T-Mobile is urging the FCC to hold off on instituting a text-to-988 georouting requirement, saying it could disrupt collaborations between wireless providers and the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline administrator. That view was expressed in docket 18-336 comments posted Friday, as the FCC is seeking input on 988 text georouting privacy issues (see 2503030002). The 988 call georouting order, which FCC commissioners approved in October, included an NPRM about text georouting (see 2410170026).
While FCC Chairman Brendan Carr has indicated that the agency envisions more steps to retire copper networks, beyond a series of orders issued in March, we're told it's unclear what big regulatory burdens remain. The agency last month called its steps "initial" and promised additional action (see 2503200056). Carr used similar language at last week's FCC meeting (see 2503270042). His office didn't comment further.
President Donald Trump’s executive order putting independent regulatory agencies under greater White House control (see 2502190075) should result in stronger regulatory analysis by those agencies and better evidence supporting their arguments, said George Washington University Regulatory Studies Center Director Susan Dudley. Speaking Wednesday at an administrative law panel discussion by the University of Pennsylvania’s Penn Program of Regulation, Dudley said the order also should lead to those independent agencies better coordinating their work across the government.
Greater adoption of AI could result in sizable benefits for communications networks, and various policy approaches could facilitate that effort, Analysys Mason's Andrew Daly said Tuesday. The consultancy this week issued a Cisco-commissioned paper that laid out a variety of AI policy opportunities. It urged ongoing tracking of AI developments in communications, assistance in coming up with AI frameworks and standards, investment in AI-related R&D, and incentives such as tax breaks.
Deceptive negative-option contracts -- where consumers pay monthly for a subscription unless they opt out -- are ballooning, despite regulators' efforts, backers of the FTC's "click-to-cancel" rule told the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Friday. NCTA and others are challenging the rule (see 2411220029). Last week, amicus briefs were filed for both sides in docket 24-3137.
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.
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).