The FCC has created an internal, multi-bureau national security taskforce “to promote America’s national security and counter foreign adversaries, particularly the threats posed by the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and Chinese Communist Party (CCP),” said FCC Chairman Brendan Carr in a news release Thursday. Called the Council for National Security, the group will include members from eight bureaus and FCC offices. Carr’s national security counsel, Adam Chan, will lead the group, the release said. It didn't specify which bureaus and offices will be involved, and the agency didn’t immediately respond to questions about the group's makeup or whether it will hold public meetings.
Oral argument in broadcasters’ legal challenge of the FCC’s 2018 quadrennial review order (docket 24-1380) will take place in the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals next week, the first time in decades that the 3rd Circuit won't hear the recurring battle.
Advocates of keeping most of the current rules for the citizens broadband radio service (CBRS) band intact have been playing defense since the start of President Donald Trump's administration and the ascension of Brendan Carr to chairman of the FCC. Carr has said little in recent weeks but went on record in the past urging an examination of higher power levels, which some view as a threat to growing use of the band.
The FCC Office of Managing Director announced Thursday a proposed Q2 USF contribution factor of 36.6%, as calculated by the Universal Service Administrative Co. That’s up from 36.3% the previous quarter and the highest quarterly contribution factor in the program's history. Meanwhile, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear FCC v. Consumers’ Research March 26, a case about the contribution factor's legality.
CTIA names Ajit Pai, ex-Searchlight Capital Partners and former FCC chairman, president and CEO, effective April 1... Benton Institute for Broadband & Society promotes Revati Prasad to executive director, effective May 1, succeeding Adrianne Furniss, moving to senior fellow, Illinois program manager and adviser to Prasad.
Amazon expects to slightly decrease the number of satellites in its planned V- and Ku-band Kuiper satellite network. In an FCC Satellite Bureau application posted Wednesday, it said its plans now call for 38 fewer satellites in the three systems that will make up the V- and Ku-band Kuiper network. The company also said it wants to add the 17.3-17.8 GHz frequencies to the bands the Kuiper network will use and to expand the use of certain Ka- and V-band frequencies to other parts of the systems. Amazon said its first-generation V- and Ku-band Kuipers would number 3,232, instead of 3,236, its second-gen Kuiper system would number 3,212 instead of 3,236, and its polar orbit Kuipers would number 1,292 instead of 1,302.
The Media Bureau on Tuesday granted a waiver of the top four prohibition to allow Gray Media to buy Fox affiliate KXLT-TV Rochester, Minnesota, even though it already owns NBC affiliate KTTC-TV Rochester in the same market, said a letter from Video Division Chief Barbara Kreisman. While FCC rules have allowed for top four waivers on a case-by-case basis for several years, they have rarely been granted. “Today’s action represents the first FCC approval of a new combination of two full-power, top-four ranked, same-market television stations in over five years,” said Gray in a news release. “Importantly, the FCC’s Media Bureau’s grant and written decision come just two months after the parties applied for approval of the transaction, which appears to represent the shortest processing time for a duopoly waiver in Commission history.” Gray’s proposed purchase of a top four combo in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, sat stalled at the FCC for 11 months before being abruptly granted in 2019, shortly after the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled against the agency’s 2014 quadrennial review order (see 1909250064).
The FCC's February 2024 robocall and robotext order (see 2402160048) that stops consumers from receiving unwanted messages seems overly broad, going even beyond what consumers want, according to financial organizations. In a docket 02-278 filing Wednesday recapping a meeting with FCC Chairman Brendan Carr's office, the institutions said that under the order, a consumer who replies "stop" to revoke consent for a type of message from a financial institution will stop all other phone or text communications from it. In addition, the order's requirements about processing revocations sent to one business unit so that all business units must stop calling or texting is "substantial work," especially for big institutions with numerous business units and separate calling systems. And they said the effective date for this provision of the order -- April 4 -- was set in October, giving only six months for implementation. The agency should waive revocation rules for one year, to April 11, 2026, they said. Meeting with Carr's office were representatives of the American Bankers Association, America’s Credit Unions, American Financial Services Association, ACA International -- formerly the American Collectors Association -- and Mortgage Bankers Association.
The FCC is asking for comments March 31, replies April 14, on the AWS-3 NPRM that commissioners approved 4-0 last month (see 2502270042), according to a notice for Thursday’s Federal Register. Comments are due April 10, replies April 25, on the bidding procedures notice (see 2503110061). New Street’s Blair Levin told us in an email that it makes sense for the FCC to release the AWS-3 notice while an NPRM on the auction is in progress. “The AWS-3 proceeding will be one of the easiest FCC auction proceedings ever,” Levin said. “After all, pretty much all the issues have been addressed before. So there is little need to wait for the NPRM,” and “there is a congressional clock ticking.” Comments should be filed in dockets 25-70, 25-71 or 13-185.
AT&T is in pursuit of additional spectrum, CFO Pascal Desroches said at a Deutsche Bank financial conference Tuesday, the same day the FCC released a notice seeking comment on the procedures for an AWS-3 auction (see 2503110061). “If you're in the wireless business, you're always interested in acquiring spectrum because it's the best, most cost-effective way to provide coverage and capacity, and the returns on it are proven and true,” Desroches said. “We would always be interested if more spectrum became available.”