SpaceX urged the FCC to tweak a draft order on the 37 GHz band to make clear that the coordination mechanism proposed for sharing the spectrum is based on the Part 101 rules for the 70/80/90 GHz band. Others also weighed in just ahead of the FCC’s sunshine notice Monday, cutting off further lobbying. Commissioners are to vote on the order Monday (see 2504070054).
Changes wrought by President Donald Trump’s return to the White House are already affecting telecom industry financials. Verizon CEO Hans Vestberg noted the risks from tariffs on a call with analysts Tuesday after the company released Q1 results. The nation’s largest wireless provider reported a net loss of 289,000 monthly prepaid phone subscribers in the quarter, after adding 568,000 in Q4 2024.
Danielle Thumann, senior counsel to FCC Chairman Brendan Carr, indicated on Tuesday that the commission is looking closely at changing its rules for implementing the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), a step sought by CTIA (see 2503270059), as well as cutting regulations approved during the last administration. NEPA was the first issue Thumann raised while speaking at a Federalist Society 5G webinar.
CTIA and other industry commenters urged the FCC to proceed with caution as it considers changes to wireless emergency alerts (WEAs) that were proposed in a February Further NPRM. Comments were due last week in dockets 15-94 and 15-91. The FNPRM proposed allowing more flexibility in sending out alerts using a “Public Safety Message” classification (see 2502270042).
NTIA supports the FCC's proposals to change its rules for the 24.45-24.65 GHz band that would provide more spectrum for drones, the agency said in comments posted Thursday in docket 24-629. Other comments also supported the changes proposed in a January NPRM (see 2504160017). NTIA, which filed on behalf of the administration, said it's still developing comments on the other bands being studied to provide spectrum for uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS).
The 3rd Generation Partnership Project’s approval of non-terrestrial network (NTN) technology as part of 5G is key to broader adoption of direct-to-device (D2D) service by top wireless carriers, said Tim Hatt, GSMA's head-research and consulting, during a Mobile World Live webinar Thursday. 3GPP standards will lead to economy of scale for the device ecosystem and a larger market, he said.
The Trump administration’s growing list of executive orders targeting law firms may have only limited implications for the FCC, industry lawyers told us. Nonetheless, observers said they see the growing list of targeted firms as an unprecedented assault aimed at chilling opposition to the administration.
The decision to construct its network using open radio access network technology has allowed EchoStar to adapt quickly as it builds out its Boost Mobile network, Boost Chief Technology Officer Eben Albertyn said Wednesday. ORAN has kept Boost from being overcharged for network components, he said: “We were not going to be price-gouged and have a gun held to our head,” he said during a keynote at a Competitive Carriers Association conference in Denver.
Carriers may expect too much in terms of the potential financial benefits of open application programmable interfaces (APIs), said Grant Lenahan, principal analyst at Appledore Research. Open APIs are a growing focus of providers (see 2404160065) and of the GSMA (see 2402260054). Lenahan spoke Wednesday during TelecomTV's Telco at a Platform Summit.
The Association for Uncrewed Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI) supported proposals in a January FCC NPRM providing spectrum for drones and the advanced air mobility (AAM) industries (see 2501170023). Electric utilities and other commenters supported AUVSI's position. The FCC proposed flexible use of the 450 MHz band for drones and permitting radiolocation operations in the 24.45–24.65 GHz band. The FCC also sought comment on “modernizing” rules governing commercial aviation air-ground systems. Comments were due this week in docket 24-629.