FCC chair Brendan Carr is circulating a draft notice of proposed rulemaking about reconfiguring the upper C-Band spectrum in the contiguous United States ranging from 180MHz to 100MHz.

The goal is to maximise the amount of spectrum repurposed as generational aviation safety upgrades occur in the adjacent band. The notice pushes for the release of more spectrum through auctions.

The notice is seeking input on how much spectrum can be repurposed, transition strategies, coexistence with adjacent radio altimeters, auction procedures, licencing and technical rules for new wireless services.

The US Congress directed the FCC to auction at least 100MHz in the upper C-band by July 2027 when it passed President Donald Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill earlier this year.

The spectrum initiative is part of the FCC’s Build America Agenda, which aims to restore US leadership in wireless technology. The draft notice will be voted on by FCC commissioners at its November open meeting. 

“My proposal aims to maximise the amount of spectrum available for 5G and 6G services,” Carr stated.

Carr explained the additional spectrum will drive down prices for consumers, create jobs and increase competition while also “promoting our national security and geopolitical interests”.

The draft notice is in addition to a proceeding Carr launched in February seeking input into making more intensive use of the upper C-Band spectrum.

The Lower C-Band auction in 2020 expanded 5G access nationwide, and the proposed draft seeks to apply the same rules used then.

CTIA CEO and president Ajit Pai, who was FCC chair during Trump’s first term, applauded “the FCC for its swift, decisive action to unlock upper C-band spectrum, a vital step toward securing America’s wireless leadership,” in a statement this week.

The post FCC circulates proposal for more C-Band auctions appeared first on Mobile World Live.

Carr declared October Space Month during the opening of a satellite manufacturing facility in El Segundo, California, explaining the coming weeks would see the US regulator outline strategies to advance its Build America Agenda by focusing on the space economy.

He said President Donald Trump was leading the US into a “new golden age of innovation in space, one where US businesses are going to dominate.”

Carr noted the president previously acted to “streamline regulations and foster a commercial space industry”.

The FCC leader said the regulator would hold a vote on measures to shake up regulation of the space sector later this month.

Items on the agenda include plans to modernise licensing processes, replacing bespoke procedures with an assembly-line model intended to speed the issue of permissions for services which are in the public interest.

The FCC also wants to see simpler application processes and provide clarity on the timelines involved.

Spectrum is also on the bill: the FCC noted demand had soared in the decade since it introduced regulations covering the use of Upper Microwave Flexible Use bands for earth stations and stated it intends to explore options to reform siting rules to make the most of the airwaves.

Carr said the big picture is to ensure the “US is the friendliest regulatory environment in the world for innovators to start, to grow and to accelerate their space operations”.

The post US FCC readies space rules overhaul appeared first on Mobile World Live.

A three-judge panel of the appeals court rejected Verizon’s argument the FCC’s liability finding “was arbitrary and capricious” in a filing yesterday (10 September.)

Verizon also stated in the filing “the penalty exceeds the statutory cap, and the imposition of the forfeiture, without a jury trial, violated its Seventh Amendment rights”.

The court disagreed, and stated “the customer data at issue plainly qualifies as customer proprietary network information”.

Last year, the FCC finalised nearly $200 million in fines against AT&T, T-Mobile US and Verizon, following the completion of Notices of Apparent Liability (NAL) issued against the mobile operators in February 2020.

The FCC Enforcement Bureau’s investigations of the operators found that each sold access to its customers’ location information to “aggregators,” who then resold access to such information to third-party location-based service providers.

In April 2024, after reviews of the operators’ NAL responses, FCC commissioners voted along party lines to fine AT&T $57 million, Verizon $46.9 million and T-Mobile $80 million.

Former FCC chair Jessica Rosenworcel, a member of the Democratic Party, voted in favour of the fines while current chair Brendan Carr, a member of the Republican Party, voted against them.

Verizon paid the penalty and filed a legal petition for a review by the appeals court.

The post Court affirms $47M Verizon fine for data sharing appeared first on Mobile World Live.

