The FCC should retain its current citizens broadband radio service (CBRS) rules, said Cambium Networks in a letter posted in docket 17-258 Monday. “Increases to permitted power in some or all of the band would undermine deployments that are providing vital services to American communities.” Reallocating portions of the CBRS band or increasing the maximum power would require Cambium to replace its equipment “at significant operator and consumer expense,” the company said. “Further, permitting significantly higher power levels would lead to waste in [the] BEAD program, as existing CBRS equipment supporting fixed wireless BEAD deployments would need to be replaced and such costs have not been included in BEAD,” Cambium added. “It is inconsistent for the federal government to make billions of dollars available for broadband deployment and expect recipients to invest their own capital, at the same time that it calls into question the usefulness of the most relied-upon spectrum for broadband deployment.”
The FCC Wireline Bureau is seeking comment on Somos' petition for rulemaking about modernizing the numbering assignment, administration and routing rules (see 2509260016), according to a public notice released Monday. The petition, filed in September, urged the FCC to transition number assignment to an all-IP system to combat cyberattacks. Comments are due Jan. 7 replies Feb. 6, in docket RM-12012.
The FCC's supplemental coverage from space (SCS) rules framework, adopted in 2024 (see 2403140050), tackled critical issues but is ready for an update, SpaceX Vice President of Satellite Policy David Goldman said Monday at a seminar in Washington organized by ForumGlobal. Also discussed at the event was use of terrestrial versus satellite spectrum for direct-to-device (D2D) service.
The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday signaled a willingness to uphold President Donald Trump’s firing of FTC Commissioner Rebecca Kelly Slaughter, a decision that liberal justices said could totally upend existing structures at independent agencies like the FTC and the FCC (see 2511280002).
Paramount Skydance announced a hostile takeover bid Monday to buy WBD, offering $30 each for all outstanding shares of the company. The move follows the announcement that Netflix struck an $82.7 billion deal last week to purchase WBD (see 2512050046). One analyst said he sees President Donald Trump's heavy involvement in the fight over WBD as an advantage for Paramount over Netflix.
Changes at Apple: Jennifer Newstead, ex-Meta, joins as senior vice president in January and becomes general counsel March 1, replacing Kate Adams, who retires late next year; Lisa Jackson, vice president for environment, policy and social initiatives, retires in late January, with her team moving under Adams and then Newstead … Broadband investment firm Grain Management names former FCC Commissioner Geoffrey Starks to its board of senior advisors.
The Media Bureau has extended the deadline for broadcasters to comply with the FCC’s foreign-sponsored content rules until June 7, said a public notice Friday. “Only new leases and renewals of existing leases entered into on or after the compliance date must comply with the rule modifications,” it said. The deadline had been set for Monday.
The Media and Democracy Project (MAD) petitioned the FCC to deny the renewal of a Fox-owned earth station as a continuation of its prior efforts against the license of WTXF Philadelphia.
Funds for Learning filed at the FCC its “2025 E-rate Trends Report,” which concluded that E-rate “remains essential and dependable, with more than 97% of respondents describing it as vital to their mission.” In the report, posted Friday in docket 02-6, the group also found that E-rate applicants “continue to experience financial strain, citing rising bandwidth, equipment, and security costs.” Cybersecurity, redundancy and network protection are “critical needs that many institutions struggle to fund.”
Wireless ISPs continued to weigh in at the FCC last week to oppose major changes to rules for the citizens broadband radio service band (see 2512010052). Questions remain about the future of the band, with some wireless carriers looking at the spectrum for full-powered licensed use, and others urging higher power levels for some operations (see 2511260031).