The outcome of Tuesday's Senate elections could scramble Senate Commerce Committee Republicans’ leadership structure given the competitive contest between ranking member Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and Rep. Colin Allred, his Democratic challenger. Four other panel members also face tough or competitive reelection fights (see 2411040051). Democratic leaders on the House and Senate Commerce committees indicated they intend to stay in those roles in the upcoming 119th Congress regardless of the election’s outcome.
The EPA, not the FCC, is the proper federal agency to coordinate or conduct space environmental protection, National Space Society space regulation and oversight policy lead Grant Henriksen blogged last week. Noting a call by space academic researchers for the FCC to conduct environmental reviews for large constellations of satellites, Henriksen said the commission lacks the expertise for address space activities' environmental impacts and should abstain from regulating non-communications-related undertakings. FCC steps toward environmental regulation would be open to legal attack in a post-Chevron world, creating greater regulatory uncertainty when the U.S. commercial space sector "already faces numerous challenges on that front." He said the EPA can address risks to the atmosphere from increased rocket launches and reentries.
The FCC Precision Ag Task Force will meet in a virtual session Dec. 5 at 10 a.m. EST, said a notice in Friday's Federal Register. It will vote on its final report and recommendations to the commission.
The FCC Communications Equity and Diversity Council will meet in a hybrid setting Dec. 6 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. EST, said a notice in Friday's Federal Register. The group will hear updates from its working groups and meet the deputy designated federal officer and working group co-chairs for the innovation and access working group.
The 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals transferred a coalition of states' challenge of the FCC's incarcerated people's communications services order to the 1st Circuit, said an order Thursday (docket 24-2983). The 14 states challenging the order opposed the transfer (see 2410020039).
Vermont National Telephone (VTel) Wireless' reconsideration petition concerning the FCC Wireless Bureau extending EchoStar's 5G network buildout deadlines (see 2410230004) never mentions commitments that come with those new deadlines, EchoStar said in an opposition posted Friday (docket 22-212). It added the extension is fully within bureau precedent of giving licensees additional time so they can "complete the arduous process of building wireless networks." In addition, EchoStar said, the bureau's order comports with the FCC's objective of promoting a fourth national wireless provider. No one else has opposed the new deadlines, and VTel's "meritless" petition seems likely to have sprung from its unrelated litigation against EchoStar that alleges fraud against Dish Network in the FCC's 2015 AWS-3 auction.
With the submarine cable license for NorthStar License's Alaska-to-Oregon system seemingly expired, the company is asking the FCC for special temporary authority to continue operations pending the filing and processing of a renewal application. In its STA application last week, NorthStar said that while FCC records don't indicate the in-service date for the 25-year license, that date was likely Oct. 1, 1999. NorthStar said it anticipates filing its license renewal application ASAP.
The FCC Enforcement Bureau held a meeting of government communications officials from Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the U.K. Thursday to discuss communications security threats, an FCC news release said Friday. “The threats facing the communications sector are bountiful and know no territorial boundaries, therefore it is imperative that we work with our closest allies to ensure we are doing everything we can to protect our respective citizens and critical infrastructure,” said EB Chief Loyaan Egal in the release. The officials discussed “emerging security and enforcement trends in the communications sector related to national security, data protection, cybersecurity, and transnational fraud, as well as a greater shared commitment to cooperation and collaboration.” Officials from New Zealand’s Government Communications Security Bureau, the U.K. Office of Communications and Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada attended the event, the release said.
Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump on Thursday filed a $10 billion lawsuit complaint against CBS that quotes FCC Commissioners Brendan Carr and Nathan Simington supporting allegations that the network deceived its audience when it edited an answer in an interview with Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democrats' presidential nominee. Meanwhile, former FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler on Friday said a future FCC chair in a second Trump administration would likely face considerable pressure to act against media outlets. During a Center for American Progress webinar, Wheeler said a Trump appointee could encounter a situation that no FCC chairman has "faced in the 90-year history of the commission.”
California startup Logos Space Services is seeking FCC Space Bureau OK for a planned 3,960-satellite constellation aimed at providing connectivity to enterprise customers and in-space data relay among other satellite constellations. In an application posted Thursday, it said the non-geostationary orbit Logos Network would operate in the Ka, Q/V and E bands at altitudes between 860 and 925 km. The company said it plans a phased rollout, with the first phase of 1,092 satellites letting it commence service and then Logos increasing capacity and throughput as it continues deployment.