The FCC Wireline Bureau on Wednesday adopted the National Exchange Carrier Association's recommendations on proposed changes to the USF cost per loop (CPL) formula. The bureau sought comment in September, and none was received (see 2409190029), it said. “We find that NECA’s results and CPL calculations appear to be accurate and complete, and the proposed [high-cost loop support] formula should reasonably approximate the CPL of the sample average schedule companies, and thereby allocate funds appropriately to average schedule companies.”
FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr answered press questions about TikTok and the Department of Government Efficiency after Wednesday’s FCC open meeting (see 2412110040). Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel didn’t hold a news conference Wednesday due to a scheduling conflict. Carr said that Congress offered TikTok “many paths forward that don’t require the app to be shut down” in legislation that requires it change owners or cease operating in the U.S. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit recently ruled against the company’s challenge of that law. “At this point I’m letting that process run out,” Carr said. In addition, Carr said he hasn’t had discussions with representatives of the planned Department of Government Efficiency about possible FCC cuts, but he anticipates doing so next year. There are "lots of opportunities ... [for] synergies at the FCC, even operating on our own if DOGE was never or is never set up, to look to push for greater efficiency.” For example, he said the FCC could seek more efficiency in permitting. Spending money on broadband projects but not easing the permitting process is “stepping on the gas and the brakes at the same time,” Carr said. He also discussed the Salt Typhoon hack, saying “we never should have been in this situation where these networks are compromised at this level” (see 2412110067).
Boston is saying amen to comments that Fairfax County, Virginia, submitted this week about the FCC's customer service requirements notice of inquiry. Noting Fairfax's arguments countering the cable industry's assertion that FCC action isn't needed on broad service provider customer service requirements (see 2412100010), Boston said it was "disheartening" that cable operators would rather reduce customer service as a way of cutting costs rather than try to attract new customers.
Communications Daily is tracking the lawsuits below involving appeals of FCC actions. New cases since the last update are marked with a *.
FCC commissioners unanimously approved an order Wednesday amending the commission's letter of credit (LOC) rules for providers receiving high-cost USF support, moving away from reliance on the Weiss rating system. The order affects participants in the Connect America Fund Phase II and Rural Digital Opportunity Fund programs and those receiving support for Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands. The order saw tweaks at the request of Commissioner Anna Gomez, officials said.
Senate Commerce Committee ranking member Ted Cruz, R-Texas, during a Wednesday Communications Subcommittee hearing criticized FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel’s draft declaratory ruling last week finding that Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act Section (CALEA) Section 105 requires telecom carriers to secure their networks against cyberattacks (see 2412050044). Republican FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr, President-elect Donald Trump’s pick to become chairman Jan. 20, told reporters Wednesday he believes the commission’s response to the Salt Typhoon Chinese government-affiliated effort at hacking U.S. telecom networks (see 2411190073) should focus on continuing to “closely” coordinate with other federal cyber-related agencies and identify vulnerabilities to the private sector.
Communications industry lobbyists told us they expect President-elect Donald Trump to soon follow his pair of Tuesday night FTC selections (see 2412100073) with a nominee for the FCC seat Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel plans to vacate Jan. 20. The lobbyists mentioned Arielle Roth, telecom policy director for Senate Commerce ranking member Ted Cruz, R-Texas, as the apparent front-runner for the nomination, though the Trump team hasn’t yet made a final decision. Trump said Tuesday he’s picking Republican FTC Commissioner Andrew Ferguson as permanent chair of the commission and will nominate Mark Meador, a former antitrust staffer for Senate Antitrust Subcommittee ranking member Mike Lee, R-Utah., to the commission seat that Chair Lina Khan currently holds.
FCC commissioners, as expected, approved unanimously (see 2412090047) an order that expands the parts of the 6 GHz band where new very-low-power (VLP) devices are permitted to operate without coordination. In addition, commissioners Wednesday approved 5-0 an NPRM proposing updates for broadcast radio and TV rules. The open meeting was the penultimate with Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel at the helm.
Lynk Global wants its non-geostationary orbit license to include authority for supplemental coverage from space (SCS) operations in the 845.1-845.3 MHz and 890.1-890.3 MHz frequencies throughout Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands. In an FCC Space Bureau application posted Tuesday, Lynk said it has SCS regulatory approvals in more than 30 countries and is deployed commercially via more than 40 mobile network operator commercial service contracts covering approximately 50 countries. The company said it is "well prepared to provide commercial service in the U.S." and that it has a lease agreement with Docomo, a terrestrial wireless licensee that holds all co-channel licenses throughout the Guam/Northern Mariana Islands region. Moreover, Lynk said its SCS operations are compatible with those in the leased frequencies. It said Docomo holds all the Channel Block A licensed frequencies in that region and is the only party that can operate in this spectrum and geographic location.
The prospects for achieving broadcast ownership deregulation are “better than at any point in the recent past” under the incoming administration of President-elect Donald Trump, said Nexstar CEO Perry Sook in a Q&A during the UBS Global Communications Conference. Sook said Monday he expects a congressional effort will scrap the 39% broadcast ownership cap and implement internal FCC changes that will ease rules on broadcasters within the first six months of the new administration. Incoming FCC head and current Commissioner Brendan Carr “gets it,” Sook said. “We've been in contact with him, and will continue to be in close contact.” Sook said that Carr’s repeated statements on taking away broadcast licenses and holding broadcasters to a public interest standard are aimed at NBC, CBS and ABC. “I think there is some animus or frustration with some of the networks for some of their content decisions.” However, Sook downplayed the threat. “FCC chairmen can't really unilaterally revoke licenses,” he said. “Now you can use your pulpit to commence hearings ... and ... make people's lives more expensive and more difficult, but unilaterally removing licenses is not really within the cards.” Along with Carr, Sook said Nexstar discussed deregulation with Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La. Unlike previous pushes to change the national cap, the broadcast TV groups support completely removing it this time, Sook said. “The industry itself is united around the need and not divided as to what the right number is.” Carr could spur TV market consolidation simply by signaling that waivers allowing top-four duopolies would be more liberally granted, Sook said, adding it’s a move he could make without a majority at the commission. Sook is also looking to Carr to eliminate the simulcast requirement for the ATSC 3.0 transition and establish a date certain to end ATSC 1.0. “We are spending time working with both the legislative and the executive branch to try and affect these changes.”