Five personnel items have been added to the FCC's July 24 meeting agenda, according to the Sunshine Notice issued Thursday. One regards appointment of a defense commissioner in the Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau. The defense commissioner oversees the agency's homeland security, national security and emergency preparedness activities. Also on the agenda are five promotions.
The FCC posted on Thursday the drafts for all the items teed up for votes at the commission’s Aug. 7 open meeting. Most have a deregulatory bent.
By opposing Globalstar's planned C-3 satellite system, SpaceX and Kepler are trying to disadvantage a competitor and get access to its 1.6/2.4 GHz spectrum, Globalstar told the FCC Space Bureau in a filing posted Wednesday. Globalstar said an accompanying Roberson and Associates study shows the bands can't support more than one mobile satellite service (MSS) operator. "Physics dictates that the operation of SpaceX’s mega-constellation or any other new entrant’s system in the 1.6/2.4 GHz band would inevitably cause extensive harmful interference to Globalstar’s licensed services," it said. That C-3 uses technology different from Globalstar's existing constellation isn't evidence other entities could provide service in the band without harming Globalstar. The satellite operator waved off claims the spectrum is underused, saying it "robustly uses its few megahertz of spectrum for a variety of mobile satellite offerings with considerable public interest benefits," including satellite IoT, its "SPOT family" of satellite-enabled communications devices and Apple's direct-to-device service for the iPhone 14, 15 and 16. Globalstar urged approval of its U.S. market access request for C-3 (see 2502280001).
The 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ordered Wednesday that a case examining the legality of the FCC’s prison-calling order will proceed. The FCC had asked the court to hold the case in abeyance in light of the Wireline Bureau’s decision to delay some incarcerated people’s communications service (IPCS) deadlines until April 1, 2027 (see 2507100061). Groups representing prisoners and their families want the case to be heard.
Utility and broadband interests are pushing the FCC for changes to the agency's pole attachment item on its July 24 meeting agenda. In a speech earlier this month laying out his "Build America" agenda, Chairman Brendan Carr highlighted the pole attachment draft order and a copper line retirement draft NPRM, also on July's agenda, as prime examples of an intertwined focus on infrastructure deployment and deregulation (see 2507020036). Communications infrastructure deployment experts have mixed feelings about whether the pole attachment item notably eases pole attachment gripes. Commissioners' unanimous approval is expected, as pole attachment issues are generally nonpartisan.
FCC Chairman Brendan Carr on Wednesday unveiled a full agenda for the Aug. 7 open meeting, leading off with proposed changes to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). Also included are draft orders that Carr said were aimed at streamlining submarine cable licensing and satellite and earth station licensing. As will be true for the July meeting, cutting regulation will be a priority in August (see 2507030049).
Consumer Technology Association members are incentivized to oppose NAB’s proposed mandatory ATSC 3.0 transition because they own free ad-supported streaming television (FAST) channels, Pearl TV told acting FCC Media Bureau Chief Erin Boone and Media Bureau staff in an ex parte meeting last week, according to a filing posted Tuesday in docket 16-142. “TV manufacturers that own FAST channels today are competing with broadcasters for advertisers and viewers; consequently, it is not surprising that they too are incentivized to stifle broadcast innovation,” said the filing. Pearl also pushed back on arguments from the American Television Alliance that the agency lacks authority to require a transition to 3.0 that would involve broadcast spectrum being used primarily for datacasting and nonbroadcast activities. “Of course the Commission has authority after providing notice-and-comment to sunset one of its rules,” the filing said. “It seems hard to imagine that a party in 2025 could seriously doubt the Commission’s authority to sunset one of its rules.”
Smartphone and TV prices plunged in the U.S. between June 2024 and last month, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics consumer price index unadjusted data out Tuesday. Smartphone prices were down 14.1% year over year, while TV prices fell 10.1%, it said. Computers, peripherals and smart home assistant prices dropped 4.7%, according to BLS. It said the cost of wireless phone service was down 0.8%, while residential phone service rose 2.5%. Cable, satellite and livestreaming TV service costs were up 2.7%. BLS said internet service was down 2.3% and the cost of video purchase/subscription/rental rose 4.6%. April prices for all items were up 3.4% year over year before seasonal adjustment.
The FCC Wireline Bureau announced an updated Lifeline minimum service standard for fixed broadband data usage, said a public notice in Tuesday’s Daily Digest. Beginning Dec. 1 and continuing until Dec. 1, 2026, the Lifeline minimum service standard for fixed broadband data usage will be 1280 GB per month, the PN said. The standards for mobile voice telephony and mobile broadband will remain unchanged, the PN said. The PN also said that the budget for federal universal service support for the Lifeline program for 2026 will be $2.97 billion. The budget was $2.89 billion in 2025.
The proposed 18-month deadline for nationwide providers to implement 988 text georouting might be sufficient, but the FCC Wireline Bureau needs to be able to waive or stay such deadlines, CTIA said. In docket 18-336 Tuesday, CTIA said the agency also should direct the bureau, as part of its consultations with the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline and the Department of Health and Human Services, to remain apprised of the development and implementation of text-to-988 georouting solutions and standards. July's FCC meeting will see the commissioners voting on a text-to-988 georouting requirement (see 2507030049).