Patti Kukula, executive director of the Detroit Public Safety Foundation, withdrew a filing at the FCC made in August opposing FirstNet control of the 4.9 GHz band (see 2408290015). The filing "is not reflective” of the foundation’s “position or stance on this public safety communications matter,” said the new filing posted Wednesday in docket 07-100. “The submission of the Foundation’s original filing did not adhere to our organization’s process for review,” Kukula said. The foundation was “operating on an incomplete set of facts regarding this regulatory proceeding and a mistaken assumption regarding the proposal.”
The FCC wants comments by Oct. 15, replies by Nov. 12, in docket 24-213 on proposed revisions to the robocall mitigation database, said a notice for Thursday's Federal Register. Commissioners adopted the item in August (see 2408070047).
Former FCC Public Safety Bureau Chief David Simpson stresses the importance of finding a terrestrial alternative to GPS for positioning, navigation and timing (PNT) in a new paper. “A day without accurate and available PNT services is a scenario the U.S. cannot afford,” Simpson argues. The paper comes amid broad opposition to NextNav’s pursuit of an NPRM examining using the 902-928 MHz band for PNT (see 2409060046). Terrestrial PNT “utilizes ground-based infrastructure, making it less susceptible to jamming and spoofing attacks targeting space-based systems” and combined with GPS would “create a more robust and resilient PNT ecosystem, minimizing the impact of single-point failures,” said Simpson, also a former Navy rear admiral, now a professor at Virginia Tech. A terrestrial system would “eliminate the confusion GPS receivers often encounter in urban canyons, difficult geographies and indoors” and “eliminate the asymmetric advantage an adversary might seek from an attack on our space assets.” The paper was prepared in part with the support of NextNav but reflects his personal views, Simpson said.
The FCC activated the disaster information reporting system and mandatory disaster response initiative for 30 parishes in Louisiana facing impacts from Hurricane Francine, a public notice said Wednesday. The alert includes Acadia Parish, Orleans Parish, St. Martin and others. Reports are due from communication providers starting Thursday. The FCC also issued public notices on priority communications services, FCC availability and emergency contact procedures for licensees that need special temporary authority. The Public Safety Bureau also issued a reminder for entities clearing debris and repairing utilities to avoid damaging communications infrastructure.
Communications Daily is tracking the lawsuits below involving appeals of FCC actions. Lawsuits added since the last update are marked with an *.
The growing pace of launches in the U.S. is stressing launch site capabilities, particularly Florida's Cape Canaveral, launch operators said Wednesday at a U.S. Chamber of Commerce aerospace conference in Washington. Meanwhile, FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel said SpaceX could pose a monopolistic threat in commercial space and that more competition is needed. In addition, the FAA was criticized for its launch regulatory regime.
Former President Donald Trump said Wednesday the FCC should revoke Disney-owned ABC’s licenses after what many observers considered his poor presidential debate performance Tuesday night against Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democrats’ nominee. Trump has repeatedly said broadcast networks and other entities should lose their ‘licenses’ over their coverage of him, including January comments that NBC and CNN are “crooked” and should “have their licenses or whatever they have taken away” (see 2401170050). Harris and Trump, the Republicans’ presidential nominee, briefly traded barbs during the evening about the U.S. tech leadership position with China.
House Administration Committee ranking member Joe Morelle of New York, Communications Subcommittee ranking member Doris Matsui of California and other Democrats voiced continued support Wednesday for FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel’s embattled AI political ad disclosures NPRM (see 2407250046). However, they suggested the agency should take further steps if Congress can agree on relevant legislation. Congressional Republicans have repeatedly criticized FCC action on the matter so near the November elections, including during a July House Communications agency oversight hearing (see 2407090049).
Spectrum Five (SF) dropped its petition before the FCC without legitimate explanation, and only reinstatement of it will vindicate BIU's interest as a secured lender to the satellite company, petitioner BIU told the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit in an opening brief Monday (docket 24-1189). BIU is appealing the FCC's dismissal of the financier's petition seeking reinstatement of the SF complaint alleging that Intelsat is interfering with SF's spectrum license (see 2404110053). Alleging license violations by Intelsat and complicity by the FCC in allowing Intelsat to continue unlicensed operations, BIU in its opening brief said the fraudulent withdrawal of the SF petition "must not be allowed to stand or Intelsat’s egregious violations will be allowed to continue unabated." The unauthorized withdrawal of the petition "amounts to a fraud on the Commission itself," it said. The FCC didn't comment Tuesday.
As Tropical Storm Francine approaches the Gulf Coast, Federated Wireless asked the FCC for a waiver of rules that require environmental sensing capability systems to protect federal incumbents in the citizens broadband radio service band from harmful interference. The storm is expected to bring “intense winds and rainfall that could cause widespread power outages,” said a filing posted Tuesday in docket 15-319. “If such outages occur, the Impacted Systems will lose commercial power and be unable to operate normally,” Federated said.