The FCC could investigate public media stations for running ads against legislation that would rescind federal funding from NPR and PBS, said FCC Chairman Brendan Carr in a post on X Thursday night. Carr’s post came a little more than an hour after President Donald Trump said on Truth Social that he wouldn’t endorse Republican lawmakers who voted to support funding for PBS and NPR.
With NTIA removing fiber priority and deleting various requirements from its June 6 revised BEAD program requirements, the effects on ISPs' participation in the program are unclear. BEAD and broadband experts told us that a major focus of states is trying to ensure that previously active providers continue their participation under the program's new rules, which were announced a month ago (see 2506060052).
The FCC didn't see widespread, significant disruption of communications networks related to the deadly Texas floods over the Fourth of July weekend, but the agency is looking at "issues here and there," Chairman Brendan Carr said Tuesday. Speaking on the radio show O'Connor & Company on WMAL-FM Woodbridge, Virginia, Carr also criticized the lack of BEAD-related construction under the Biden administration and said his Build America agenda, announced last week (see 2507020036), "looks to turn that around." The next month or so will see the BEAD program "completely reset," with new construction coming "pretty soon," he added.
Former FCC Commissioner Mike O’Rielly said Wednesday that while he has long been a critic of the USF, he was relieved that the U.S. Supreme Court last week didn’t overturn the program (see 2506270054). Cutting off support that USF recipients need would be “a terrible outcome,” O’Rielly said during a Broadband Breakfast webinar.
Now with a Republican majority, FCC Chairman Brendan Carr on Wednesday laid out policy priorities that range from accelerating and easing broadband infrastructure deployment to tackling blue-collar workforce issues.
Greater use of unlicensed fixed wireless (ULFW) could reduce the number of remaining BEAD-eligible locations by up to 15%, as long as ULFW providers meet technical requirements, according to an analysis Tuesday by New York Law School's Advanced Communications Law and Policy Institute. ACLP said NTIA's BEAD restructuring notice, issued earlier this month (see 2506060052), allows ULFW to compete for BEAD grants, while locations served by ULFW are potentially no longer eligible for funding. The resulting reduction in eligible locations varies widely from state to state, the analysis said, with some seeing as much as a 30% decrease and others seeing almost no change. Rural Digital Opportunity Fund defaults, meanwhile, could raise the number of eligible locations by 3%, it added.
States are grappling with the limited amount of time available to restructure their BEAD plans and undergo a new round of grant applications under NTIA's revised rules governing the program (see 2506060052). In light of the years of work that states have already spent to comply with the rules set when the program was created, some broadband officials said they plan to continue with business as usual, while others worry that the shift from fiber priority to tech neutrality, along with narrowed community anchor institution eligibility, will hinder their efforts to bridge the digital divide.
Alan Davidson, formerly NTIA, joins Databricks as head of government affairs ... Changes at Tegna: Carol Fowler and Julie Wolfe promoted to vice presidents of content for the Mid-South and West, respectively; Chris Pena, formerly Blue Engine, added as vice president of content for the Midwest … Logix Fiber Networks names Chris Bach, ex-LiveOak Fiber, CFO … The National Emergency Number Association names John Provenzano, ex-Publix, CEO, replacing Brian Fontes, who is retiring but remains as a consultant, effective July 14 ... Washington State Broadband Office Director Aaron Wheeler leaving Friday to return to work with the Suquamish Tribe; Deputy Director Erica Henry will lead the office during the next BEAD round ... The Government Wireless Technology & Communications Association adds Ira Grossman, Public Safety Consulting, Dave Statter, STATter 911 Communications, and Susan Berning, World Portico, to its board.
The Better Business Bureau's National Advertising Division found Wednesday that some Verizon advertising claims about its satellite coverage weren’t misleading, but the phrase “largest network” in other ads was “ambiguous.” NAD examined the ads at the urging of T-Mobile and concluded that Verizon “has provided a reasonable basis for the claims ‘VERIZON Satellite Powered’ and ‘Verizon is conquering dead zones with satellite.’” But NAD recommended that in the future, "Verizon ensures that any accompanying disclosures describing the availability of the satellite texting features be clear and conspicuous.”
If the U.S. wants to win on AI, it must focus on telecom regulatory issues like permitting, Incompas CEO Chip Pickering told the House Communications Subcommittee on Wednesday. Pickering spoke during a hearing on how U.S. communications networks can support AI.