If the FCC moves forward with sweeping changes to how it enforces National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) rules, it will have to do so over the objections of the tribes, some states and historic preservation interests, based on comments that were due Thursday in docket 25-217. Other comments raised questions about how the regulations apply to satellite projects (see 2509190007).
Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Ted Cruz, R-Texas, chastised FCC Chairman Brendan Carr on Friday for comments earlier in the week against ABC and parent Disney, which were widely perceived as bringing about the network’s decision to pull Jimmy Kimmel Live! from the air indefinitely (see 2509180066). Carr threatened ABC in a podcast interview, saying the network should discipline Kimmel for comments about the Make America Great Again movement's reaction to the murder of conservative activist Charlie Kirk (see 2509170064) or face FCC action.
With the FCC contemplating an upper C-band auction, its Space Bureau on Thursday issued an updated list of fixed satellite service earth stations in the 4-4.2 GHz band in the contiguous U.S. The notice in docket 20-205 also reminded earth station operators that they must maintain an up-to-date registration with the FCC of incumbent earth stations that continue to operate in the 4-4.2 GHz band.
Opponents of T-Mobile’s purchase of wireless assets from UScellular, including spectrum, met with Arpan Sura, an aide to FCC Chairman Brendan Carr, about their application for review of the transaction (see 2507310041). Representatives of the Rural Wireless Association, the Benton Institute for Broadband & Society and the Communications Workers of America attended, according to a filing posted Thursday in docket 24-286. The transaction was approved by the Wireless Bureau and the Office of International Affairs without a commissioner vote.
NCTA and WISPA said the FCC should think twice before quickly agreeing to give Viaero a waiver of a rule that limits a single party to owning four citizens broadband radio service priority access licenses (PAL) in any market. Comments were due Wednesday to the Wireless Bureau on Viaero's proposal to buy 10 priority access licenses from Citizens Band License Co., which would result in it exceeding the limit in seven counties in Colorado (see 2509050021).
The FCC Public Safety Bureau approved a waiver Thursday for Aroostook County, Maine, allowing it to license a VHF channel from the industrial/business pool and use it for internal public safety and first responder communications. The bureau said the county contends that it plans to replace its aging system, but construction has been delayed for more than two years due to a “lack of available frequencies.”
Charter Communications and Cox Communications defended their proposed $34.5 billion deal to the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) in a joint filing posted Wednesday in docket 25-07-016 (see 2505160060). The CPUC Public Advocates Office (Cal Advocates), The Utility Reform Network (TURN) and Center for Accessible Technology (CforAT) filed various protests against the deal earlier this month seeking more information about the companies' proposed transaction.
As non-geostationary orbit (NGSO) satellite systems become more established, the FCC will face more pressure to revisit the rules, frameworks and spectrum-sharing approaches they operate under, space regulatory consultant Patricia Cooper said Thursday at a New America/International Center for Law & Economics webinar.
House Communications Subcommittee members traded partisan barbs during a Thursday hearing over a largely GOP-initiated set of broadband permitting bills (see 2509120072) that Democrats claim won’t be effective in speeding up connectivity buildout. Republicans filed many of the 29 bills in past Congresses, including several they previously combined into the controversial American Broadband Deployment Act (see 2305240069). Subpanel Democrats also punctuated the hearing with criticism of FCC Chairman Brendan Carr for threats against ABC and parent company Disney that resulted in the indefinite suspension of Jimmy Kimmel Live! (see 2509180055).
Republican FCC Commissioner Olivia Trusty agreed Thursday with FCC Chairman Brendan Carr that broadcasters lack the same First Amendment protections as others because of how they're regulated. Speaking at a Free State Foundation lunch, Trusty also indicated that she believes President Donald Trump is legally able to fire FCC commissioners, though she noted that issue is before the courts.