AST SpaceMobile still hasn't made the case for why it should be allowed to not make public information about its proposed supplemental coverage from space operations in the 700 and 800 MHz bands, T-Mobile said (docket 25-201) in a posting Thursday. It said AST is trying to create false equivalencies between its owns SCS plans and disclosures and those of SpaceX. AST criticized T-Mobile for demanding AST coverage map information that it said T-Mobile SCS partner SpaceX did not provide (see 2507080022). T-Mobile said the burden is on AST to show no harmful interference will occur, and that missing information needs to be provided before any FCC action. The docket has seen hundreds of express comments filed this week from people representing amateur radio interests raising concerns about interference from AST's already-approved use of 430-440 MHz.
A 60-day FCC advanced notice requirement for attached midsize orders could slow, rather than speed up, broadband deployments, according to Altice USA. Cable company representatives told the agency that while requiring advanced notice makes sense for larger orders, attachers generally have little advanced notice themselves about midsize orders. Requiring them to provide advanced notice to utilities will delay deployment, Altice told FCC commissioners' offices, said a docket 17-84 filing posted Thursday. The requirement is part of the pole attachment item on the agenda for the commissioners' July 24 open meeting. Altice called the proposed consequences for attachers not providing the 60-day advanced notice for large orders "overly severe." The cable ISP said utilities missing survey and make-ready timelines should be required to refund attachers any prepaid, uncompleted survey or make-ready work.
Five personnel items have been added to the FCC's July 24 meeting agenda, according to the Sunshine Notice issued Thursday. One regards appointment of a defense commissioner in the Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau. The defense commissioner oversees the agency's homeland security, national security and emergency preparedness activities. Also on the agenda are five promotions.
The FCC and DOJ on Thursday asked the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals not to require a briefing on a potential remaining issue after the U.S. Supreme Court last month rejected a Consumers’ Research challenge to the way the FCC manages the USF (see 2507020049). The problem for the FCC has been a footnote in the majority opinion, which noted that several provisions in Section 254 of the Communications Act weren't challenged and which expressed no opinion about whether those posed any additional problems for the program (see 2507150081).
Industry groups disagreed on the steps the FCC should take to close a “gap” in the commission’s Stir/Shaken authentication rules, making it harder for scammers to hide their identities. CTIA warned of unintended consequences, while other comments asked the commission to move quickly and resolutely.
Congressional Democrats are calling attention to reports that Fox News in June 2024 aired an edited version of an interview with now-President Donald Trump, with some citing it as a reason for the FCC to end what they see as partisan probes of CBS and other media outlets. House Oversight Committee ranking member Robert Garcia, D-Calif., asked Fox Corp. Chairman Lachlan Murdoch and Fox News Media CEO Suzanne Scott Thursday to explain the organization’s decision to air only part of Trump's answer to a question about whether he would release files related to accused pedophile Jeffrey Epstein.
The FCC posted on Thursday the drafts for all the items teed up for votes at the commission’s Aug. 7 open meeting. Most have a deregulatory bent.
By opposing Globalstar's planned C-3 satellite system, SpaceX and Kepler are trying to disadvantage a competitor and get access to its 1.6/2.4 GHz spectrum, Globalstar told the FCC Space Bureau in a filing posted Wednesday. Globalstar said an accompanying Roberson and Associates study shows the bands can't support more than one mobile satellite service (MSS) operator. "Physics dictates that the operation of SpaceX’s mega-constellation or any other new entrant’s system in the 1.6/2.4 GHz band would inevitably cause extensive harmful interference to Globalstar’s licensed services," it said. That C-3 uses technology different from Globalstar's existing constellation isn't evidence other entities could provide service in the band without harming Globalstar. The satellite operator waved off claims the spectrum is underused, saying it "robustly uses its few megahertz of spectrum for a variety of mobile satellite offerings with considerable public interest benefits," including satellite IoT, its "SPOT family" of satellite-enabled communications devices and Apple's direct-to-device service for the iPhone 14, 15 and 16. Globalstar urged approval of its U.S. market access request for C-3 (see 2502280001).
Representatives of public interest and tribal groups met with an aide to FCC Commissioner Olivia Trusty to ask that the FCC change course and create a tribal window prior to the AWS-3 reauction (see 2507140042). Commissioners are to vote July 24 on auction rules (see 2507030049). Attending the meeting were representatives of Public Knowledge, X-Lab, the Navajo Nation and the Southern California Tribal Chairmen’s Association.
The FCC Office of Engineering and Technology sought comment Wednesday on a waiver sought by Hitachi Rail for a train control system that would operate in the 3.8-4.2 MHz band. Comments are due Aug. 15, replies Sept. 2, in docket 25-225. The system is “intended to provide high-resolution train location determination; continuous, high-capacity, bi-directional train-to-wayside data communications; and a network of processors installed on board trains,” OET said. Hitachi plans to upgrade the Bay Area Rapid Transit District system in the San Francisco area with the new system.