Despite numerous signs that big changes are ahead for BEAD, states will likely stay the course on their programs and should, broadband consultants and others told us. The only smart play is for states to stay in close contact with NTIA and try to figure out what to expect, several said. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said earlier this month that a review of BEAD rules was underway (see 2503050067), and the former head of the program, Evan Feinman, predicted rules changes were coming from the Trump administration (see 2503170045). Commerce didn't comment.
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Absent more FCC action on issues such as ownership and facilitating the ATSC 3.0 transition, the broadcast industry is quickly sliding toward a "period of catastrophic decline," FCC Commissioner Nathan Simington said Thursday. "We can't keep on the current trajectory" of stations closing and licenses falling into disuse, he said at a Media Institute event. The trend line on broadcaster bankruptcies is "a little bit like the beginning of a recession."
The National Radio Astronomy Observatory and SpaceX are assessing how to limit RF interference coming from Starlink satellites that causes issues with the Very Large Array (VLA) observatory in New Mexico, according to NRAO Deputy Spectrum Manager Chris De Pree. In addition, NRAO is considering implementing those methods with its additional telescopes and sharing successes with other U.S. observatories.
The FCC will likely take an "all or nothing" approach toward its proposed $4.5 million fine against Telnyx, rather than settle with the firm somewhere in between, Telephone Consumer Protection Act lawyers told us. The notice of apparent liability issued last month (see 2503050026) faces strong pushback from Telnyx and parts of the voice service provider industry (see 2503110023). The NAL also netted Free State Foundation criticism (see 2503120071). Many said the Telnyx fine fight shows the need for FCC clarity about the "know your customer" (KYC) process.
NTIA's outgoing BEAD director warned of the "significant risk" of program changes that would saddle rural America with subpar broadband access but benefit SpaceX CEO Elon Musk. In a 1,100-word letter sent over the weekend to colleagues and friends after his last day on Friday as head of BEAD, Evan Feinman said changes coming down the pike from Commerce include a limit on per-location BEAD spending and some kind of pause, as well as an increase in low earth orbit (LEO) satellites and a reduction in fiber use. States already face BEAD uncertainty in light of Commerce this month dropping the fiber preference and saying it was undertaking a review of other program rules (see 2503060047).
FCC Space Bureau Chief Jay Schwarz is promising modernization of the bureau's licensing, as well as making spectrum available for more intensive space uses. Speaking Wednesday at Satellite 2025, Schwarz said he sees space policy through the lens of economic growth, and the bureau's "main job ... is to facilitate and accelerate all the investments in your industry." Slow processing of applications and overly burdensome rules "are creating unnecessary regulatory drag." Schwarz -- who noted that he lives on a farm in the Washington region served by satellite-delivered broadband -- said regulatory drag can compound over time, resulting in significant effects on the economy and the types of services the space industry offers.
Satellite operators are “essentially flying blind” without an international protocol for sharing data about the location and position of objects in space and for planning maneuvers, said Kim Baum, Eutelsat/OneWeb vice president-spectrum engineering and strategy. Speaking at the Satellite 2025 show, she said there's a need for a universal directory of every satellite operator, including contact information, to deal with spectrum, as well as coordination of satellites possibly on collision courses. Multiple speakers mentioned the need for additional international coordination and agreement.
Despite the bottleneck of launch availability at the most heavily used U.S. sites, launch operators don't foresee packing up and moving to another, lesser-used spaceport. Launch company executives speaking Monday at the Satellite 2025 show in Washington said the size of rockets, especially heavy launch vehicles, precludes using some spaceports. Regulatory issues can also be an impediment. Brian Rogers, vice president-global launch services for Rocket Lab, added that it's incredibly expensive to set up infrastructure at another site.
The FCC's Note 11 rule, regulating TV network affiliations changing hands, might exceed the agency's Communications Act authority, a pair of 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals judges said Friday as the court vacated a $518,283 fine against Gray Television for violating the rule. Neither the commission nor Gray, which was challenging the forfeiture order (see 2301040059), commented. The FCC charged that Gray violated rules against owning two top-four stations in a market when it bought the network affiliation of an Anchorage TV station from Denali Media.
States face less certainty and clarity about the BEAD program in light of Commerce axing its fiber focus and indicating more rules changes could be forthcoming, according to broadband policy experts. Earlier in the week, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said the agency is launching a review of BEAD rules and dropping its emphasis on fiber (see 2503050067).