EchoStar and SpaceX arguments that the FCC has no role in contract disputes over EchoStar's now-aborted terrestrial wireless buildout plans ignore the fact that the companies are citing agency action as the reason for those plans' demise, said critics of the EchoStar/SpaceX spectrum deal in reply comments last week. Wireless infrastructure interests have urged the commission not to approve SpaceX's purchase of EchoStar terrestrial spectrum licenses until the latter company commits to fulfilling contracts related to its wireless buildout (see 2512160006).
States will surely get access to at least some non-deployment BEAD funds, though it's not clear what limits will be put on their use, said Fiber Broadband Association CEO Gary Bolton and Kathryn de Wit, director of the Pew Charitable Trust's broadband access initiative, during an FBA webinar Wednesday. Bolton said he's optimistic that the National Institute of Standards and Technology will accelerate its review and approval of states' final BEAD proposals, as NTIA Administrator Arielle Roth told him that the process "will go very, very quickly." NTIA and NIST didn't comment.
SpaceX's direct-to-device ambitions, powered by a proposed 15,000 additional satellites in orbit, are facing opposition from rival satellite operators and astronomy interests. SpaceX submitted an FCC application in September to operate the constellation to provide D2D service globally, as well as mobile satellite service (MSS), using spectrum that the company is buying from EchoStar (see 2509220006). In comments filed this week in docket 25-340, numerous parties complained about potential spectrum interference or orbital clutter.
Finance and dealmaking experts said they expect robust merger and acquisition activity in the tech, media and telecommunications (TMT) sector this year.
Citing a need for more spectrum to keep up with mobile satellite service (MSS) competition, Iridium asked the FCC to update its rules for and give the satellite operator more access to the 1.6 GHz band, including spectrum used by Globalstar.
The New Jersey House and Senate voted Monday to adopt SB-3695, which would restrict students' cellphone use in school. State Sen. Paul Moriarty (D), one of the bill's sponsors, told us Tuesday that outgoing Gov. Phil Murphy (D) plans to have a public signing of it in two weeks. Murphy had set phone-free schools legislation as one of his priorities for his last year in office, Moriarty said.
With Warner Bros. Discovery's board continuing to urge shareholders to opt for Netflix's takeover offer (see 2512170049), Paramount Skydance is sweetening parts of its rival offer. Paramount said Monday it would boost its regulatory termination fee from $5 billion to $5.8 billion, matching Netflix's.
California's final BEAD proposal, submitted Friday to NTIA, reaches more than 340,000 eligible locations -- more than any other state's plan -- said Maria Ellis, director of broadband initiatives for the California Public Utilities Commission, at the agency's meeting Thursday. CPUC voted unanimously to approve the submission, and Ellis said deployment work could start in the second half of 2026.
The Congressional Review Act (CRA) doesn't let the Commerce Department unilaterally change BEAD's rules, as it did in its June 6 restructuring policy notice, without running it past Congress, the Government Accountability Office said Wednesday. But that decision may not ultimately change the course and momentum of the program, broadband policy experts said. NTIA didn't comment.
Wireless industry groups and EchoStar suppliers are voicing some concerns and opposition to SpaceX's proposed purchase of EchoStar's AWS-4, AWS H-block and AWS-3 block licenses, according to FCC filings in docket 25-302 this week. EchoStar has struck spectrum rights deals with SpaceX and AT&T to end a pair of FCC investigations into its use of the 2 GHz band and the deadline extensions it received for its 5G network buildout (see 2505130003).