In May, the FCC called out EchoStar’s lack of use of its AWS-4 spectrum licences and 5G network build out following a complaint by SpaceX.

SpaceX appeared to have an ally in FCC chair Brendan Carr, who pressed EchoStar to part with spectrum it wasn’t using.

EchoStar stated in a filing the same month the FCC probe effectively froze its ability to make decisions regarding the company’s Boost Mobile business

A meeting between EchoStar co-founder and chair Charlie Ergen, Carr and US President Donald Trump proved to be a tipping point for the satellite player selling spectrum which SpaceX maintained was underutilised.

Carr wrote in a letter to Ergen yesterday (8 September) which stated he directed FCC staff to bring the agency’s investigation to a conclusion.

He also noted EchoStar has met the agency’s network buildout requirements, although EchoStar is now shutting down all but the core of its open RAN-based 5G network.

The FCC chair also directed the staff to confirm EchoStar’s exclusive terrestrial and MSS rights over the AWS-4 spectrum it is selling to SpaceX for $17 billion.

EchoStar noted in a filing today (9 September) the deals with AT&T and SpaceX continue to remain subject to FCC approvals.

The post FCC drops EchoStar probe after Starlink, AT&T deals appeared first on Mobile World Live.

Reforms were agreed to boost development of neutral-host ground infrastructure, an approach the Commission noted had been successful in the broader wireless industry.

It stated boosting the “nascent ground-station-as-a-service” model would aid smaller space companies by enabling “multiple satellite systems to share the same ground station”, removing “needless paperwork” and regulatory barriers, and commence services without building their own terrestrial receivers.

The FCC’s amendments mean ground station operators can be licensed without “first identifying a specific satellite” communication point.

Offering operators a simplified notification process when communication points are added “would eliminate approximately 49 per cent of earth station modification applications”.

Simplified application processes for space and earth stations were also passed, and the FCC broadened the list of licence modifications which will not require previous approval, a move it stated would particularly benefit the Geostationary Earth Orbit satellite sector.

FCC chair Brendan Carr said the space sector is “a key pillar” of moves to boost the US economy, with a value in excess of $600 billion.

A correct regulatory framework should see US companies “lead the world” in the field, he said.

Concurrently, the FCC detailed plans to overhaul processes for deploying high-speed infrastructure including 5G by reviewing its environmental protections with a view to simplifying planning permission processes.

The post FCC floats ground control changes appeared first on Mobile World Live.

Earlier this month, the US Department of Justice’s antitrust division cleared T-Mobile US’ $4.4 billion acquisition of UScellular a day after the operator shelved its DEI practices to better align itself with President Donald Trump’s policies.

Also in July, the FCC gave a greenlight to T-Mobile for the transfer of control of five of Metronet’s subsidiaries to the mobile operator.

In May, Verizon garnered regulatory approval for its $20 billion acquisition of Frontier Communications after agreeing to end its DEI initiatives and reassign staff. AT&T scaled back its DEI efforts in March in an apparent move to appease Trump.

In March, Bloomberg reported Trump-appointed Carr bluntly warned companies promoting DEI initiatives may not receive approval from the agency for their merger and acquisition deals while specifically calling out T-Mobile and Verizon.

Executive orders
Trump has long maintained DEI programmes and practices are discriminatory. Two executive orders issued in January by Trump specifically targeted and effectively outlawed DEI programmes within the federal government

Executive order 14173 prohibits federal contractors and subcontractors from engaging in DEI-related affirmative action or workforce balancing based on protected characteristics. It also requires all federal contracts and grants to include terms certifying compliance with anti-discrimination laws and the absence of illegal DEI programmes.

“What a lot of people don’t realise or ignore, is one of the subsections is that every government vendor also falls under that executive order,” Roger Entner, founder and analyst at Recon Analytics, told Mobile World Live (MWL.) “If you sell to the government, and virtually every telco does, you must scrub that if you want to continue to do business with the government.

“By the way, if you are a TV network and you take money for an ad for recruitment from the military, you fall under that,” he added.

Entner explained Carr and other administration officials “need to express their public adoration and adherence with the wishes of the president”.

