Lacking California OK, T-Mobile completed the purchase of Sprint. The deal completion was announced Wednesday morning by T-Mobile, which earlier this week and as we previously reported signaled its intention to complete the multibillion-dollar deal without California Public Utilities Commission approval.
FCC Chairman Ajit Pai confirmed Wednesday he will seek a vote at the commissioners' March 23 meeting on making 1,200 megahertz available for Wi-Fi and other unlicensed use in the 6 GHz band. The draft rules are to be posted Thursday.
T-Mobile and Sprint might be trying to close their deal without California OK. Sprint advised the California Public Utilities Commission Monday evening that it is relinquishing its state certificate and the two carriers moved to withdraw their wireline transfer-of-control application.
In a new twist for the COVID-19 age, commissioners approved, before they gathered electronically, all five regulatory items at a truncated monthly meeting held virtually and webcast live, agency officials told us. All or many of the votes appeared to have been unanimous. Items weren't discussed in detail and voting was done on circulation, as planned. Spokespeople said vote counts weren't immediately available.
FCC Chairman Ajit Pai is circulating plans for some $300 million of telehealth spending. One plan is for $200 million and would support healthcare providers' telehealth services to fight the coronavirus, under the Cares Act. The rest of the money is for the agency's connected care pilot. It would use USF money over three years.
Tegna confirmed it got "four unsolicited acquisition proposals in recent weeks," saying two plans led to discussions that have since ended amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Without identifying any of the would-be buyers, the TV station owner said Sunday "these two parties made their proposals shortly before the recent market dislocation due to the COVID-19 pandemic and both subsequently informed" the company "they were ceasing discussions."
The FCC delayed two spectrum auctions, due to COVID-19, in an announcement Wednesday.
FCC staff delayed deadlines on the agency "seeking to refresh the record" on net neutrality and Lifeline, it announced Wednesday afternoon. "With this 21-day extension, comments are due" April 20, replies May 20. A Feb. 19 public notice sought feedback on aspects of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit’s Mozilla v. FCC ruling.
The March 31 FCC commissioners' meeting will be livestream only and all items will be voted beforehand on circulation, agency officials said in interviews this week. The unusual format stems from the agency’s COVID-19 prevention measures, which have most staffers teleworking and headquarters closed to visitors without special permission.
The Supreme Court vacated the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals overruling a lower court dismissal of a discrimination complaint against Comcast brought by Entertainment Studios Network. The decision Monday penned by Justice Neil Gorsuch rejected ESN arguments that under federal civil rights law, the plaintiff bearing only the burden of showing race was a motivating factor. SCOTUS said the court has rejected the motivating factor test in other cases.