Communications Daily is tracking the lawsuits below involving appeals of FCC actions.
Trade groups are urging federal agencies to treat deliberate damage to communications networks, such as fiber-optic cable cuts, as domestic terrorism in some instances and increase investigative and enforcement resources in regions with more incidents. Widespread, organized attacks on communications networks represent "a significant and rapidly growing threat demanding urgent, coordinated federal, state, and local action," the groups said in a letter Wednesday to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and FBI Director Kash Patel.
The California Public Utilities Commission approved $1.2 million in digital literacy and broadband grants during an agency meeting Thursday. The grants, backed by the California Advanced Services Fund (CASF) and CASF Broadband Public Housing Account, will support 10 initiatives. Building Skills Partnership received $211,895 to expand its digital literacy and AI program. Digital Equity West received $793,081 to launch eight digital literacy projects across Los Angeles County. EveryoneOn received $175,564 for its digital connections program throughout Los Angeles. The projects are expected to provide training to 1,831 people in underserved communities, said a news release.
Communications Daily is tracking the lawsuits below involving appeals of FCC actions.
The Trump administration's AI action plan specifies a limited role for the FCC. Released Wednesday, the 28-page blueprint focuses on accelerating innovation, building infrastructure and leading the world in AI diplomacy and security. Its priority is eliminating barriers and allowing AI to flourish.
House Communications Subcommittee ranking member Doris Matsui of California and 21 other Democratic lawmakers told Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick on Tuesday that they have “deep concerns” about NTIA’s updated policy notice for the $42.5 billion BEAD program, which reversed much of what the Biden administration developed in the initiative’s initial rules (see 2506060052). NTIA said Monday it had approved updated BEAD plans for all 56 states and territories, setting up a Sept. 4 deadline for governments to submit a final proposal with the results of at least one round of a mandated “Benefit of the Bargain” subgrantee section process (see 2507210061).
New York will soon be the latest state to make incarcerated individuals' phone calls free in an effort to increase communication accessibility and improve prison safety. Five states -- California, Colorado, Connecticut, Massachusetts and Minnesota -- have already made phone calls free in their facilities. The New York Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (DOCCS) announced Tuesday that the change will take effect Aug. 1.
CTIA and USTelecom urged the California Public Utilities Commission not to give commission staff full authority over the state's BEAD subgrantee scoring and selection process. The groups also raised concerns in separate comments posted Friday (docket 23-02-016) about the CPUC not holding public comment or providing more information about its scoring criteria.
Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., several Senate Democrats and the Writers Guild of America are questioning whether CBS’ Thursday announcement that it’s canceling The Late Show, hosted by Stephen Colbert, stemmed from Trump administration pressure related to the federal review of Skydance’s $8 billion purchase of network owner Paramount Global. That company recently reached a $16 million settlement in President Donald Trump's lawsuit over CBS’ editing of a 60 Minutes interview last October with former Vice President Kamala Harris. Some attorneys see that settlement as aimed at easing the path to FCC approval of Skydance's deal, but Paramount has denied those claims (see 2507020053).
An FCC draft order on the July 24 open meeting agenda that would give the bureaus authority to delete FCC rules without seeking notice and comment is drawing warnings from public interest groups, but communications industry officials told us they aren’t concerned. The agency has also recently skipped notice and comment while shifting the language of existing rules.