The FCC is increasingly leaning toward an "object-years" regulatory approach to space safety, experts say. But some warn of flaws in the approach. The agency is seeking input, due June 27, on its orbital debris open proceeding about using a 100 object-years benchmark -- a cap on the total cumulative time to deorbit failed satellites -- for assessing the risk of a constellation's derelict satellites (see 2405240005).
Revisions to the Spectrum and National Security Act (S-4207) last week (see 2406140062) have at least solidified Democrats' support for the measure ahead of a planned Tuesday Senate Commerce Committee vote, lobbyists told us. The more doubtful wild card is whether any Republican panel members publicly back the measure Tuesday despite Chair Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., making revisions that reflect their desire to protect military interests, lobbyists said. Several believed there was still a strong chance Senate Commerce would again postpone a vote on S-4207 after already yanking it from the agenda three times (see 2406110079). The panel’s meeting is set to begin at 10 a.m. in 253 Russell.
Space vehicles used principally for rendezvous and proximity operations and in-orbit servicing will be treated as small satellites for the purposes of regulatory fees, the FCC said in Friday's Daily Digest. The agency said it will group them with small satellites on an interim basis until it "can develop more experience in how these space stations will be regulated." The order didn't address other fee proposals raised in the pending space regulatory fee proceeding (see 2403140060).
The FCC wants comments by July 17, replies Aug. 1, on a Further NPRM addressing border gateway protocol security practices in docket 24-146, a notice for Monday's Federal Register said. Commissioners adopted the FNPRM during the agency's June meeting (see 2406060028).
The FCC is set to publish in the Federal Register on Monday last week’s notice from the Office of Engineering and Technology on geofencing in the 5.9 GHz band (see 2406110029). Comments are due July 5 in docket 19-138.
Progeny updated the FCC on the buildout of its 900 MHz multilateration location and monitoring service licenses (M-LMS) in a filing Friday (docket 12-202). “Progeny is currently seeking Commission rule changes that would enable highly accurate, widescale geolocation services, greatly enhancing the efficacy and utility of Progeny’s terrestrial position, navigation, and time services as a complement and backup to the Global Positioning System,” Progeny said. Parent NextNav proposed a reconfiguration of the 902-928 MHz band in April (see 2404160043). Progeny noted last year it filed notifications of construction and coverage for M-LMS licenses covering 32 of the remaining economic areas where its network wasn’t previously operational.
Alstom Transport Holding US agreed to pay a $30,000 fine and implement a compliance plan for the transfer of private wireless licenses without FCC authorization. Alstom got nine licenses from three subsidiaries of Bombardier when it purchased the businesses in January 2021, the Enforcement Bureau said Friday. In February 2022, Alstom sought consent for the transfers. The FCC approved the transfers in July 2023. The Wireless Bureau also referred the matter to the Enforcement Bureau, which launched an investigation, the order said.
T-Mobile and the Competitive Carriers Association last week said the FCC should make FirstNet subject to the agency’s network outage and disaster information reporting systems. The comments were filed in docket 21-341 as the FCC took reply comments on a January Further NPRM, which raised the matter (see 2406130023). "Every other commenter -- except FirstNet -- addressing this issue also supported the extension of outage reporting requirements to FirstNet,” T-Mobile said. The carrier cited AT&T’s February outage, which also affected FirstNet (see 2402220058). “The record demonstrates support for the FCC’s proposal to extend resiliency reporting to FirstNet and similarly notes the benefits FirstNet reporting would provide,” said CCA. In addition, the group raised competition issues: “Some wireless providers compete with FirstNet, and parity in terms of FCC reporting requirements along with increased transparency in terms of network outages and resiliency will put wireless providers on a more competitively neutral footing.” In initial comments, the FirstNet Authority argued against the proposed requirement. “Information about FirstNet’s network status, infrastructure, and assets is already included as part of AT&T’s DIRS and NORS reporting and therefore available to the FCC,” the authority said. Expanding the rules to “explicitly apply to FirstNet would be duplicative.”
The FCC on Friday proposed a $367,436 fine for ASUSTeK Computer for marketing a Wi-Fi adapter and router that allegedly were modified to operate in excess of their previously authorized power limits. The FCC also said it’s considering changing how it addresses such rules violations. ASUSTeK Computer is a Taiwanese company selling gear in the U.S. through Asus Computer, a wholly owned U.S. affiliate. RF equipment that operates at excess power “risks causing harmful interference” to other devices and “may give the violator an unfair competitive advantage,” the order said. Commissioners approved it 5-0 Thursday. The commission said it’s considering making its rules tougher. “We are concerned that in equipment marketing enforcement cases like this one -- with a small number of noncompliant equipment models, but a large volume of units sold -- our existing ‘per-model’ forfeiture calculation, even with substantial upward adjustments, may fail to yield an appropriate forfeiture amount,” the FCC said: “In future equipment marketing cases we may change our methodology for calculating forfeitures in a way that better aligns forfeitures with the harms caused by the underlying violations, including, where appropriate, increased forfeitures.” Commissioner Brendan Carr issued a statement clarifying his stance. “I do not read this item as determining whether the FCC’s upward adjustment factor applies based on the line of business relevant to the FCC’s enforcement action or based on a company’s entire operations,” he said: “I am open to the FCC considering reasonable changes in the context of an appropriate Commission proceeding.”
The House Appropriations Committee advanced the Financial Services Subcommittee’s FY 2025 funding bill, which includes annual funding for the FCC and FTC. Lawmakers approved the measure on a 33-24 party-line vote Thursday night. The legislation increases the FCC’s annual allocation to $416 million and decreases the FTC’s yearly money to $388.7 million (see 2406050067). Committee Democrats ultimately didn’t seek amendments aimed at removing riders from the funding bill that bar the FCC from using its allocation to implement its net neutrality and digital discrimination orders, as some lobbyists thought possible (see 2406130064). House Appropriations also voted 33-24 to advance the Legislative Branch Subcommittee’s FY25 funding bill, which includes $59.7 million for the Copyright Office.