WISPA on Monday urged the FCC not to make disruptive changes to rules for the citizens broadband radio service (CBRS) band, which it said offers a “scalable rural broadband solution.” CBRS advocates have said they're concerned about potential changes to power levels in the band, which they see as possible under Chairman Brendan Carr (see 2503130049). The spectrum provisions in the reconciliation package signed into law by President Donald Trump also don’t exclude CBRS from potential reallocation (see 2507070045).
Public Knowledge and the National Congress of American Indians are asking the FCC to rethink draft rules for the AWS-3 reauction, which don’t include a window giving tribes a first shot at spectrum. They met with an aide to FCC Chairman Brendan Carr, according to a filing posted Monday in docket 25-70. Commissioners are slated to vote July 24 on auction rules (see 2507030049).
UScellular provided answers to the FCC Wireline Bureau's questions on eligible telecom carrier (ETC) issues after closing its sale of spectrum, customers and other assets to T-Mobile. The filing was posted Monday in docket 09-197 but dated Saturday, the day after the bureau approved the deal (see 2507110045).
Prison-calling providers and the National Sheriffs’ Association supported the FCC’s request at the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals that the court hold the case in abeyance while the commission reconsiders rules approved last year. The Wireline Bureau recently delayed incarcerated people’s communications service (IPCS) deadlines until April 1, 2027 (see 2506300068).
The House passed the Precision Agriculture Satellite Connectivity Act (HR-1618) and five other Commerce Committee-cleared telecom bills Monday on voice votes. The others: the Institute for Telecommunication Sciences Codification Act (HR-1455), Communications Security Act (HR-1717), Promoting U.S. Wireless Leadership Act (HR-1765), NTIA Policy and Cybersecurity Coordination Act (HR-1766) and Open Radio Access Networks Outreach Act (HR-2037). The chamber was also expected to vote as soon as Monday night on the Understanding Cybersecurity of Mobile Networks Act (HR-1709).
The Rural Wireless Association will ask the full FCC to review an order passed by the Wireless Bureau's and Office of International Affairs' acting chiefs Friday approving T-Mobile’s purchase of wireless assets from UScellular (see 2507110045), the group said Monday in an emailed statement. But new Commissioner Olivia Trusty indicated her support for the three merger orders handed down last week, suggesting that Chairman Brendan Carr would likely have a majority for approval if he sought a commissioner vote.
Citing the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals' finding against the FCC on its 2023 one-to-one robotext consent policy order (see 2501240068), the agency said it has removed the order's language from its rule book. The FCC Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau order Monday to eliminate the rule marked the second time in days that the agency has reset its regulations to an earlier version due to a court decision; the Wireless Bureau said last week that it was restoring the agency's rules to language dating to before the 2024 net neutrality order, which was ultimately shot down by the 6th Circuit (see 2507110016). As with Wireless' net neutrality order, Consumer and Government Affairs said the FCC didn't have to conduct a notice-and-comment proceeding for the amendment because it's implementing the 11th Circuit's mandate, and the agency doesn't have discretion to depart from that.
Concessions from T-Mobile and Verizon that the companies offered as part of recent transactions were critical to getting major carriers to the table to address long-standing pricing issues, said Todd Schlekeway, president and CEO of NATE, an association representing infrastructure builders. The agreements also address concerns about workforce security and contractors who work on towers being fully vetted, he said.
The FCC Space and Wireless bureaus and Office of Engineering and Technology signed off Friday on license transfers needed as part of SES' $3.1 billion purchase of Intelsat. It put no special conditions on the transaction. SES/Intelsat is likely to result in lower costs from synergies, better network quality, increased investment, national security benefits "and the creation of a more vigorous satellite competitor," the bureaus said in a 35-page order.
The FCC's basic cable rate regulation order, adopted at its June meeting (see 2506260030), goes into effect Aug. 13, said a notice for Monday's Federal Register. The order exempted small cable systems and cable equipment used for anything other than delivery of the basic service tier from rate regulation.