The Government Wireless Technology & Communications Association (GWTCA) and state groups asked the FCC to delay a requirement that current 4.9 GHz licensees provide it with granular licensing data not later than June 9, or face cancellation of their licenses. Proponents of the delay were optimistic on Monday that the FCC would approve the stay.
Comments are due Jan. 22 on the FCC's proposed criteria and mechanism for selecting a space launch frequency coordinator for the agency's space launch service, said a notice for Monday's Federal Register. It said it's also seeking comment on licensing and frequency coordination procedures and data requirements. The dockets are 24-687 and 13-115, respectively. The space launch spectrum allocation order that commissioners approved in 2023 (see 2309210055) requires that launch operators seeking to use the 2025–2110 MHz or 2200–2290 MHz band must complete a frequency coordination process with a third-party frequency coordinator. The agency is also proposing allocation of 2360-2395 MHz for launch activities (see 2412190044).
SpaceX told the FCC Friday it has the needed Australian authorizations to commence supplemental coverage from space service there with mobile service partner Telstra, according to a filing in docket 23-135. Previously, SpaceX said it's ready to launch SCS service in New Zealand (see 2412120021). The company's New Zealand mobile partner, One New Zealand, said last week it had commenced commercial service of its One NZ Satellite TXT service, allowing SCS texting as long as there's a clear line of sight to the sky. ONZ said the texting service will take longer to send and receive messages -- three to as much as 10 minutes. "As the service matures and more satellites are launched, we expect delivery times to improve," it added.
The idea of subjecting streaming services to regulation intended for traditional media services lacks a legal, policy or technological basis, Warner Bros. Discovery executives told FCC Commissioner Anna Gomez, according to a docket 24-119 filing posted Friday. In addition, WBD said fracturing of audiences and programming outlets makes it difficult for viewers to find their favorite content, which leads them to purchase additional services. That fracturing also reduces providers' ability to generate subscription and advertising revenue to support high-quality content, it added.
The Media Bureau has granted NAB’s request for an expedited retroactive extension of the audible crawl waiver, said an order Friday. The waiver applies from Nov. 26, 2024 -- the date of the last waiver’s expiration – until May 27, 2025, or until the FCC rules on NAB’s separate petition for a longer term waiver. Broadcasters have said that the expiration of the waiver, which had been continuously in effect since 2015, caused stations to pull radar maps from their severe weather coverage (see 2412170056). “We note that this action will maintain the status quo that existed prior to the expiration of the waiver on November 26, 2024, while the underlying petition is considered and this action does not prejudge the issues pending in that underlying petition,” the order said. Because the waiver would maintain the status quo from before it expired and no one has opposed NAB’s request, “we conclude that special circumstances warrant a further temporary waiver from this aspect of the Audible Crawl Rule for a brief period,” the order said. Though NAB asked for the temporary waiver until the FCC rules on the longer term request, the order limited it to six months because “grant of a temporary waiver that does not include a specific time period would be inconsistent with our prior actions in this area,” the order said. “Consistent with prior waivers, we continue to strongly encourage broadcasters to provide the critical details of graphically displayed emergency information in an accessible manner whenever possible during the pendency of this waiver.”
It's "not too late" for Nevada to change course on its BEAD plan, Information Technology & Innovation Foundation Director-Broadband and Spectrum Policy Joe Kane blogged Thursday. Kane said the state's provisional choices for allocating its funding, which required NTIA approval, "reflect a misunderstanding of the digital divide." The state could deploy high-speed low-earth-orbit satellite service for $600 per location. "Nevada could use savings from a more reasonable deployment plan to provide a similar affordability benefit to its low-income residents" as the FCC's affordable connectivity program, he said. Nevada's Office of Science, Innovation & Technology didn't comment. Kane also urged NTIA to revise its fiber preference in BEAD program rules (see 2412130011). NTIA should stop its "irrational preferencing of fiber deployments and require that states choose the most economical technologies to complete deployment so that leftover funds can address more widespread and serious causes of the digital divide," he said.
