The FCC signed an agreement Thursday to continue to work with regulators from traditional U.S. allies to strengthen cooperation “in response to evolving threats and challenges in the telecommunications sector." Regulators from the U.K., Canada, Australia and New Zealand also signed the agreement. Industry experts told us that the pact shows that despite tariff fights and other disagreements with the nations under President Donald Trump, cooperation on security continues.

States' hopes to use BEAD funds not spent on last-mile deployment for other connectivity-related needs seem likely to go unfulfilled, as broadband policy experts expect the Commerce Department will likely claw back much if not all the money not spent on deployment. "It's hard to be hopeful" that non-deployment funds will be made available to states, said Drew Garner, director of policy engagement, Benton Institute for Broadband & Society.

The broadcast industry is ripe for consolidation and could eventually resolve into just two groups, each the size of the combined Nexstar/Tegna, suggested TV group CEOs from Nexstar and Sinclair on their respective Q3 earnings calls this week. “This level of consolidation would strengthen the industry's financial footing and position broadcasters as more capable competitors to big media and big tech” while preserving news coverage, said Sinclair CEO Chris Ripley Wednesday. “I think a good, strong industry needs to have good, strong companies comprising it,” said Nexstar CEO Perry Sook Thursday. “We can't do it all by ourselves.”

EchoStar will put the billions of dollars it gets in proceeds from its spectrum sales into a new division that will focus on merger and acquisition opportunities, as well as other investments in the company's future, it said Thursday as it reported quarterly results. Those sales include one announced Thursday that will transfer its unpaired AWS-3 wireless spectrum to SpaceX for $2.6 billion in stock.