Absent more FCC action on issues such as ownership and facilitating the ATSC 3.0 transition, the broadcast industry is quickly sliding toward a "period of catastrophic decline," FCC Commissioner Nathan Simington said Thursday. "We can't keep on the current trajectory" of stations closing and licenses falling into disuse, he said at a Media Institute event. The trend line on broadcaster bankruptcies is "a little bit like the beginning of a recession."
After years of discussions, wired/wireless convergence is happening this year, consultant John Cankar, COO of Wiverse and managing director at GravityPath, said Wednesday during a Georgetown Center for Business and Public Policy webinar. Other speakers said the outlook on spectrum auctions remains unclear. A top Verizon executive said separately that the carrier won't need more spectrum in the near future.
A notice of inquiry about use of the upper C band for 5G may prove controversial given the implications for radio altimeters, industry experts said. The NOI proposes a study of 3.98-4.2 GHz spectrum, just above the spectrum sold in the record-breaking C-band auction, which ended in early 2021 (see 2102180041). FCC Chairman Brendan Carr initiated the NOI last week for a vote at the Feb. 27 open meeting. A radio altimeter is a device that measures the distance between an aircraft and the ground.
The FCC’s draft notice of inquiry on opening the upper C band for commercial use acknowledges numerous incumbents using the spectrum and seeks “detailed and evidence-based comments” from all affected parties. Also on Thursday, the FCC released a draft NPRM on rules for the AWS-3 auction and other items, teeing them up for the FCC’s Feb. 27 open meeting, including new rules for wireless emergency alerts (see 2502050057).
New FCC Chairman Brendan Carr laid out an aggressive agenda for his first meeting as chair, with two items on future spectrum auctions, including a look at the upper C band. The FCC will also tackle wireless emergency alerts and robocalls and ways of strengthening the call-blocking capabilities of carriers. In addition, commissioners will consider an NPRM on the volume of broadcast commercials.
President Donald Trump renewed the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology on Thursday to “provide advice and evidence-based recommendations to the President to ensure that policies are informed by the latest scientific discoveries and technological advancements,” the White House said. The council will “champion bold investments in innovation, the elimination of bureaucratic barriers, and actions to help the United States remain the world’s premier hub for scientific and technological breakthroughs.” Trump’s executive order reestablishing PCAST would give the advisory council up to 24 members and sets as its co-chairs the White House AI and "cryptocurrency czar," a role previously given to David Sacks, and the assistant to the president for science and technology. Other PCAST members should be “distinguished individuals and representatives from sectors outside of the Federal Government appointed by the President,” the EO said. “These non-Federal members shall have diverse perspectives and expertise in science, technology, education, and innovation.” The White House said Trump’s first administration “accelerated research and collaboration,” including via “spectrum auctions to unlock valuable frequencies for 5G and innovation.”
FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel circulated an NPRM Monday to start auctioning AWS-3 spectrum that will fully fund the FCC’s Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Reimbursement Program (see 2412240036). Congress agreed to send an additional $3.08 billion for carriers to rip and replace unsecure network equipment from Chinese companies Huawei and ZTE, though questions remain about whether that amount will suffice since the program's total is based on cost estimates filed years ago (see 2412310016). The auction would be the first since the agency’s general auction authority expired in March 2023. Rosenworcel is seeking approval of the NPRM through an electronic vote by commissioners. The NPRM “would propose updates to the service-specific competitive bidding rules to grant licenses for spectrum in the FCC’s inventory in the AWS-3 spectrum bands (generally the 1695-1710 MHz, 1755-1780 MHz, and 2155-2180 MHz bands),” said a news release. The FCC assigned the majority of AWS-3 licenses in an auction that ended Jan. 29, 2017. “Nevertheless, there remains spectrum in these bands that is not currently licensed due to various circumstances,” the release said: “Pursuant to the Congressional mandate, the Commission will now offer licenses for the unassigned AWS-3 spectrum in a new auction.” The FCC said the NPRM also would propose to update definitions of small and very small businesses “to conform with the Small Business Act’s five-year lookback period that has been used in recent spectrum auctions.” Rosenworcel cited Salt Typhoon, the Chinese government-associated effort at hacking U.S. telecom networks (see 2411190073), in seeking quick action on the NPRM. "With ‘Salt Typhoon’ and other recent incidents, we are all acutely aware of the risk posed by Chinese hackers and intelligence services to our privacy, economy, and security,” Rosenworcel said. “I am confident that the FCC’s world-leading and award-winning auction team will meet this important moment.” Rosenworcel, a Democrat, plans to leave the FCC in two weeks, when Republican Commissioner Brendan Carr is expected to replace her as chair.
NTIA Administrator Alan Davidson said during a Thursday Broadband Breakfast event he intends to resign Jan. 20, declaring the day President-elect Donald Trump is set to return to office as the end of his leadership of the agency. FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel plans on leaving the same day (see 2411210028). Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., and some other event participants predicted potential changes in NTIA’s $42.5 billion BEAD program once Republicans have unified control of government upon Trump’s inauguration, but suggested it’s less clear how spectrum policymaking may change next year.
Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Mark Warner, D-Va., said during a Thursday Punchbowl News event he would prefer the chamber pursue a middle-ground between the Spectrum and National Security Act (S-4207) and 2024 Spectrum Pipeline Act (S-3909) as a legislative package for renewing the FCC’s lapsed airwaves auction authority. He also voiced concerns about the Biden administration’s implementation of $65 billion in broadband money from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, echoing criticisms congressional Republicans raised about how long it has taken for funded projects to come online.
Verizon in its Q3 earnings presentation Tuesday expanded its goals for fixed wireless subscribers and broadband offerings. “Our ambitious targets for fixed wireless access, combined with our fiber expansion including the planned Frontier acquisition, will bring unmatched broadband coverage to millions more homes and businesses nationwide,” said CEO Hans Vestburg in a release. Verizon’s total consolidated operating revenue in Q3 was $33.3 billion, “essentially flat compared to third-quarter 2023,” said an earnings release. Verizon said revenue growth was offset by declines in wireless equipment revenue in 2024. Vestburg said the company increased fixed wireless subscribers by nearly 57% as compared with Q3 2023, achieving 4.2 million subs 15 months earlier than expected. The company expects by 2028 to reach 8 million to 9 million fixed wireless subscribers and provide coverage to 90 million households. Verizon President-Global Networks and Technology Joe Russo said Tuesday that the expanded goals were not dependent on broadband, equity, access and deployment BEAD program funding. BEAD availability “won’t rock the boat,” added Vestburg. After its proposed acquisition of Frontier, Verizon will bring in an additional 9 million to 10 million fiber passings, and is aiming at reaching more than 30 million passings by 2028, Russo said. “Frontier’s consumer fiber network can be immediately and seamlessly integrated upon closing directly into Verizon’s award-winning Fios network,” the release said. Vestburg said Tuesday that he doesn’t anticipate M&A beyond the Frontier acquisition, and doesn’t expect big industry shakeups requiring large capital expenditures -- such as spectrum auctions -- anytime soon. “I don’t have visibility on anything like that at the moment."