The FCC Wireline Bureau approved a limited waiver for Virginia’s RiverStreet Communications of the FCC’s Rural Digital Opportunity Fund milestone and noncompliance rules, relieving it of RDOF obligations to serve all eligible census blocks within the census block groups (CBGs) covered by RiverStreet’s winning bids, said an order in Friday’s Daily Digest. The order relieves RiverStreet of the obligation to serve all census blocks in New Kent County, Virginia. The relief will “prevent duplication” with buildout commitments made by Cox Communications to serve all the locations within those CBGs, the order said. The waiver “will further our interagency coordination efforts by avoiding duplication of public funding and maximizing the use of public funds to support high-speed broadband service to as many unserved consumers as possible,” it added.
Providers with more than 100,000 voice service subscriber lines must comply with FCC rules protecting the privacy of calls and texts to domestic violence hotlines by Aug. 20, 2025, said the Wireline Bureau in a public notice Friday. The PN includes database specifications that service providers will use to identify calls and text messages that are bound for domestic violence hotlines -- the November 2023 order implementing the 2022 Safe Connections Act (see 2311150042) pegged the implementation deadline to the release of the database. Smaller providers have a later deadline, defined as 14 months from publication of Friday’s PN. The bureau will later release one or more additional public notices announcing the download file naming convention for the database, the means by which Service Providers can arrange secure access to the download file, and the availability of the initial database download file for testing, the PN said.
Securus Technologies received a waiver until Sept. 1 of the incarcerated people's communications service per-minute pricing rules, according to an order in Friday's Daily Digest. The FCC Wireline Bureau said in the order it's waiving the rules while Securus completes development of a video IPCS platform that can bill on a per-minute basis.
Incoming House Commerce Committee Chairman Brett Guthrie, R-Ky., said Friday he selected Rep. Richard Hudson, R-N.C., as Communications Subcommittee chairman for the next Congress, as expected (see 2412170053). Rep. Rick Allen, R-Ga., will be the subcommittee’s vice chairman, Guthrie said. Hudson was a House Communications member during the last Congress but moved off in 2023. He is a Next-Generation 911 Caucus co-chair and last year championed allocating $14.8 billion in future FCC auction proceeds to pay for NG-911 tech upgrades (see 2305240069) as part of House Commerce’s Spectrum Auction Reauthorization Act (HR-3565). Hudson's “expertise will help propel our country into the next generation economy,” Guthrie said. Hudson “will close the digital divide for rural America, affirm U.S. leadership in next generation telecommunication networks, and protect our critical communications infrastructure from adversarial attacks.” Hudson said he plans to work with Guthrie, President-elect Donald Trump and other House Commerce members “to advance strong, commonsense policies that promote innovation, streamline federal regulations, and bridge the digital divide.” He will replace current Communications Chairman Bob Latta, R-Ohio, who was term-limited from seeking the gavel again and will instead lead the Energy Subcommittee. Guthrie said House Innovation Subcommittee Chairman Gus Bilirakis, R-Fla., will continue leading what will be renamed next Congress the Commerce, Manufacturing and Trade Subcommittee. Several communications industry groups released brief statements congratulating Hudson on his selection as the Communications chairman. Hudson and Allen “understand the importance of ubiquitous connectivity, especially in service of rural, un-served and under-resourced communities; and the need for balanced spectrum and light touch regulatory policies which boost broad-based innovation while also being small-business friendly,” said Wireless ISP Association Vice President-Government Affairs Matt Mandel. USTelecom CEO Jonathan Spalter said the broadband industry is “excited to work with [Hudson], his team and his subcommittee to turbocharge the next phase of American connectivity, innovation and technology leadership.” NTCA CEO Shirley Bloomfield said the group “and its members, including those who live in and serve communities in Rep. Hudson’s district, look forward to working with him to ensure that rural Americans have access to high-quality, affordable and sustainable broadband networks.”