The FCC Wireline Bureau waived until March 12, 2025, sua sponte, certain letter of credit rules for Connect America Fund II and Rural Digital Opportunity Fund recipients, according to an order Tuesday in docket 10-90. The bureau waived its requirement that a bank issuing a letter of credit to a support recipient maintain at least a B- Weiss bank safety rating (see 2311140077). "Recent submissions from banking institutions indicate that a majority of United States banks are no longer eligible to issue LOCs to auction recipients because they have a safety rating less than a B-," the order said, noting that more than 1,600 banks are no longer able to issue the LOCs since 2022. The waiver applies "only to auction support recipients that wish to retain, renew, or reestablish their LOCs with banks that previously had Weiss ratings at or above a B- but have since seen that rating fall below B-," the order said. It doesn't let support recipients obtain an LOC from a new bank that did not already provide one from a bank with a Weiss safety rating below a B-.
Petitioner Insurance Marketing Coalition's brief is due April 15, with respondent FCC's due 30 days later, said a briefing notice Tuesday (docket 24-10277) in the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. The coalition’s optional reply brief is due 21 days after the service of the commission’s brief, it said. The coalition’s petition for review asks the 11th Circuit to vacate the FCC’s Dec. 18 order implementing rules under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act to target and eliminate illegal robotexts (see 2312220059). The coalition alleges the order exceeds the FCC’s statutory authority and was adopted “without observance of procedure required by law.” The order imposes several measures, including codifying that the national do not call registry’s protections apply to unlawful text messages.
The House Communications Subcommittee unanimously advanced the Foreign Adversary Communications Transparency Act (HR-820), Future Uses of Technology Upholding Reliable and Enhancing Networks Act (HR-1513) and two other anti-China communications security bills Tuesday. House China Committee Chairman Mike Gallagher, R-Wis., meanwhile, is pressing the FCC on whether it will act on reports that mobile devices in the U.S. are still processing signals from China’s BeiDou and Russia’s global navigation satellite systems (GNSS).
An FCC proposal prioritizing processing of applications from broadcasters that offer local programming (see 2401180074) won’t have much of an effect and doesn’t do enough, according to a wide swath of comments filed to docket 24-14 by Monday’s deadline.
The House will vote Wednesday on legislation that would ban TikTok in the U.S. unless Chinese parent company ByteDance divests the popular social media app, an aide for House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., confirmed Tuesday.
NTIA Tuesday released its implementation plan for the national spectrum strategy. Under the plan, studies for the 3.1-3.45 GHz and 7/8 GHz bands, top priorities of wireless carriers, will begin this month and be completed in October 2026 (see 2403120006). FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr criticized the plan, saying in “the best case” the lower 3 and 7/8 GHz bands won’t be available until 2028. Others had a more positive take.
Cogeco and Cogeco Communications promote Frederic Perron to president-CEO of both companies and add him to their boards, succeeding Philippe Jette, retiring, but remaining a strategic adviser until Aug. 31 ... Young’s Communications names Chief Operating Officer Rob Hughart interim CEO to replace outgoing CEO Chad Rasmussen ... Altice USA taps John Hsu, ex-AMC Networks, as senior vice president-corporate finance, and John Lombana, ex-Mitsubishi Power Americas, also former Verizon and AT&T, as senior vice president-corporate controller ... Rohirrim, generative AI company, taps Andrew Shoaff, ex-Zywave, as vice president-customer success, and Nintendo’s Savani Tatake, also former Meta and T-Mobile, as vice president-engineering.
The FCC Space Bureau granted non-geostationary orbit applications from Space X and Kuiper, with limitations, said a pair of orders in Monday’s Daily Digest. The SpaceX order authorizes the company to conduct communications in the E-band only with the 7,500 Gen 2 Starlink satellites that the FCC already authorized. “This Order does not authorize SpaceX to construct, deploy, or operate any additional satellites beyond those authorized to date.” The order defers consideration of SpaceX proposals on emergency beacons and use of additional satellites. Meanwhile, the Kuiper order grants the company’s request for modifying its NGSO license to use frequencies allocated to the fixed-satellite service (FSS) and mobile-satellite service (MSS) in the Ka-band. The license modification will reduce the number of satellites in its constellation from 3,236 to 3,232 and authorize radiofrequency communications for launch and early-orbit phase (LEOP) operations, payload testing, and deorbit operations. The Kuiper order also rejects a SpaceX petition to deny Kuiper’s application. Granting the applications will serve the public interest by improving broadband service, the orders said.
Republican opposition couldn’t stop a Minnesota House bill on local broadband authority from advancing Monday. The Commerce Committee split by political party in a 10-6 vote to send HF-4182 to the House State and Local Government Committee. Also, the committee voted by voice to make an anti-junk fees bill (HF-3438) eligible for a full House vote. HF-4182 would establish local franchise authority for broadband in Minnesota much like what currently exists for cable. Rep. Isaac Schultz (R) slammed the bill, which he said would set up a “slush fund” for local governments by allowing unlimited fees with no directions for how to use the money. Rep. Harry Niska (R) added that it’s not transparent to put fees on monthly internet bills, where he said customers are less likely to expect a local tax. However, local franchising authorities and public, educational and governmental (PEG) stations support the bill, said Jodie Miller, Northern Dakota County Cable Communications Commission executive director. The bill would fill a revenue gap from quickly declining cable franchise fees, she said. "Our residents don't mind paying franchise fees when they know their dollars are being employed locally to provide our franchise office and our local programming.” The bill would extend cable franchise benefits to broadband, said Mayor Dan Roe of Roseville, Minnesota. Through franchising, local governments can ensure all their residents are served with high-speed internet, said local government attorney Michael Bradley. However, telecom and cable industry groups opposed HF-4182. "The bill authorizes every level of local government to impose unlimited, overlapping franchise fees" on broadband that will hurt low-income customers most, said Minnesota Cable Communications Association attorney Tony Mendoza. Minnesota Telecom Alliance members planned to spend $300 million this year to expand broadband, but "this bill puts that figure in doubt,” warned MTA President Brent Christensen, adding that no other state has a similar law. The proposed law may conflict with FCC wireless rules, cautioned CTIA Assistant Vice President-State Legislative Affairs Jeremy Crandall. The FCC requires cost-based fees, but the Minnesota bill would allow charges for raising revenue, he said. CTIA also opposed the junk-fees bill. Mobile companies should be exempted because they are already covered by FCC broadband labeling and truth-in-billing rules, testified lobbyist Sarah Psick for the wireless industry association.
Incompas is urging the FCC to adopt its proposed changes to pole attachment rules (see 2402140048). Its members "continue to experience significant barriers when seeking to attach to utility poles," citing "unreasonable delays in the application and make-ready process" and "unsubstantiated and unreasonable fees for engineering and survey work," the group said in separate meetings with an aide to Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel and Wireline Bureau staff. As such, Incompas is seeking "specific timeframes for make-ready for large pole orders" and backs NCTA's proposal requiring that pole owners notify a requesting attacher within 15 days after receiving their application if the owner can't conduct a survey within the required 45-day period, the group said in an ex parte filing posted Monday in docket 17-84. The group also opposed the Edison Electric Institute and Coalition of Concerned Utilities' petitions about the commission's current rules (see 2402260073).