The FCC is starting the process of revoking the authority of Hong Kong Telecom (International) to provide international and domestic telecom services to and within the U.S., the agency announced Wednesday. It “sent an Order to Show Cause to HKT and its wholly-owned subsidiaries directing them to explain why the FCC should not commence revocation proceedings against them,” said a news release. The agency noted that the company is affiliated with China Unicom (Americas), which is already on the FCC’s “covered list” of companies raising national security concerns. “The FCC will continue to safeguard America’s networks against penetration from foreign adversaries, like China,” said Chairman Brendan Carr.
A pair of FCC proceedings could result in significant changes to how state and local governments regulate access to public rights-of-way for broadband and telecommunications networks, Marashlian & Donahue communications lawyer Jonathan Marashlian wrote Wednesday. He said municipalities know they have leverage over time-sensitive construction projects and use permitting as a negotiation tool -- often resulting in delays and higher deployment costs. The FCC proceedings are "a direct response to these kinds of real-world friction points." A wireline infrastructure notice of inquiry asks about possible limits on how states and local governments restrict rights-of-way access, while a wireless siting NPRM seeks comment on streamlining deployment of towers and other wireless infrastructure. Commissioners approved both at the agency's September meeting (see 2509300063).
The Senate Commerce Committee said Tuesday night that it has rescheduled for Oct. 21 a postponed meeting that will include a vote on the Foreign Robocall Elimination Act (S-2666). The meeting will begin at 10 a.m. in 253 Russell. S-2666, which Senate Commerce originally intended to vote on last week (see 2510080053), would direct the FCC to create a public-private task force to recommend new methods “to combat unlawful robocalls made into” the U.S. from outside the country. The task force would also examine whether creating a robocall-focused office within DOJ would improve the department’s ability to conduct enforcement against unlawful robocalls.
The government shutdown that's affecting most FCC operations (see 2510010065) appeared set to continue into a 15th day after the Senate again failed Wednesday afternoon to reach the 60-vote threshold to invoke cloture on a motion to proceed on the Republicans’ House-passed continuing resolution (HR-5371), which would reopen the FCC and other federal agencies through Nov. 21. The upper chamber voted 51-44, its ninth unsuccessful attempt to advance the measure. It wasn’t immediately clear whether Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., would tee up another vote on HR-5371 for Thursday. He hasn’t agreed to further votes on Democrats’ CR counteroffer (S-2882), which would restore federal appropriations through Oct. 31 and bring back CPB’s rescinded $535 million funding for FY 2026. The Senate has repeatedly rejected that measure along party lines.
Communications Daily is tracking the lawsuits below involving appeals of FCC actions.
Experts warned Wednesday that there are no easy answers to shoring up the USF and making predictable funding available for years to come. During a Broadband Breakfast webinar, panelists noted that some federal funding is disappearing, with FCC commissioners voting 2-1 last month to delete support for school bus Wi-Fi and internet hot spots that aren't on school or library premises (see 2509300051).
Laura Stefani, formerly Mintz Levin, opens telecom law firm Trailfinding Regulatory Solutions … Mike O’Rielly, ex-FCC Commissioner, joins Crest Hill Advisors as a special advisor and remains at MPORielly Consulting.
Most, if not all, of the money left over from BEAD after deployment work is done should go back to the U.S. Treasury, former FCC Commissioner Mike O'Rielly wrote Tuesday. States' BEAD plans ultimately could come in 30%-50% below budget, said O'Rielly, an adjunct senior fellow at the Free State Foundation. "Even in D.C.," the $20 billion or so that it would save "is real money." By returning the excess money, which resulted from the "Benefit of the Bargain" reforms to BEAD, the Commerce Department would show "that the Trump Administration is indeed giving American taxpayers a real 'Benefit,'" he said. It's also "the most reasonable course," given the national debt. However, O'Rielly added that there's a valid argument that some funds should be held back for inevitable, unforeseen deployment needs, as some BEAD funding winners "will fumble."
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit Tuesday agreed to stay filings on a T-Mobile request asking the court to rehear en banc its challenge of an FCC data fine (see 2509220056). The government sought the stay citing the ongoing shutdown (see 2510010044). “This proceeding is stayed until funding to FCC and DOJ is restored, and all pending and potential deadlines are tolled,” said a one-page order from the court.
The U.S. “faces a fork in the road” on wireless, and the spectrum that will be made available under the reconciliation package “comes none too soon,” new CTIA President Ajit Pai said Tuesday at the Mobile World Congress in Las Vegas. Pai warned that a lot of work remains to get more licensed spectrum in play. “Identifying bands and setting an ambitious target is not the same as making spectrum available.”