The FCC suspended most of its operations early Wednesday when federal appropriations lapsed, as expected (see 2509300060). The agency furloughed 81% of its 1,288 staff members, less than the 88% it planned for ahead of a March shutdown that was averted when Congress agreed on its now-lapsed funding extension (see 2503140069). More than 77% of NTIA’s 600 employees remain at work, in part because of spectrum funding included in the Republicans’ reconciliation package, previously known as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (see 2507030056). The shutdown is also already affecting at least one telecom-related case in federal court, although the overall judicial system remains open for now.
FCC Chairman Brendan Carr announces retirements: from the Wireline Bureau, Terrance Judge (34 years of service), Crystal Ceasar (33) and Alex Johns (29); from the Office of the Managing Director, Tim Dates (26) and Celia Lewis (25); from the Public Safety Bureau, Douglas Kyle (36) and Barbara Kunkel (3); Katura Jackson, Office of the Secretary (34); Mika Savir, Consumer Policy Division (32); Kamala Hart, Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau (29); Chief Information Officer Arecio Dilone (25); Bill Huber, Office of General Counsel (25); Traci Randolph, Disability Services/TRS Fund (23.5); Stephen Hanson, Spectrum Enforcement Division (23); Keith Morgan, Enforcement Bureau (8) ... Vodafone IoT appoints Dennis Nikles, ex-Deutsche Telekom IoT, as managing director of Vodafone IoT Americas … Mozilla taps Raffi Krikorian, formerly Emerson Collective, as chief technology officer, a newly created position ... Nexstar names Adam VerCammen, ex-Washington Times, as senior vice president of revenue for The Hill, a newly created position.
The FCC unanimously voted last week to change mobile support policies in Alaska enacted by the previous administration “to ensure efficient use of scarce universal service funds,” said an order released Friday. The order grants in part GCI Communications’ petition for reconsideration of the Alaska Connect Fund Order, approves portions of a waiver request from GCI, and makes other changes to the Alaska Connect Fund (ACF). “We are fine-tuning the Alaska Connect Fund to ensure that it is more appropriately tailored to the topography and needs of Alaska,” FCC Chairman Brendan Carr said in a statement.
Verizon representatives met with an aide to FCC Commissioner Anna Gomez about the company’s request to waive the handset-unlocking requirement that it agreed to as a provision of its acquisition of Tracfone and its purchase of 700 MHz C-block licenses in a 2008 auction (see 2505200051). “We discussed the large and growing problem of device trafficking and fraud, and discussed how the existing requirement on Verizon to automatically unlock handsets after 60 days contributes to those problems,” said a filing Tuesday in docket 24-186. Handset locking “is one of the few effective tools to address trafficking and deter bad actors.”
SpaceX has dropped its 2024 rulemaking petition pushing for changes to the 2 GHz band licensing and sharing frameworks to allow new entrants and coexistence (see 2402230027). The company notified the FCC on Tuesday that it was withdrawing the petition. EchoStar was the sole 2 GHz licensee at the time of the filing, but the two companies have since agreed to a deal in which SpaceX would buy spectrum licenses, including the 2 GHz band license, from EchoStar.
Petitions to deny are due Oct. 30 on AT&T’s proposed purchase of EchoStar spectrum for $23 billion, said an FCC notice released Tuesday in docket 25-303. The deal, announced in August (see 2508260005), would give AT&T licenses for 600 MHz and 3.45 GHz. EchoStar will continue to offer wireless service, but primarily as a mobile virtual network operator riding on AT&T’s network. Oppositions are due Nov. 14, replies Nov. 24, the notice said. “According to the Applicants, the transaction will provide significant public interest benefits by improving AT&T’s service and making both companies stronger competitors.”
Verizon is in discussions with EchoStar about buying the company’s AWS-3 spectrum, Bloomberg News reported Monday, citing unnamed sources familiar with the talks. AT&T announced an agreement in August to buy EchoStar’s 600 MHz and 3.45 GHz licenses for $23 billion (see 2508260005). Dish Network, which is now part of EchoStar, was the third-highest bidder in the 2015 auction, with bids of more than $13 billion. Dish returned some of the licenses to the FCC, which will sell them in an upcoming auction.
FCC commissioners approved 2-1-- over dissents from Democrat Anna Gomez -- a declaratory ruling finding that school bus Wi-Fi is no longer eligible for E-rate support. Also approved over Gomez's dissent at Tuesday's meeting was an order canceling the funding of internet hot spots off school and library premises. Unlike other items voted on Tuesday, both were late additions to the meeting agenda, and drafts weren’t made public in advance.
FCC commissioners on Tuesday approved 3-0 a Further NPRM seeking comment on whether correctional facilities should be allowed to jam cell signals, with an eye on curbing contraband phones. Commissioners also approved notices seeking comment on revamped wireless and wireline infrastructure rules and a direct final rule deleting other wireline rules.
While USTelecom and other industry groups generally supported the FCC’s push to enable faster retirement of copper lines, other organizations raised concerns, especially over the role copper lines have historically played in emergency calling. Comments were due this week in docket 25-208.