement for C-band relocation costs. The C-band relocation payment clearinghouse appeals procedure lets any party appeal a reimbursement dispute by petitioning for an evidentiary hearing before the ALJ, said acting Wireless Bureau Chief Joel Taubenblatt in a hearing designation order Wednesday (docket 21-333). Anuvu petitioned in April for a de novo review of the bureau upholding a rejection of some of the company's reimbursement claims (see 2504070044). Anuvu received $326,520 for its relocation expenses but was denied an additional $960,694 related to its Raisting, Germany, earth station site.
In order to avoid orbital congestion from SpaceX's Starlink constellation, earth exploration satellite service operator PlanetiQ is seeking FCC approval to operate its GNOMES-5 satellite at a slightly higher orbital altitude. In a Space Bureau application posted Tuesday, it said operating at an altitude of up to 575 km -- instead of its currently authorized 560 km -- would let it avoid SpaceX's orbital shells and thus reduce the frequency of conjunction alerts.
Luminys responded Tuesday to a “show cause” order related to the FCC's finding that the company was selling equipment from Dahua, which is on the agency's “covered list” of providers of unsecure gear (see 2502140040). The order came from the Public Safety Bureau and the Office of Engineering and Technology.
The FCC Wireless Bureau on Tuesday approved an order it proposed in December granting a request from GeoLinks that it surrender some local multipoint distribution service (LMDS) licenses in return for others from the commission’s inventory (see 2412120057). GeoLinks proposed using federal funding to serve some 47,000 locations across Arizona, California and Nevada that now lack high-speed broadband access. The bureau sought comment on the request last year (see 2405170028).
American Electric Power representatives met with FCC Wireline Bureau staff to question the timelines that NCTA proposed in an April letter on pole attachments (see 2505080028). NCTA’s plan would “lead to more disputes at the Commission -- not to quicker broadband roll-out,” said a filing posted Tuesday in docket 17-84.