Communications Daily is tracking the lawsuits below involving appeals of FCC actions.
Saying China-affiliated parties have compromised telecom networks, stolen customer call record data and accessed private communications of senior U.S. officials, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) on Wednesday issued mobile communications best practices guidance that it said mirrors advice it's giving federal agencies and Congress. "There is no single solution," but the guidance's content will enhance security, Jeff Greene, executive assistant director-cybersecurity, DHS' CISA, told press members.
The FCC’s Communications Security, Reliability and Interoperability Council’s working groups are making progress toward providing the agency with reports on AI security concerns, ensuring access to 911 as networks evolve and offering recommendations for 6G security, said the group leads during Wednesday’s CSRIC meeting. The groups are on pace to deliver several reports in 2025 and 2026, with the first -- on AI, machine learning and the specific security concerns they bring to communications networks -- due in March. “We believe this is a complex task,” said working group co-Chair Vijay Gurbani, Vail Systems' chief data scientist.
Backers of the revised AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act (HR-8449) signaled Wednesday they want to move swiftly on the proposal next year after congressional leaders didn't reach a deal to include it in a continuing resolution that extends federal appropriations through March 14. The CR released Tuesday night includes language from the NTIA Reauthorization Act (HR-4510) and several other telecom and tech bills. Meanwhile, the Senate voted 85-15 Wednesday to pass the FY 2025 National Defense Authorization Act (HR-5009) with language that would authorize the AWS-3 reauction to offset $3.08 billion in funding for the FCC’s Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Reimbursement Program (see 2412070001).
Federal appellate Judge Robert Luck repeatedly expressed skepticism Wednesday about the one-to-one robotext consent policy the FCC adopted a year ago (see 2312130019). During roughly 33 minutes of oral argument before the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals (docket 24-10277), Luck and Matthew Dunne from the FCC Office of General Counsel repeatedly circled around the issue of whether the agency went too far in implementation. The Insurance Marketing Coalition (IMC) is challenging the FCC order, arguing that the agency exceeded its Telephone Consumer Protection Act statutory authority (see 2405170005). Some observers had predicted the FCC could face an 11th Circuit having particular misgivings regarding regulatory agency reach (see 2412060029).
The new Space Age, driven increasingly by commercial actors rather than superpowers, needs more competition and competitors, FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel said Tuesday. "Our economy doesn’t benefit from monopolies," Rosenworcel told the audience at the SIA's DOD commercial satcom workshop in Crystal City, Virginia. Since space is "a challenging industry to enter," more effort is needed to ease the path for additional investors, innovators and competitors, she said. After her address, Rosenworcel declined to elaborate on her competition comments, but in the past she has said SpaceX poses a monopolistic threat (see 2409110014). Rosenworcel's address was largely a victory lap as she recapped space-related actions the FCC has undertaken during her administration. She said the agency "made real progress" on space-related priorities she laid out early in her term: revising rules, promoting innovation and protecting space sustainability. She said the Space Bureau creation signaled to other nations that they need to collaborate with the U.S. on space. Staffing the bureau and adding engineers and policy experts allowed the agency to be quicker and more nimble as a regulator, said Rosenworcel, noting it processed 74% more applications in 2023 than 2022.
Opponents of Skydance Media's proposed purchase of Paramount Global raised red flags over the buyer's alleged Chinese government ties and over possible sexual harassment issues. Petitions were filed in a new round of pleadings surrounding the $8 billion deal (see 2411150058). Center for American Rights petitioned the FCC that M&A approval includes conditions that New Paramount commits to addressing issues concerning Tencent Holdings, a Chinese company with alleged close ties to the Chinese Communist Party. Tencent is a major Skydance shareholder and CAR wants assurances Skydance will protect New Paramount from foreign influence. CAR also said the agency should condition approval on New Paramount addressing news bias and lack of viewpoint diversity in CBS' news operation and amending hiring and promotion policies that CAR alleges discriminate against white people. LiveVideo.AI petitioned that the agency should deny the transaction based on Jeff Shell's becoming New Paramount's president. Shell was fired from Comcast for inappropriate conduct with a female employee (see 2304240009). "There is a high likelihood that more female employees will be put in harm's way if this merger goes through without proper precautions and safeguards in place," it said.
T-Mobile has started soliciting beta test users for its supplemental coverage from space service, offered in partnership with SpaceX. "T-Mobile Starlink beta is coming soon," the wireless carrier said on its website. "Register now for a limited number of openings to beta-test satellite-powered messaging." The FCC Space Bureau gave a nod in November to T-Mobile and SpaceX commencing commercial operations (see 2411260043).
The FCC Wireline Bureau has granted the petitions of two carriers that sought to expand their Lifeline footprint, said an order in Tuesday’s Daily Digest. It granted requests for expanded designations as eligible telecommunications carriers from Conexon Connect for Florida and Scott County Telephone Cooperative in Tennessee and Virginia. The carriers were already designated as ETCs in their respective states in areas where they were authorized to receive Rural Digital Opportunity Fund support, but Tuesday’s order expands the areas in which they can participate in Lifeline. Conexon and SCTC’s petitions drew no opposition filings, the order said.
The Senate voted 83-12 Monday night to invoke cloture on the House-passed FY 2025 National Defense Authorization Act (HR-5009) with language that would authorize the AWS-3 reauction to offset $3.08 billion in funding for the FCC’s Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Reimbursement Program (see 2412110067). The chamber hadn't scheduled a final vote on the measure as of Tuesday afternoon, but it's expected to happen Wednesday. Meanwhile, House Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash., hailed the chamber's passage Monday (see 2412160062) of the Promoting U.S. Wireless Leadership Act (HR-1377), an amended version of the Expediting Federal Broadband Deployment Reviews Act (HR-3293) and Federal Broadband Deployment Tracking Act (HR-3343). “Bureaucracy and red tape have stopped too many Americans from accessing high-speed broadband,” Rodgers said. “I am proud of the work" of House Commerce members “to advance bipartisan priorities to speed up broadband deployment and close America’s digital divide. I want to thank these members for their commitment to these bills that will promote innovation and support American technological leadership in years to come.”