While BEAD is critical to serving the most difficult-to-reach 5.5 million homes in the U.S., the money available through the program pales in comparison to what providers are spending to bolster broadband connectivity, Fiber Broadband Association CEO Gary Bolton said in an interview. The slow pace in making changes to the BEAD program has been “a colossal failure” on NTIA’s part, he added. FBA will hold its Fiber Connect conference next week in Nashville.

Senate leaders may still try to hold votes on Republican FCC nominee Olivia Trusty and NTIA administrator nominee Arielle Roth in late June, shortly before the upper chamber breaks for the week leading up to the July Fourth holiday, but lobbyists now believe both confirmations are more likely to happen in the lead-up to the August recess. Lobbyists told us that Democratic FCC Commissioner Geoffrey Starks’ pledge last week to resign before the agency's June 26 meeting (see 2505220043) is easing Republicans’ pressure to expedite Trusty’s confirmation because the GOP will gain a majority even without her taking office.

Communications Daily is tracking the lawsuits below involving appeals of FCC actions.

A White House OMB spokesperson confirmed Wednesday that President Donald Trump will send Congress a promised $9.4 billion rescissions package next week, seeking to claw back about $1.1 billion in advance CPB funding (see 2504150052). Since January, congressional Republicans have shown growing interest in ending federal funding for public broadcasters amid rancor over what they say is pro-Democratic bias in news coverage (see 2502030064). NPR sued the Trump administration Tuesday in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to block a White House executive order cutting funding for NPR and PBS (see 2505270047).

NextNav sees signs that the U.S. is moving to allow alternatives to GPS for positioning, navigation and timing (PNT), said Ed Mortimer, its vice president-government affairs, during a Broadband Breakfast webinar Wednesday. The U.S. was once the leader in GPS but has “fallen behind” countries like China and Russia, which already have alternatives available for PNT, he said.

Major communications industry trade associations complained about state broadband regulations in a joint filing at the DOJ in response to a request for comments by the department’s new Anticompetitive Regulations Task Force. Like the FCC’s “Delete” proceeding, the initiative is part of the Trump administration’s push to cut regulation.

As the subject of two FCC probes, EchoStar has received backing from various industry groups and others, but it also faces new questions about how well it's complying with the terms of its 5G network buildout. That's according to docket 25-173 and 22-212 comments, which were due Tuesday in a pair of public notices: one on whether EchoStar is using the 2 GHz band for mobile satellite service (MSS), consistent with its authorizations, and the other seeking further comment on VTel Wireless' recon petition regarding an extension of EchoStar's 5G network buildout deadlines (see 2505130003).

NPR and three public radio stations filed a lawsuit Tuesday that asks the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to block a White House executive order cutting funding for NPR and PBS (see 2505020044).

The U.S. is in dire need of commercial services to complement or back up GPS, though global navigation satellite system (GNSS) and space industry experts expect commercial services to face a business challenge in competing with GPS' free signals. Some speakers at a George Washington University/Aerospace Corp. seminar Tuesday also said RF diversity could help tackle GPS interference problems but would see a major regulatory fight. In response to an FCC notice of inquiry regarding positioning, navigation and timing (PNT) alternatives, NTIA on Tuesday submitted an "inventory" of possibilities (see 2505270037).

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.