Some top lawmakers indicated in recent interviews that they lack a clear plan to fund next-generation 911 tech upgrades, months after Congress decided against allocating future spectrum auction revenue for them in the budget reconciliation package, previously known as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (see 2507080065). NG911 advocates said they expect that the lack of an alternative will come up during Tuesday's House Communications Subcommittee hearing on public safety communications issues. The hearing is also likely to address a looming legislative renewal of FirstNet that must happen before the existing mandate expires in February 2027 (see 2509030058).
FCC commissioners are expected to take up an item next month that will reopen the agency’s prison-calling rules, approved last summer (see 2407180039), it said in a filing Sunday at the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. The court is considering the order's legality and in July declined to hold the case in abeyance (see 2507160027).
The FCC will vote at its Sept. 30 open meeting on an NPRM that would kick off its 2022 quadrennial review of broadcast ownership rules, Chairman Brendan Carr said Monday in a blog post. Commissioners will also consider the NPRM looking at allowing correctional facilities to jam cellphone signals, which Carr unveiled Friday at a news conference in Arkansas (see 2509050055).
The FCC has dropped its twin probes of EchoStar, the company said in an SEC filing. In a letter to the company dated Monday, Chairman Brendan Carr said he has directed agency staff to dismiss VTel's reconsideration petition and to confirm that EchoStar has exclusive mobile satellite service and terrestrial rights over the AWS-4 spectrum. The agency launched the twin proceedings in May. The letter said Carr also has directed staff to "find that relevant FCC buildout and other related obligations have been satisfied by EchoStar in view of the company’s current FCC milestones." The letter was sent the same day EchoStar said it had reached an agreement with SpaceX to sell the AWS-4 spectrum.
In a move that could shape the non-terrestrial network (NTN) market, EchoStar announced an agreement Monday to sell SpaceX its AWS-4 and H-block spectrum for about $17 billion, equally divided between cash and stock. The companies also agreed to enable EchoStar's Boost Mobile subscribers to access Starlink’s direct-to-cell service, and SpaceX will underwrite $2 billion in interest payments payable on EchoStar debt through November 2027. Industry officials acknowledged there are numerous unanswered questions about the deal and how it will be viewed by the FCC.
Face the Nation will conduct only live interviews from now on after recent complaints from Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, CBS said in a statement. "In response to audience feedback over the past week, we have implemented a new policy for greater transparency in our interviews," it said. Face the Nation "will now only broadcast live or live-to-tape interviews (subject to national security or legal restrictions). This extra measure means the television audience will see the full, unedited interview on CBS, and we will continue our practice of posting full transcripts and the unedited video online." Face the Nation's interview with Noem was the subject of a recent letter to the FCC from the Center of American Rights (see 2509020066).
Comments are due Oct. 6, replies Oct. 21, about the transfer of various Cox Communications licenses and authorizations to Charter Communications as part of Charter's proposed $34.5 billion purchase of Cox (see 2505160060), the FCC Wireline Bureau said Friday (docket 25-233).
Since April, NAB has aired “nearly a quarter million” TV and radio spots across 192 media markets pushing for Congress and the FCC to relax broadcast ownership rules, the trade group said in a release Thursday. A campaign spot released last week called on viewers to “keep football free” by texting in support of relaxing the rules. “Supporters have sent more than 174,000 emails and 34,000 tweets directly to members of Congress and FCC commissioners,” NAB said. A national survey of likely voters conducted in August showed that 83% of respondents preferred games on broadcast over streaming, the group said. “The FCC must act quickly to level the playing field, so broadcasters can continue investing in the content communities rely on most,” NAB CEO Curtis LeGeyt said in the release.
The FCC Wireless Bureau is seeking comment by Sept. 17 on Viaero's requested waiver of citizens broadband radio service rules, said a Friday notice in docket 25-274. The company hopes to buy 10 priority access licenses from Citizens Band License Co. in seven counties in Colorado. FCC rules allow a company to own only four such licenses in a market, but with the purchase Viaero would have six in three of the counties and five in the others, the notice said.
A broad group of tech and auto industry associations urged the Trump administration to forgo imposing rules for connected vehicles that are different from those set by the Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security (see 2508290051). The FCC is examining whether to change its rules for its “covered list” of unsecure companies to take into account connected vehicles. The groups addressed their letter, posted Friday in docket 18-89, to Jeffrey Kessler, Commerce undersecretary for industry and security, and FCC Chairman Brendan Carr.