While the FCC is downplaying the extent of staff departures, uncertainties surround their effect on the agency. Industry officials also said the attrition so far -- 78 employees were announced to have left as of the end of April (see 2505200058) -- is concentrated among the most experienced staff and could presage a much larger exit.
NTIA is “hard at work” identifying 600 MHz of midband spectrum for licensed use, acting Administrator Adam Cassady said at an agency town hall last week. “That is utterly critical to our mission,” he said. Lynna McGrath, deputy associate administrator for the Office of Spectrum Management (OSM), said NTIA has set up five working groups to explore the commercial use of three target bands.
The Rural Wireless Association urged the FCC in comments posted Friday to look at AT&T’s proposed buy of 700 MHz and 3.45 GHz licenses from UScellular in the broader context of the U.S. wireless market. The sale of the licenses is tied to a larger deal with T-Mobile that's also still before the FCC (see 2504150046). Replies to oppositions were due at the FCC on Thursday in docket 25-150.
The FCC approved an order and Further NPRM Thursday aimed at squelching “bad labs,” continuing work started in the last administration. Commissioners also decided the agency would look well beyond its initial plans of considering the 12.7 and 42 GHz bands for satellite broadband spectrum. Those items were approved 4-0, as were updated foreign-ownership rules (see 2505010037).
Infrastructure companies need consistent rules on 811 and call-before-you-dig requirements, Common Ground Alliance President Sarah Magruder Lyle and other experts said Wednesday during a Broadband Breakfast webinar.
Verizon, which last year urged the FCC to impose broadband handset unlocking rules on wireless carriers, is now asking the commission to zero out the unlocking commitment it adopted as a condition of approving the company’s purchase of Tracfone.
There are many reasons why carriers worldwide have moved slowly to 5G stand-alone (SA) networks, said Dawood Shahdad, Boost Mobile vice president-core network and innovation labs, during an RCR Wireless telco cloud and edge forum Tuesday.
A few tweaks are likely for the “bad labs” order and Further NPRM set for a vote at Thursday's FCC meeting, industry officials active in the proceeding told us. The item is expected to receive unanimous approval. It would prohibit FCC recognition of a telecommunications certification body, lab or lab accreditation body owned by a company on the agency’s covered list and other government rosters of unsecure companies (see 2505010037).
The FCC received pushback to proposals in a January NPRM seeking comment on a voluntary, negotiation-based process to transition 10 MHz in the 900 MHz band to broadband. However, other commenters, led by utilities, urged the FCC to move forward. In 2020, the FCC approved use of 6 GHz of the band for broadband while retaining 4 MHz for narrowband operations (see 2005130057). Comments were due Friday and mostly posted Monday in docket 24-99.
The FCC received additional backing for proposals to change commission rules for the 24.45-24.65 GHz band that would provide more spectrum for drones. Support was evident in reply comments on a January NPRM (see 2504160017). The NPRM also sought comment on opening the 450 MHz band “to aeronautical command and control operations” and modernizing “legacy power rules” for aviation air-ground systems in the 849-851 and 894-896 MHz bands.