AT&T will pay a nearly $2.3 million fine under a settlement with the FCC for violations in the emergency broadband benefit program and affordable connectivity program. A Friday order said an Enforcement Bureau investigation found that AT&T sought and received funding for improperly enrolled non-subscriber benefit qualifying persons between "at least" May 2021 and December 2023. AT&T violated rules that require in-store sales personnel to obtain a representative accountability database identification number. The bureau also found that the ISP collected funds for subscribers who had not used their service for at least 45 days. Providers can receive reimbursement for "offering the ACP benefit when the subscriber has used the service at least once every 30 days or has cured their non-usage during a subsequent 15-day cure period."
Courts still “respect” technical expertise at agencies like the FCC despite the U.S. Supreme Court’s reversal of the Chevron doctrine, Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel said Friday.
FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel is pushing back against House GOP criticisms (see 2410070040) of the commission’s September approval of radio broadcaster Audacy’s request for a temporary waiver of foreign-ownership requirements to complete a bankruptcy restructuring that includes George Soros-affiliated entities purchasing its stock. The waiver vote was 3-2, with Republican Commissioners Brendan Carr and Nathan Simington claiming the agency deviated from normal procedure (see 2409300046).
SpaceX and Amazon proposals for unavailability limits would make it impossible for non-geostationary orbit fixed satellite service operators to meet the high-availability requirements of public safety and government customers, Eutelsat/OneWeb said Thursday in docket 21-456. Recapping a meeting with FCC Space Bureau staffers in docket 21-456, Eutelsat/OneWeb said the limits SpaceX and Amazon's Kuiper are pushing are so relaxed that instead of coordination, operators will instead file technical compatibility studies that take up substantial FCC resources. Eutelsat/OneWeb discussed its support of O3b's rival proposal.
The FTC violated the Constitution and exceeded its rulemaking authority when it issued a rule aimed at making it easier for consumers to cancel subscriptions, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, NCTA, the Interactive Advertising Bureau and other industry groups said in three different lawsuits filed Tuesday in three separate appeals courts.
EchoStar "apparently cut a deal" with the FCC's Wireless Bureau for more time to complete Dish Network's 5G terrestrial network, yet the bureau lacked legal authority to grant that extension, VTel Wireless said this week in a docket 22-212 recon petition. VTel is seeking reconsideration of the bureau's September grant of extended milestone deadlines for the 5G network buildout (see 2409200049). EchoStar hasn't shown specific facts and circumstances that warrant a waiver, VTel argued.
The FCC Wireless Bureau and Office of Economics and Analysis have approved T-Mobile’s buy of 600MHz spectrum licenses from LB License, said an order in Wednesday’s Daily Digest. “After carefully evaluating the potential competitive effects of the proposed assignment, we find that the likelihood of competitive harm is low,” the order said. T-Mobile has leased the spectrum from LB since 2020, the order said. EchoStar filed a petition to deny the deal, arguing that it would harm competition, but the agency disagreed. “We find that, post-transaction, the likelihood of competitive harm remains low in the markets that are the subject of this transaction,” the order said.
ClearCaptions raised concerns at the FCC about proposed consumer choice mandates in captioning delivery for IP captioned telephone service providers. In a meeting with Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau staff, it asked that the commission instead issue a notice of inquiry to determine whether the feature is "in the best interest of IP CTS customers" and the Telecom Relay Service (TRS) Fund. The provider cited "significant challenges" in implementing the service and potential increased costs "without evidence that the proposed mandate would improve the accuracy of captions." ClearCaptions also sought guidance in an ex parte filing posted Wednesday in docket 03-123 about potential formatting variances when there's a validation failure with the telecom relay service user registration database.
DOJ will push to end Google’s distribution agreements with companies like Apple, but a structural breakup isn’t likely to gain traction in the department’s antitrust lawsuit against the search giant, former DOJ and FTC officials said Tuesday (see 2410090035, 2410100036 and 2410160035).
As the FCC eyes fostering independent video programming, it should examine how broadcasters' forced bundling and forced tier and penetration requirements distort competition and harm indie programmers and multichannel video programming distributors, according to the American TV Alliance. In a docket 24-115 filing posted Monday recapping a meeting with FCC Media Bureau Chief Holly Saurer, ATVA said programmers' increased ownership of or affiliation with VOD services incentivizes those programmers to be even more aggressive with bundling and related requirements than in the past. FCC commissioners in April adopted an indie programming NPRM, 3-2 (see 2404190063)