FCC leadership, including Chairman Brendan Carr, is already closely aligned with President Donald Trump's agenda, lessening the effect of the president's executive order about increasing White House control over independent agencies like the FCC, Davis Wright attorneys blogged Monday. Carr's FCC will likely follow Trump's agenda and priorities in practice, regardless of the theoretical independence of commissioners, Davis Wright said. But an issue could arise that sees Republican-appointed commissioners splitting with Trump on key issues, it said. In that case, the level of presidential control over the FCC's agenda and whether Trump can remove commissioners over policy disagreements "may have serious practical consequences."
Globalstar's planned C-3 satellite system (see 2502280001) can't operate in the 1.6/2.4 GHz band, as the FCC has made clear it won't let new mobile satellite service systems there before updating the band's rules, SpaceX told the FCC Space Bureau last week. It said the agency had to dismiss Globalstar's "premature" application. SpaceX urged FCC action on its year-old petition to allow new entrants into the 1.6/2.4 GHz band (see 2402230027), saying that would be a good vehicle for updating the rules so Globalstar could then submit its C-3 application. SpaceX said Globalstar's proposed higher-power system in the band "would also fundamentally alter the spectrum environment [there] to the detriment of prospective competitors, such as SpaceX."
SiriusXM is planning to launch its SXM-10 satellite as soon as June 8 and is asking the FCC Space Bureau for permission to use it to replace its FM-6 satellite. In a bureau application posted Friday, it said SXM-10 was originally going to replace the XM-5 satellite, but the company now plans to replace XM-5 in 2026 with SXM-11, which is under construction.
The FCC Wireline Bureau on Friday sought comment on a plan to transfer control of Mountain Communications from Telemax to Larry Sisler. Currently, Telemax owns 43% of the provider, Sisler 42%. Mountain Communications is certified to provide local exchange and interexchange services in West Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania and Ohio, the bureau said. Comments are due March 21, replies March 28, in docket 24-610.
The satellite industry is urging the FCC Space Bureau to establish that routine earth station applications will go on public notice within 30 days of the filing fee and be deemed granted if no objection comes within 45 days of the public notice date. In a docket 22-411 filing Thursday recapping a meeting with bureau Chief Jay Schwarz and other staffers, the Satellite Industry Association said it also urged that any FCC streamlining of satellite and earth station application reviews should automatically grant earth station and satellite special temporary authority renewals until staff acts on the first renewal or the underlying modification application. SIA said the agency should clarify and publicize requirements for RF safety studies. SIA also pitched a process for coordinating commercial space station and earth station applications with NTIA. Satellite operators have been at odds over some shot clock issues in the streamlining proceeding (see 2401090051). Joining SIA in the meeting with the Space Bureau were representatives of Eutelsat/OneWeb, Telesat, Iridium, Planet Labs and Intelsat.
The FCC Wireless Bureau approved 28 more licenses in the 900 MHz broadband segment for PDV Spectrum. All are in Texas. The FCC approved an order in 2020 reallocating a 6 MHz swath in the band for broadband while maintaining 4 MHz for narrowband operations (see 2005130057).
The Schools, Health & Libraries Broadband Coalition supports waiving the April 1 funding request filing deadline for the rural Healthcare Connect Fund, it told the FCC Wireline Bureau in an ex parte meeting Monday, according to a filing posted Wednesday in docket 02-60. The waiver request was originally made by the Colorado Hospital Association and intended to allow the Universal Service Administrative Co. time to give the system the ability to handle the filings. “Various factors have delayed the standard application processing time over the course of this funding year,” said SHLB, detailing processing issues and delays caused by the application portal. The proposed 90-day extension is “justified” given the diversity in applicant types “and variations in applicant experience and expertise in filing.”
The FCC Public Safety Bureau gave UL Solutions an additional 60 days to complete its initial work as lead administrator in the agency’s voluntary cyber trust mark program (see 2503040062). The extension gives UL until May 3, said an order in Wednesday’s Daily Digest. The request “is limited to only 60 days and will allow UL the additional time needed to ensure the recommendations are thoroughly considered and discussed among stakeholders,” the bureau said. “We find this reasonable given the highly technical and complex issues being considered, the industry coordination involved, and the benefit to the Commission from receiving complete and thorough recommendations.”
The satellite industry hopes for a better reception from President Donald Trump's administration than it got under former President Joe Biden concerning satellite broadband as a part of the BEAD program (see 2412130011), Boston Consulting Group’s Mike French said Wednesday. His comments came as Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick promised a “rigorous review” of the BEAD program (see 2503050067).
The FCC Wireline Bureau on Tuesday approved the proposed transfer of New York-based local exchange carrier Crown Point Telco and its subsidiary Bridge Point to Atlas Connectivity. The bureau noted that it sought comment (see 2501290045) but received no comments or petitions in opposition, said a notice in docket 24-354.