While 5G network slicing has gotten the most attention, it hasn’t proved to be successful in most cases, and fiber slicing may have more promise, said Nick Saporito, executive director at GFiber Labs, during a Fiber Broadband Association webinar Wednesday. Also at the event, FBA CEO Gary Bolton said early indications show that fiber will play an important role in the restructured BEAD program.
Incarcerated people’s communications service (IPCS) providers and some public safety groups are leaning on the FCC not to rescind a Wireline Bureau order delaying some prison-calling deadlines until April 1, 2027. In a surprise move, the bureau postponed implementation deadlines that took effect in January and had been approved by commissioners last year (see 2506300068).
Expanded uplink allocations for non-geostationary orbit broadband in parts of the W band represent a serious interference risk to scientific and weather forecasting interests, including the Tomorrow Companies' own earth observation work, according to the satellite operator. In a docket 25-180 filing posted Friday, Tomorrow said data from the 90-92 GHz and 115-122 GHz passive bands is hugely important to weather prediction and storm structure analysis, and those measurements can't be done in another swath of spectrum. Low-level out-of-band emissions from NGSO uplinks could mimic natural atmospheric signals, it said. Tomorrow urged "strict, enforceable" limits on such emissions and "sufficient separation" between uplink allocations and passive science bands. The FCC adopted a Further NPRM in May asking about opening parts of the W band to satellite communications (see 2505280055).
Spending on U.S. sports rights jumped 122% since 2015, growing from $13.8 billion to $30.5 billion this year, Ampere Analysis said last week. During the same decade, total U.S. TV industry revenues were up just 24%, it noted.
The FCC's NPRM examining whether light poles should come under its regulation will get vigorous opposition from utility and local government interests, we're told. Adopted at its July meeting, the NPRM asks whether Section 224 of the Communications Act, which governs pole attachments, also covers light poles (see 2507280053).
Any changes to the non-geostationary/geostationary orbit satellite spectrum-sharing regime should protect incumbent services, numerous terrestrial and satellite incumbents told the FCC in docket 25-157 this week. Commissioners in April adopted an NPRM looking at changing the satellite spectrum-sharing regime in the 10.7-12.7, 17.3-18.6 and 19.7-20.2 GHz bands (see 2504280038). It sprung from a 2024 SpaceX petition urging changes to the NGSO/GSO sharing methodology for NGSO fixed satellite service downlinks (see 2408120018).
In the biggest wireless deal since T-Mobile bought Sprint five years ago, AT&T announced Tuesday that it’s buying EchoStar spectrum for $23 billion (see 2508260005). EchoStar will continue to offer wireless service, but primarily as a mobile virtual network operator riding on AT&T’s network.
Vermont's Otter Creek Communications Union District (CUD) completed its fiber broadband construction "ahead of schedule and under budget," the Vermont Community Broadband Board (VCBB) said Tuesday. The project, which reached 3,626 unserved and underserved areas, was completed with $2.99 million remaining. The CUD and VCBB negotiated an agreement with Consolidated Communications, Fidium and GoNetSpeed on construction, service quality and fair pricing. VCBB Executive Director Christine Hallquist highlighted the project as an "example of a CUD strategically reviewing the current level of service in their area, acknowledging the best course of action was to partner with the existing telecom providers serving most addresses, and then holding them accountable to the community."
AST SpaceMobile is clarifying to the FCC that its activities in the 430-440 MHz band will be limited largely to emergencies when other frequency bands are unavailable. In a letter Friday to the agency's Space Bureau, it said the one exception is its FM-1 satellite, in which it will use 430-440 MHz for emergencies; for telemetry, tracking and control; and for launch and early orbit operations. It told the commission much the same earlier this month (see 2508060048). AST is seeing pushback from amateur radio interests to its request to use the band since they also use parts of it (see 2507210031). Pointing to an interference analysis it submitted, AST said it's "extremely unlikely" there will be interference to ham radio operations in the 430-44 MHz band.
While SpaceX is challenging at least one state, saying it was unfairly precluded from BEAD locations it should have won, a Vernonburg Group analysis points to low earth orbit (LEO) satellites being able to serve at most 26% of BEAD-eligible unserved and underserved locations nationwide. That lines up with the concerns of fiber advocates and others about LEO networks' ability to meet the legislative definition of a priority project -- such as delivering 100/20 Mbps service -- at BEAD scale, former BEAD Director Evan Feinman told us.