“Carr can run victory laps and show how much he implements President Trump’s agenda. He can show how he is humbling even the mighty and he brought them to heel.”

New Street Research analyst Blair Levin told MWL if Carr believed the companies’ DEI programmes were breaking the law he could bring an enforcement action against them. 

“But he hasn’t because such an action would be reviewed by a court and most courts would find that the companies were not violating the law and the FCC had no authority to bring such an action,” Levin said. “Carr has raised the issue in the context of mergers where the companies know he can hold up a merger forever unless they bend the knee.”

While some analysts MWL contacted declined to comment on the Trump administration’s anti-DEI efforts, Levin stated “the chair of the FCC should not be setting human relations policies for regulated companies”.

“There is no way that giving the FCC chair that power will result in faster, better, and cheaper communications, which is what the FCC chair should be focused on,” he stated.

Charter Communication’s $34.5 billion deal to buy Cox Communications is on the clock for FCC approval. Trump is a vocal critic of Comcast CEO Brian Roberts, according to various news stories.

Going forward
While T-Mobile and Verizon buckled on their DEI policies, some companies have held firm, albeit ones which currently don’t have M&A deals in the works.

Shortly after Trump issued his executive orders in January, Apple bucked the trend to drop its DEI policies. Cisco still has inclusion policies and programmes listed on its website.

Depending on Trump’s mood or current agenda, any of the vendors in the telecommunications sector could fall under his administration’s DEI scrutiny regardless of whether they are seeking FCC approvals.

Wedbush analyst Dan Ives told MWL it is clear the FCC’s stance on DEI initiatives will have far-reaching implications for the telecoms industry. He explained companies will need to adapt their diversity initiatives to comply with the FCC’s expectations, “potentially affecting their corporate culture and public perception”.

“It’s about finding a balance between regulatory compliance and fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace,” he said. “Finding that balance will be key for telecom companies moving forward.

”It’s not just about compliance but also about creating a workplace culture that values diversity and inclusion.”

Indeed, Ives stated the FCC’s stance on DEI initiatives will likely lead to a shift in how companies approach these issues.

“It will be interesting to see how they adapt and evolve in response.”

The post Analysis: Why FCC chair Carr is Trump’s DEI watchdog appeared first on Mobile World Live.

President Donald Trump’s so-called One Big Beautiful Bill was passed by a Republican majority yesterday (3 July) in the House of Representatives after the Senate’s version was finalised 1 July.

The president is expected to sign the bill into law today (4 July).

Carr stated the bill establishes “a robust pipeline of [800 MHz] spectrum for years to come”.

“I want to extend my congratulations to President Trump and congressional Republicans on securing this big win for the country.”

“Restoring US leadership in wireless is key to the nation’s economic and national security interests.”

“This will create jobs, encourage innovation and expand high-speed connections to more Americans.”

In a statement issued by the Competitive Carriers Association (CCA), its president and CEO Tim Donovan also thanked congress for the move and for “establishing blueprints for future spectrum auctions”.

“This long overdue action will help meet consumer demand, remove obstacles to US global leadership and is essential to closing the digital divide for rural America.”

FCC commissioners will vote on auctioning off spectrum licences for advanced wireless services in their next monthly meeting, scheduled to take place on 24 July.

Carr will also ask the FCC to vote on accelerating a transition from copper lines to high-speed networks and revise the agency’s pole attachment rules.

AT&T
AT&T reacted by asserting the bill would “spur investment, maintain US leadership in innovation, and create economic opportunity nationwide”, along with freeing up mid-band spectrum.

“Thanks to the policies in this legislation, AT&T expects to invest more rapidly in next-generation networks after the bill is signed into law, increasing our investment by an additional 1 million fibre customer locations annually starting in 2026.”

The post US FCC regains spectrum auction authority appeared first on Mobile World Live.

Bloomberg reported the company hired Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld following a decision at the end of May to skip a cash interest payment on its 10.75 per cent senior spectrum notes due in 2029.

EchoStar noted in the filing it has a 30-day grace period to make the interest payment “before such non-payment constitutes an Event of Default”.

