FCC Commissioner Olivia Trusty said Wednesday that she's already talking with the wireless industry, federal agencies and other upper C-band incumbents on moves to auction that spectrum within two years, as required by the reconciliation act. Trusty spoke at NTIA’s spectrum policy symposium (see 2509100051). “I also think we can look at lessons learned from the previous C-band auction,” she said. “There’s going to be tremendous interest” in the band, she predicted. “The clock is ticking. Time is of the essence, and 2027 will be here before we know it.”
The FCC Wireline Bureau has ordered seven phone companies to repay a total of over $9 million to the USF after audits showed insufficient recordkeeping and noncompliance with accounting requirements related to the companies' efforts to fulfill their USF obligations, according to orders and a news release Wednesday. FCC Chairman Brendan Carr said in the release that the agency needs “to closely scrutinize USF support payments” to “ensure funding is used to efficiently connect rural households and businesses.”
The latest comments posted in docket 25-223 show disagreement on what changes the FCC should make to its approach to its Telecom Act Section 706 reports to Congress (see 2509090010). Among them, USTelecom and CTIA urged the commission to refocus the report to look just at deployment. Commissioners approved a notice of inquiry in August on the preparation of the reports, with an eye on more narrowly focusing them based on the statutory language (see 2508050056).
The FCC’s direct final rule process and planned deletion of rules could disproportionately affect rural Alaska, and the agency should consult with tribal nations on any deletions, the Knik Tribe said in comments posted Wednesday in docket 25-133.
Communications Daily is tracking the lawsuits below involving appeals of FCC actions.
The FCC’s newly launched Consumer Protection and Accessibility Advisory Committee (CPAAC) will focus on two particularly pressing consumer issues: promoting accessibility in modern communications and “the scourge of illegal robocalls,” Chairman Brendan Carr said Wednesday. Speaking at the inaugural meeting of what he called the "renamed and refocused" advisory group, Carr promised increased FCC enforcement efforts aimed at illegal robocalls, including "actions that effectively prohibit voice service providers from connecting or maintaining their connections" to U.S. telephone networks.
The House Appropriations Committee voted 35-28 early Wednesday morning to advance the Labor, Health and Human Services Subcommittee’s FY 2026 funding bill after turning back Democrats’ bid to attach $535 million in advance CPB funding for FY 2028. The measure lacks language to restore any of the $1.1 billion in federal money for CPB that Congress clawed back in July via the 2025 Rescissions Act (see 2509030065). Meanwhile, House Appropriations appeared on track Wednesday afternoon to advance the Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies Subcommittee’s FY26 bill, which would cut NTIA’s annual funding (see 2507150086). The panel was still considering amendments at our deadline.
NTIA Administrator Arielle Roth announced Wednesday that she's sending a letter to FCC Chairman Brendan Carr asking the agency to launch an auction of the 1675-1680 MHz band. It would be the first 5 MHz of the 500 MHz that NTIA is required to identify for auction under the reconciliation package, signed into law in July (see 2507070045). Carr aide Arpan Sura said the FCC is “laser-focused” on the upper C band for what is likely to be the only major spectrum auction in the next few years. Both spoke at NTIA’s spectrum policy symposium.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit on Wednesday upheld a $46.9 million fine against Verizon for violating FCC data rules in a decision that could trigger the U.S. Supreme Court to take the case, given the current split in the circuits (see 2509100019). In August, the D.C. Circuit upheld a similar fine against T-Mobile (see 2508150044), while the 5th Circuit earlier rejected a fine imposed on AT&T (see 2504180001).
NextNav CEO Mariam Sorond and other executives met with an aide to FCC Chairman Brendan Carr on the company’s proposal “to enable 5G-based 3D Positioning, Navigation, and Timing in the Lower 900 MHz band,” said a filing posted Tuesday in docket 25-110. NextNav officials “described the public interest benefits and technical and economic analyses supporting” the proposal and urged the commission “to promptly issue” an NPRM, the filing said. It also included a slide presentation making the case for the proposal.