Backers of federal funding for next-generation 911 tech upgrades told us they remain hopeful that lawmakers will reach an agreement on a spectrum title in a budget reconciliation measure that allocates some revenue from future FCC sales to those projects. GOP leaders have been pushing to reserve that money entirely as an offset for tax cuts initially enacted during the first Trump administration (see 2502190068). Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Ted Cruz of Texas and other Republicans are emphasizing auction proceeds as a reconciliation funding source after repeatedly opposing several spectrum packages during the last Congress that used the potential money to pay for a range of telecom projects (see 2308100058).
A notice of inquiry on the upper C-band and an NPRM on a proposed AWS-3 auction saw calls for changes from the drafts that FCC Chairman Brendan Carr circulated. However, industry officials said they expected only limited tweaks, with a vote scheduled at Thursday's open meeting.
NCTA President Michael Powell is retiring by year-end, the cable industry group said Thursday. He has held the position since spring 2011. Powell, 61, spent a term as FCC commissioner, starting in November 2007, and then served as chairman from 2001 through March 2005. Powell's "strategic insight and commitment have shaped the cable industry’s most significant achievements, and his leadership will be greatly missed," NCTA board Chairman and Cox Communications President Mark Greatrex said. NCTA said it would begin a national search for a successor.
FCC Chairman Brendan Carr told reporters Wednesday that he gave the 175-member House-side Republican Study Committee a “soup-to-nuts” closed-door briefing on his agenda, which participants said also touched on his opinion of the commission’s actions under former Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel that drew frequent GOP derision. The House Commerce Committee, meanwhile, voted 29-19 along party lines late Tuesday night to adopt its oversight plan for the 119th Congress after a sometimes-rancorous debate over Democrats’ unsuccessful amendment that would expand the panel’s scrutiny of the FCC to include investigating “any instances in which the Commission or its officers, employees, or agents engages in or facilitates censorship or otherwise interferes with” freedom of speech (see 2502250065).
FCC Chairman Brendan Carr appoints Bradley Craigmyle, formerly U.S. House of Representatives, as the agency's deputy general counsel ... Changes at Ericsson: Per Narvinger is promoted to executive vice president and replaces Fredrik Jejdling as head-business area networks; Jenny Lindqvist becomes head-business area cloud software and services; Yossi Cohen promoted to head-market area Americas; Patrick Johansson advanced to head-market area Europe, Middle East and Africa … DLA Piper taps Julie Kearney, ex-FCC, as co-chair-space exploration and innovation practice and partner-telecom group … Rep. Haley Stevens, D-Mich., named House co-chair of Congressional Internet Caucus ... Telesat Government Solutions adds Wayne Sullens, ex-Aerospace Corp., as senior director-U.S. government programs.
The FCC made clear in denying Intelsat reimbursement costs related to an earth station site outside the U.S. that C-band relocation expenses involving foreign facilities aren't reimbursable, the C-band relocation payment clearinghouse (RPC) said Tuesday. In a docket 21-333 reply to Anuvu, the RPC said the agency's language is clear that the Intelsat denial also covers Anuvu's German earth station. In its appeal of the RPC's initial denial of $961,000 in reimbursement claims, Anuvu said the Intelsat language addresses a specific proposal involving construction of new satellite telemetry, tracking and control facilities, and not all types of potential transition expenses.
FCC Administrative Law Judge Jane Halprin should rule that low-power radio and TV station owner Antonio Cesar Guel lacks the character to hold an FCC license and order him to cease and desist from “operating, controlling, managing or providing any assistance” to any FCC-licensed station, said the Enforcement Bureau in filings in the hearing proceeding (docket 23-267) posted this week. “The preponderance of the evidence” shows that Guel engaged in a sham transfer of his stations to his 17-year-old niece, falsely claimed to be an American citizen repeatedly, and made multiple false statements to the agency for years, even during the current ALJ proceeding, the EB said. Guel has also admitted to many, but not all, of the allegations against him and unsuccessfully sought a summary judgment order to end the proceeding. In depositions and testimony during the hearing proceeding, Guel, his niece and his daughter Maria Guel gave multiple conflicting statements about Antonio Guel’s relationship and level of control of multiple companies and licensees, including Mekaddesh Group Corporation, the Hispanic Family Christian Network and the Hispanic Christian Community Network. All those entities operate from the same address. “Given Mr. Guel’s pattern of brazen material misrepresentations to the Commission,” a cease and desist order “is not only legally authorized, it is necessary,” the EB said. The bureau's filings also ask Halprin to impose a forfeiture against Guel.
Summit Ridge updated the FCC on the pending closure of the 3.45 GHz relocation reimbursement clearinghouse (see 2501070073), expected this weekend. “Summit Ridge will deliver an audit of Clearinghouse financials covering the period from March 15, 2024 (the ending date of the prior audited financials) through closing … no later than March 15,” said a filing posted Tuesday in docket 19-348. All band incumbents “have been reimbursed for the approved clearing costs and have confirmed they have no additional costs to submit or objections to raise.” Summit Ridge will "follow any remaining wind-down activities as instructed” by the Wireless Bureau, the filing said.
Rural Wireless Association representatives discussed 5G Fund issues, including the importance of waiting for the BEAD program to play out before deciding where money is most needed, in a meeting with an aide to FCC Chairman Brendan Carr. RWA also asked that the FCC “not take into account areas where T-Mobile plans to build 5G … as part of the conditional approval of its acquisition of Sprint,” said a filing this week in docket 20-32. “RWA noted that T-Mobile's six-year 5G deployment milestone deadlines, pursuant to the T-Mobile-Sprint merger approval, end on April 1, 2026,” the filing said. That deadline is 13 months away, “and by the time a reverse auction is initiated, these deadlines will have passed making any such pre-auction commitments unnecessary and incredibly anticompetitive.” RWA discussed the benefits of waiting for supplemental coverage from space to “develop beyond text messaging and voice services and how this emerging mobility service can enhance connectivity in underserved areas cost effectively without the need” for 5G Fund support.
Federated Wireless executives spoke with an aide to FCC Commissioner Geoffrey Starks about the company’s support for some changes to citizens broadband radio service rules, but its opposition to allowing some devices to operate at higher power levels. Federated “articulated its support for codification of the processes that are being used to manage CBRS spectrum access, greater harmonization of the CBRS rules with adjacent bands, and strengthening of the rules that would facilitate use of AI and other advanced tools to maximize efficient use of CBRS spectrum by a wide range of use cases and business models,” said a filing posted Tuesday in docket 17-258. Federated has been making the rounds at the FCC, with company representatives meeting last week with an aide to Chairman Brendan Carr.