FCC chair Brendan Carr wrote to EchoStar on 9 May.

As part of a public notice, the FCC is determining whether EchoStar plans to use its mobile satellite services (MSS) operations in the 2GHz band after SpaceX questioned it.

In a separate public notice, the FCC is also looking into EchoStar’s compliance with its 5G build milestones.

The regulator’s actions have “effectively frozen EchoStar’s decision making, it cannot reasonably invest more capital into a buildout if the Commission indicates it may take away its licences through unprecedented actions,” the company wrote in an FCC filing.

EchoStar billionaire Charlie Ergen repeatedly made attempts to schedule a meeting with Carr dating to 2024 before he became chair earlier this year, the company stated in a filing on 6 June.

In a letter to Carr dated 12 May, Ergen stated he “tried on several occasions to meet with you to update you on our significant progress, including new momentum with acquiring customers and upgrading our network”.

Bloomberg previously reported EchoStar has debt maturities of approximately $7 billion.

The post EchoStar bondholders brace for default battle appeared first on Mobile World Live.

Democrat party representative Geoffrey Starks announced his plan to leave in March and is now set to be joined by Republican party member Nathan Simington.

Simington did not explain the reasons for his departure, but stated in a notice he would advance the cause of limited government, free speech and American innovation during his future endeavours.

At the time of Starks’ announcement, Bloomberg reported he had several public run-ins with FCC chair Brendan Carr, including a spat over a probe into Verizon’s diversity initiatives ahead of a $20 billion deal to buy Frontier Communications.

Notably, the FCC approved the Verizon deal last month.

The two departures leaves the FCC with three commissioner vacancies to fill at a time when it is investigating EchoStar’s compliance around 5G services and the pending approval of a big media deal involving Paramount Global and Skydance Media.

Gavin Wax, a senior adviser to the FCC and chief of staff to Simington, told Bloomberg the departures had been discussed for a while: Starks will likely be replaced by Democrat nominee, paired with a Republican to fill the seat left by Simington.

Chair Carr and Democrat Anna Gomez are the two remaining commissioners.

The post FCC down to 2 commissioners as another exit revealed appeared first on Mobile World Live.

A representative for Globalstar told Mobile World Live (MWL) its application for US market access is now published for comments, with a deadline for these of 30 June.

Globalstar announced plans for its new C-3 satellite system in November 2024, a strategy which included Apple paying the company up to $1.1 billion to boost non-terrestrial connectivity to iPhones.

In February, Globalstar agreed a CAD1.1 billion ($801 million) contract extension with MDA Space for the build of its low Earth orbit (LEO) birds.

2GHz struggle
As part of a public notice, the FCC is determining whether EchoStar plans to employ its mobile satellite services operations in the 2GHz band after SpaceX questioned it.

Tim Farrar, a satellite analyst at TMF Associates, told MWL the agency asked for public comments on the use of EchoStar’s 2GHz spectrum by 6 June, after which it will likely go to the FCC’s notice of proposed rulemaking.

PC Magazine reported in March SpaceX lobbied the FCC to prohibit Globalstar from using radio spectrum in the 1.6GHz and 2.4GHz bands. 

“Good news for Globalstar, one wonders if the timing provides a hint that Apple shouldn’t get involved in the 2GHz kerfuffle,” Farrar posted on X after Globalstar’s announcement yesterday (2 June).

He noted on X the next generation Globalstar birds will have more capabilities, “but Apple wants to avoid becoming a regulated carrier with intercept requirements”.

“That may mean free data and no standard (PSTN) voice service.”

He explained to MWL a logical outcome from the FCC could include Apple and Globalstar continuing to use LEO spectrum across 1610MHz to 1626.5MHz and 2483.5MHz to 2500MHz; AST SpaceMobile using L-Band and Starlink tapping the 2GHz band.

The post FCC advances Globalstar satellite expansion plan appeared first on Mobile World Live.

In a filing today (30 May) with the US Securities and Exchange Commission, Charlie Ergen-controlled EchoStar stated it won’t make the cash interest payment on its 10.75 per cent senior spectrum notes due 2029.

