The White House is pausing plans for President Donald Trump to finalize a draft executive order that would direct NTIA to potentially curtail non-deployment funding from the $42.5 billion BEAD program for states that the administration determines to have AI laws that are overly burdensome (see 2511190069), lobbyists told us. The Trump administration had appeared ready to formally issue the order Friday but was aware of renewed interest among some congressional Republicans in pursuing a legislative preemption of states’ AI laws. The White House didn't comment.
Industry groups and companies don’t want the FCC to overhaul emergency alerting, but public safety communications officials are calling on the agency to expand alerting to streaming and additional devices, according to reply comments posted last week (docket 25-224) in response to an August NPRM (see 2508070037). CTIA, NAB, T-Mobile and alerting equipment manufacturer Digital Alert Systems said wireless emergency alerts (WEAs) and the emergency alert system (EAS) already meet the FCC’s objectives. However, the Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials (APCO) said alerts need to be delivered through the media platforms that people most commonly use.
Groups representing financial institutions called on the FCC to impose tougher Stir/Shaken rules in comments filed last week (docket 17-97) in response to a Wireline Bureau request (see 2508280040). Telecom industry groups and companies also sought tweaks to how illegal robocalls are addressed, through Stir/Shaken and beyond.
FCC Chairman Brendan Carr announces retirements: Warren Firschein, attorney adviser to the managing director; Allen Hill, chief information officer; and Veronica Etheridge, Consumer & Governmental Affairs Bureau analyst … WISPA selects Josh Luthman, Imagine Networks, as chairman, replacing Matt Larsen, Vistabeam; Jeff Broadwick, CTIconnect, as vice chairman, replacing Keefe John, Ethoplex; and Ryan Grewell, Nextlink, as treasurer, replacing Jason Guzzo, Hudson Valley Wireless; Spencer Pous, BluBroadband, remains secretary; also elected to board: Mark Radabaugh, Amplex Internet; TJ Scott, Broadlinc; and Nathan Stooke, Wisper … Ericsson names Matthew Rhoades, formerly Office of the Director of National Intelligence, as director of government and advocacy policy, a new position … Aegis Aerospace adds president to the title of Chief Strategy Officer Matt Ondler, effective Jan. 1, replacing Bill Hollister, retiring in mid-2026 but remaining as chief technology officer through the transition … Network tech supplier Telescent taps Trevor Roots, ex-Jariet Technologies, as CFO, a new position.
The FCC may approve Verizon's request to remove the handset-unlocking requirement that the carrier agreed to, but that may not completely address the carrier’s long-standing problems with subscriber churn, New Street’s Blair Levin said Thursday in a note to investors. The FCC sought comment last year on broad unlocking rules, while Verizon has asked the agency to remove its own unique mandate, which was a provision of its acquisition of Tracfone and purchase of 700 MHz C-block licenses in a 2008 auction (see 2507090030).
FCC Chairman Brendan Carr told reporters Thursday that concerns remain around the cyber trust mark program and possible ties to China. Carr mentioned UL Solutions, which was designated as the lead administrator during the Biden administration. “As a general matter, I think if you’re going to have a U.S. cyber trust mark administrator, it needs to be pretty clean in terms of concerns about ties back into China.” Asked if the FCC might choose a different administrator, Carr said the agency was examining its options.
A state law barring the California Public Utility Commission (CPUC) from sharing information about Lifeline program subscribers with other government agencies, including immigration authorities, means the state can no longer do its own Lifeline subscriber verifications, according to the FCC. The Wireline Bureau ordered Thursday that the state could no longer opt out of using the National Lifeline Accountability Database (NLAD) federal verification system. "Going forward, federal processes will be used to conduct eligibility verifications and perform duplicate checks for federal Lifeline program applicants in California."
FCC Chairman Brendan Carr signaled a possible broadcast hoax or news distortion probe of PBS and NPR in a letter sent Wednesday to those entities, as well as the BBC. The letter came a day after the agency opened a proceeding that appeared to be aimed at encouraging broadcasters to more frequently preempt shows, as they did with Jimmy Kimmel Live! President Donald Trump again called for Kimmel’s firing in a social media post Thursday.
At their November meeting Thursday, the FCC approved a rollback of cybersecurity rules, an NPRM seeking comment on modernizing the telecommunications relay service, and a direct final rule order deleting 21 public safety provisions. The commissioners also approved a proposal for upper C-band rules.
The FCC on Thursday approved 3-0 an NPRM, with tweaks, that moves the agency closer to an auction of upper C-band spectrum, in what would be the first major sale since the 3.45 GHz auction, which ended in 2022. Among the changes were questions on a window to make spectrum available to tribes (see 2511170055) and on access to unused or unassigned spectrum and how to incentivize buildout.