AT&T suffered a wireless outage Tuesday night that apparently started in the Southeast and spread throughout the U.S., based on social media and other reports. A software issue caused the outage, which was resolved, AT&T said Wednesday. The FCC is investigating, a spokesperson emailed.
The FCC approved an order establishing a multi-round reverse auction to pay out up to $9 billion to bring voice and 5G mobile broadband service to rural areas of the U.S. otherwise unlikely to see 5G. The vote was 4-1, with a dissent by Commissioner Brendan Carr. The commission plans a public notice to announce the start date of the auction. It also released a Further NPRM on related tribal issues.
The consortium led by media executive Edgar Bronfman bidding on a takeover of Paramount Global (see 2408220055) has withdrawn its bid, the media company said Monday night. That ends the "go shop" period laid out in the terms of Skydance Media's bid for the company, Paramount said. During the go shop period, Paramount was free to solicit other bids. Charles Phillips, chair of the Paramount board M&A special committee, said the Skydance bid "delivers immediate value and the potential for continued participation in value creation in a rapidly evolving industry landscape." Paramount said the Skydance transaction is expected to close in the first half of 2025, subject to regulatory approvals and other customary closing conditions. A Skydance/Paramount deal is not expected to face significant FCC or antitrust headwinds (see 2407080025).
The 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals’ precedent and the Communications Act should prevent the court from approving Gray Television’s motion (see 2408140057) that calls for filings on whether U.S. Supreme Court’s SEC v. Jarkesy ruling on agency enforcement actions (see 2407250030) should apply in Gray’s appeal of a $518,000 FCC forfeiture order, the FCC said in a response filing Monday. “That is a wholly new issue in this case,” the FCC said, arguing that Gray could have challenged the FCC’s enforcement authority earlier in the case, when the Jarkesy litigation was ongoing. “Instead, Gray waited until six weeks after the Supreme Court’s decision in Jarkesy—when this case had long been briefed and argued—to seek leave to challenge the FCC’s enforcement procedures for the first time,” the FCC said. “This Court has repeatedly declined to consider new claims in analogous circumstances.” Gray never suggested in prior filings in the case that the FCC’s enforcement proceeding was invalid because Gray was entitled to a jury trial, the FCC said. The Communications Act “forecloses judicial review of issues on which the FCC had no ‘opportunity to pass’ during the administrative proceeding,” the FCC said.
The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals granted the FCC's unopposed motion to stay its ruling in favor of Consumers' Research's USF contributions challenge pending the commission's petition for a writ of certiorari before the U.S. Supreme Court in an order Monday (docket 22-60008). The stay will expire Oct. 1, the order said. The FCC said in its motion that the Solicitor General "recently authorized the filing of a petition," adding that the decision "threatens to disrupt the operation of a multi-billion-dollar subsidy program."
The Rural Wireless Association supported the Competitive Carriers Association's arguments questioning the FCC’s proposed methodology for a 5G Fund (see 2408050037) in a filing posted Tuesday in docket 20-32. RWA members “are similarly concerned with the 5G Rural Fund framework and see the need for significant rule changes before final adoption,” the group said. “RWA also agrees with CCA that the FCC should: (1) increase the 5G Rural Fund budget to meet its statutory obligations; and (2) define 5G service at a 35/3 Mbps speed threshold for purposes of determining where 5G coverage exists,” the filing said.
NCTA criticized the FCC’s Paperwork Reduction Act analysis in its November order protecting consumers from SIM swapping and port-out fraud (see 2311150042). In addition, it asked the agency to reissue the notice “with more detailed burden and cost analysis.” NCTA said it “appreciates the important goals” and commission efforts “to protect mobile wireless customers from fraudulent schemes,” in a filing Monday in docket 21-341. NCTA said the agency should “reexamine information and evidence submitted by NCTA and other industry groups demonstrating the much greater burden these new rules place on providers.”
The FCC Wireless Bureau on Tuesday approved a January request by PTC-220 for authority to operate 76 positive train control radio base stations, using automated maritime telecommunications system spectrum covering the Northern Atlantic region. “Today’s action will enable PTC-220’s member railroads to deploy Congressionally-mandated, interoperable PTC and related (non-PTC) rail safety systems on rail lines serving 53 counties in New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania,” the bureau said. Its order notes PTC-220 will use the upper portion of the spectrum block at 219.5-220 MHz, adjacent to its 220 MHz spectrum. PTC-220 member railroads “will use the AMTS spectrum to implement two additional PTC common channels, which will improve system reliability and safety,” the order said.
Apple representatives explained the company’s approach to a geofenced variable power (GVP) device class in the 6 GHz band and how its proposal differs from the FCC proposal for geofencing in the band (see 2407080024) during a meeting with top FCC Office of Engineering and Technology staff. “Our GVP proposal closely aligns with the FCC’s geofencing proposal but recommends a higher operating power limit,” said a filing posted Tuesday in docket 18-295. Apple proposes “two discrete power levels” at +1 dBm/MHz power spectral density (PSD) and +8 dBm/MHz PSD," both with an equivalent isotropically radiated power limit of 21 dBm. “We revised our initial dynamic power level proposal in response to the record to make the geofencing system even simpler,” the company said.
Anterix representatives spoke with an aide to FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr asking for action on a rulemaking authorizing 5/5 MHz broadband deployments in the 900 MHz band (see 2405210041). “The Petition is premised on the recommendation that all relocation from the current narrowband segments be on an entirely voluntary basis and that there be continued interference protection for incumbents,” said a filing posted Tuesday in docket 24-99.