Senate Commerce Committee Democrats are already signaling that they're unlikely to give new NTIA administrator pick Arielle Roth a free pass through her confirmation process, particularly given their amplified doubts about how the agency-administered, $42.5 billion BEAD program will fare under Howard Lutnick, the commerce secretary nominee (see 2501290047). Several Senate Commerce Democrats are likely to vote against Lutnick at a Wednesday panel meeting, but lobbyists told us he is all but certain to advance to the floor with unified GOP support.
FCC Chairman Brendan Carr names Adam Candeub, ex-Michigan State Law School, general counsel ... Julie Kearney steps down as chief, FCC Space Bureau; Kerry Murray becomes acting chief … Sinclair promotes Linda Greenwald and Matthew Diehlmann to directors of programming, replacing Dave Howitt, retiring March 31.
Any NPRM that looks at new power limits on non-geostationary orbit (NGSO) satellites should consider how the space industry and the assumptions underlying the original NGSO/geostationary orbit spectrum-sharing framework have changed, Amazon's Kuiper said. In a filing posted Monday, Kuiper recapped a meeting with FCC Space Bureau staffers where it presented four pages of suggested questions and topics for such an NPRM. It said the commission should ask about the level of protection GSO systems reasonably require and if the current equivalent power flux density (EPFD) limits are the right ones for that level of protection. The FCC also should ask if the current EPFD limits overly restrict NGSO operations, Kuiper said. It should seek input on a new NGSO/GSO spectrum-sharing framework and on the best methodology for protecting GSO operations that use adaptive coding and modulation. SpaceX has petitioned for higher EPFD limits (see 2408120018).
The FCC’s investigation into PBS and NPR stations “could expand” beyond the “narrow issue” of underwriting, FCC Chairman Brendan Carr said in a Fox News interview Monday. The FCC sent letters to the two networks last week announcing an investigation into whether their member stations were running commercial ads (see 2501300065). “Where the investigation goes from there, we'll just be led by the facts,” Carr said Monday. “Every broadcaster has a public interest obligation, and for years, I think the FCC has been completely absent on enforcing the public interest obligation."
UScellular representatives met with FCC staff to discuss the company’s response to a December data request from the Wireless Bureau (see 2412270031), said a filing posted Monday in docket 24-286. They discussed “acceptable formats for submission” of the data, UScellular said. The company also “asked clarifying questions concerning some of the data variables requested … and provided information to staff regarding the scope of data UScellular creates and maintains in the ordinary course of business,” the filing said. Representatives met staff from the Wireless Bureau and Office of Economics and Analytics.
Logista asked the FCC to overrule a Wireline Bureau decision rejecting the company’s pursuit of a waiver on a deadline for filing a Form 499-A revision, as well as late filing fees, penalties and interest. The form reports actual revenue billed during the prior calendar year, in this case for interconnected VoIP service. Logista also asked that parts of its filing remain confidential. The company said it filed its Form 499-A for 2023 in March and then in June sought to file a revised form. “Logista respectfully submits that it is not in the public interest to require it to pay an assessment calculated on the basis of a clerical error,” said a filing posted Monday in docket 06-122. The clerical error placed "a revenue amount in the wrong column,” which “significantly overstated Logista’s assessable telecommunications revenue.”
Brightspeed is more than halfway to its commitment to a 17-state fiber network that passes 3 million homes and businesses by fall 2027. In a docket 21-350 status report posted Monday, Brightspeed said that as of the end of 2024 the number of premises passed represented "more than half of the total commitment, in less than half the time." Data about states reached and the number of premises passed were redacted. The 17 states/3 million locations commitment was part of the FCC's 2022 approval of Brightspeed buying Lumen's incumbent local exchange carrier business (see 2208220049).
AST SpaceMobile's L-band spectrum access agreement with Ligado comes as the booming interest in direct-to-device service is running into limited spectrum availability, spectrum consultants and analysts tell us. Some see a similar deal with a satellite operator getting access to EchoStar's 2 GHz band spectrum for D2D as possible. The federal bankruptcy court overseeing Ligado's Chapter 11 plan signed off last week on the financial breakup terms of the Ligado/AST deal (see 2501270026). Ligado has said the AST deal is key to it emerging from bankruptcy (see 2501060026).
Lawyers for the government and AT&T faced questions from a panel of judges on the 5th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals as the bench heard arguments concerning the FCC’s $57 million fine against the carrier for inadequately protecting customers’ location data. T-Mobile has also challenged more than $92 million in fines in the D.C. Circuit, and Verizon disputed a $46.9 million penalty in the 2nd Circuit, but the 5th Circuit case was the first where a panel of judges heard oral argument.
FCC Chairman Brendan Carr expected CBS to give in to the agency’s request for an unedited transcript of a 60 Minutes interview with Vice President Kamala Harris by the end of day Monday, he said in a Monday morning Fox interview. “It's due today, and I expect CBS to provide it by the end of the day, to see what in fact was said as part of our own news distortion investigation,” Carr said.