The FCC Wireline Bureau Friday reminded recipients of funding through the Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Reimbursement Program that their next update to the FCC is due July 8. The last was due April 8. FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel wrote Congress last month urging full funding to close the more than $3 billion shortfall in the rip-and-replace program, which pays for replacing Huawei and ZTE communications gear and services (see 2405020071).
LTD Broadband may relinquish its eligible telecom carrier (ETC) designation in Minnesota, the state’s Public Utilities Commission said in an order released Friday. Parties reached an agreement last month resolving the PUC’s proceeding (docket 22-221) on revoking LTD’s designation (see 2405030074). The ISP had asked to surrender its ETC status because the FCC canceled the company’s Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF) support (see 2405020042). Also Friday, the Minnesota PUC said it will decide at its June 20 meeting on a service quality probe involving Lumen. The PUC will vote on whether the company violated state rules and what the remedies should be if so (docket C-20-432). State agencies last month pressed the PUC to support an administrative law judge’s recommendation that it require the carrier to rehab its copper network (see 2404150068).
Incompas CEO Chip Pickering and others from the group met with FCC Commissioners Brendan Carr and Nathan Simington to seek action on allowing fixed-wireless use of the lower 12 GHz band. Incompas and other proponents had hoped for movement early in 2024 (see [Ref:2312270045). Incompas also met with aides to Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel, a filing posted Friday in docket 20-443 said. “Taking immediate action to make 500 megahertz of spectrum available in the lower 12 GHz for fixed wireless service offers the promise of reliable and affordable connectivity for U.S. consumers and increases the ability of the Commission to address the digital divide as it will allow current license holders offering fixed wireless solutions to apply for federal broadband deployment programs, like NTIA’s Broadband Equity Access and Deployment Program,” Incompas said.
The Coalition for Emergency Response and Critical Infrastructure (CERCI) refuted the Public Safety Spectrum Alliance’s (PSSA) latest arguments for effectively giving control of the 4.9 GHz band to the FirstNet Authority (see [Ref:2405240048). PSSA said CERCI’s approach is “wrong from top to bottom.” The alliance’s latest argument “purports to ‘provide clarity regarding the Commission’s legal authority’ to adopt PSSA’s proposal, but it does no such thing,” CERCI said in a filing posted Friday in docket 07-100: “Rather than engage meaningfully with the legal issues CERCI has raised, PSSA primarily responds with policy arguments.” The FCC lacks authority, “absent express statutory authorization, to assign spectrum to a Federal entity,” including the authority, which is part of NTIA, CERCI said. The Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012, which led to the creation of FirstNet, gave the federal network access to only 700 MHz spectrum, CERCI said.
The FCC Public Safety Bureau on Friday approved a waiver for the New Bedford, Massachusetts, police department to expand its T-band public safety radio system. The waiver lets the police add nonpublic safety frequencies 482.1125 and 485.1125 MHz. The FCC asked for comment in April (see 2302010031) and there were no responses. The city’s use of the frequencies must not interfere with TV station WPXQ-TV Newport, Rhode Island, with which it shares the spectrum, the order said.
Competitive Carriers Association representatives discussed concerns about FCC SIM swap rules approved last year (see 2311150042). CCA members want clarification “on what, if any, regulatory requirements will become effective on July 8 … versus what provisions are keyed to Office of Management and Budget approval,” they said in a call with an aide to Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel, according to a filing posted Friday in docket 21-341. CCA also raised concerns about meeting the July 8 deadline.
The House Appropriations Committee plans a Thursday vote on the Financial Services Subcommittee’s FY 2025 funding bill, which proposes increasing the FCC’s allocation over FY 2024 and decreasing funds for the FTC. The funding bill, which House Appropriations Financial Services advanced last week, includes riders barring the FCC from using its allocation to implement its net neutrality and digital discrimination orders (see 2406050067). The measure gives the FCC $416 million for FY25, including almost $12.7 million for its independent Office of the Inspector General. It includes $388.7 million for the FTC. The markup session will begin at 9 a.m. in 2359 Rayburn, House Appropriations said Friday.
ISPs and industry groups told the FCC that while competition and access remain strong in the broadband marketplace, additional regulation could harm future investment and deployment. Those views were included in feedback the FCC sought about its biannual State of Competition in the Communications Marketplace report to Congress (see 2404220050). In comments, some wireless groups urged making additional spectrum available. MVPDs and broadcasters said the FCC should recognize the increasing competition they face from streaming video and accordingly relax regulations. Comments were posted Thursday and Friday in docket 24-119.
Selection of the 6th U.S. Circuit Appeals Court to hear industry challenges to the net neutrality order may bode well for industry. Still, many questions remain, including which judges will hear the case and whether arguments are ultimately held in the Ohio-based court, industry experts said Friday.
FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel announces retirements of Mark Nadel, attorney-adviser, Wireline Bureau, and Diane Burstein, deputy chief, Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau … C Spire promotes President Suzy Hays to CEO, effective July 1, succeeding Hu Meena, who will step up to chairman of Telapex, holding company for C Spire and Franklin Telephone … Sprinklr, unified customer experience management platform, elevates interim Chief Operating Officer Trac Pham to co-CEO alongside current CEO Ragy Thomas; Pham previously was Synopsys chief financial officer ... Celestial AI, optical interconnect technology provider, taps former Siprocal and Astra Space executive Kelyn Brannon as chief financial officer ... HG Insights, data analytics platform for tech companies, appoints former SolarWinds Chief Product Officer Rohini Kasturi as CEO and board member ... Clari, AI-powered revenue platform, hires former Envoy and Skybox Security executive Claire Darling as chief marketing officer.