Sue McNeil Sullivan, formerly FCC, joins Lumen as assistant general counsel for federal regulatory affairs, replacing Craig Brown, retiring after 24 years … MDA Space names Rob Singh, ex-Axta Space, vice president for strategic solutions, a newly created position … Nexsys-One adds Dave Mayo, Dish Network, to its board.
Japanese satcom company Sky Perfect JSAT, with 17 satellites in geostationary orbit, is looking to boost its presence in earth observation, subsidiary JSAT Beyond Innovation (JBI) told the FCC Space Bureau. In an application posted Saturday, JBI said it's aiming for a fall 2026 launch of the first of what will be 10 non-geostationary orbit earth observation satellites. It intends to target potential U.S. and international customers, including governmental agencies and commercial enterprises, the filing said.
Skydance Media is committed to unbiased journalism and diverse viewpoints, which "will ensure CBS’s editorial decision-making reflects the varied ideological perspectives of American viewers," CEO David Ellison promised FCC Chairman Brendan Carr, according to docket 24-275 filed Friday. Recapping their meeting, Skydance said it's also committed "to promoting non-discrimination and equal employment opportunity at New Paramount, ensuring the company is fully compliant with law." That seemingly refers to Carr's pledge that the agency will block mergers based on companies' diversity, equity and inclusion practices (see 2503210049).
The FCC Media Bureau has reached consent decrees with two more broadcasters that appealed forfeitures involving children’s programming violations related to Hot Wheels toys, according to a pair of orders released Friday. The additional settlements were with Second Generation of Iowa and several stations owned by the Sinclair-affiliated Deerfield Media. As in the other settlements with smaller broadcasters (see 2507180066), they won’t pay a penalty and will have their licenses renewed. Deerfield and Second Generation had faced fines of $20,000 per station.
GE Healthcare Technologies and the Aerospace and Flight Test Radio Coordinating Council continue to try to "inject needless complexity" into a launch spectrum coordination process that the FCC wants to streamline, SpaceX said in a filing posted Monday (docket 13-115). GEHC and AFTRCC raised concerns about space launch use of the 2360-2395 MHz band (see 2506170053). In response to SpaceX's opposition to an AFTRCC petition, the council said last month that it seeks only limited clarification of the framework that extends space launch services to the upper S band, "not a major revisitation as one reading the Opposition might conclude." In its reply to SpaceX's opposition, GEHC said its petition wouldn't halt launch access to 2360-2395 MHz but would seek "necessary, reasonable safeguards" protecting medical body area networks (MBANs).
The FCC Office of Engineering and Technology on Monday approved a waiver request from Rod Radar allowing its Live Dig Radar to be classified as an ultra-wideband device, consistent with other ground-penetrating radar (GPR) systems. The agency sought comment a year ago (see 2407240052). The company describes the device as providing the first GPR “integrated in an excavator digging bucket capable of informing bucket operators in real-time of underground utilities,” the order said.
PCS Partners (PCSP) asked the FCC to review or reconsider a June 20 order by the Wireless Bureau waiving a limit on multilateration location and monitoring service (M-LMS) spectrum for which Progeny may hold licenses in a market. The bureau had also denied PCSP’s request that the FCC hold Progeny’s request in abeyance “pending comprehensive agency resolution of interrelated proceedings.” The bureau action “continues a pattern of arbitrary, preferential treatment in favor of Progeny, and to the detriment of PCSP, that the Commission should promptly address,” the company said last week in docket 12-202.
Alaska’s Knik Tribe raised concerns about changes proposed by CTIA to how the FCC enforces the National Environmental Policy Act and the National Historic Preservation Act. A draft NPRM addressing those laws is before commissioners for a vote at the Aug. 7 open meeting (see 2507170048).
Opponents of T-Mobile’s purchase of wireless assets from UScellular continue to raise questions following FCC Wireless Bureau approval of the deal (see 2507110045). In a meeting with an aide to Commissioner Olivia Trusty, the Rural Wireless Association, Communications Workers of America, Public Knowledge and New America’s Open Technology Institute said UScellular's transactions with T-Mobile, Verizon and AT&T should be looked at together, according to a filing posted Monday in 25-150 and other dockets.
The Safer Buildings Coalition urged the FCC to launch a rulemaking on guidelines for getting consent from licensees to install signal boosters. “Signal boosters are being installed without required frequency licensee consent and in areas where they are not needed, violating FCC Part 90 rules that require express permission and limit deployment to weak signal areas only,” said an undocketed petition posted Monday.