EchoStar noted in the filing it has a 30-day grace period to make the interest payment “before such non-payment constitutes an Event of Default”.

FCC chair Brendan Carr sent a letter to EchoStar on 9 May. As part of a public notice, the FCC is determining whether EchoStar plans to utilise its mobile satellite services (MSS) operations in the 2GHz band after SpaceX questioned its use.

In a separate public notice, the FCC is also looking into EchoStar’s compliance with its 5G buildout milestones.

“This uncertainty over our spectrum rights has effectively frozen our ability to make decisions regarding our Boost business, including continued network buildout and adversely impacts our ability to implement and adjust our overall business plan and requires us to re-evaluate the deployment of our resources,” EchoStar explained in today’s filing.

EchoStar also stated it is confident the company has met and fully demonstrated “all applicable 5G buildout milestones”.

In a 90-page filing on 27 May with the FCC, EchoStar stated the agency’s “actions have created a dark cloud of uncertainty” over its spectrum rights and open RAN 5G network.

“This cloud has effectively frozen EchoStar’s decision making—it cannot reasonably invest more capital into a buildout if the Commission indicates it may take away its licences through unprecedented actions,” according to the FCC filing.

Bloomberg reported EchoStar has debt maturities of approximately $7 billion through 2026.

The post EchoStar misses $326M payment amid FCC probe appeared first on Mobile World Live.

The FCC is seeking public comment on expanding satellite connectivity across spectrum bands: 12.7GHz-13.25GHz, 42.0-42.5GHz, 51.4-52.4GHz, and the so-called “W-band” at 92.0-94.0GHz, 94.1-100GHz, 102.0-109.5GHz, and 111.8-114.25GHz.

“To be clear, abundant spectrum for satellite operations is not just nice to have,” stated Carr. “It is necessary for American leadership.  Every megahertz matters.”

He noted while 12GHz is in the Ku-band that is being used for low earth orbit (LEO) satellite systems, it is underutilised due to restrictions.

The FCC did consider using the 12GHz band for mobile services several years ago, but Carr noted there was “no consensus on the best path forward”.

“In this rulemaking, we’re sending a clear signal:  America is committed to space leadership through a policy of satellite spectrum abundance,” Carr stated. “Abundance positions us to lead international discussions, not follow frameworks established by others.”

The decision to explore the release of more spectrum came after the FCC recently stated it is investigating whether to reclaim unused satellite spectrum from EchoStar.

The FCC is determining whether EchoStar plans to employ its mobile satellite services (MSS) operations in the 2GHz band after SpaceX questioned its use.

The post FCC makes move to free up satellite spectrum appeared first on Mobile World Live.

“We must maintain our status as the worldwide leader in Wi-Fi, 5G and 6G, connecting every American to the World’s BEST Networks, while also keeping everyone safe”, President Trump wrote yesterday (20 May) on his Truth Social media platform. “We can do both at the same time. Bottom line, I am going to free up plenty of SPECTRUM for auction, so Congress must put 600MHz in “THE ONE, BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL.” 

If the bill passes congress and is signed by President Trump, the spectrum auctions will require the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and the National Telecommunications and Information Administration to identify 600MHz of spectrum for auction over two years.

The telecommunications industry has been clamouring for more spectrum ever since the FCC lost its authority to conduct auctions in 2023.

Operators and industry heavyweights are advocating for the auction of more full-licensed spectrum, arguing the US is falling behind other countries.

Senator Marsha Blackburn posted on Facebook the spectrum auctions could raise $200 billion, but Roger Entner, founder and analyst at Recon Analytics, told Mobile World Live the amount remains to be seen.

Entner stated President Trump is also personally making sure the Department of Defense is finding a way to vacate lightly used spectrum within the next two years.

“When the President sets the agenda and tells people what to do then things happen,” he explained. “The spectrum pipeline is happening, and auction authority is being restored and for the benefit of all Americans.”

Industry association CTIA president and CEO Ajit Pai urged congress to swiftly pass the bill.

“The critical spectrum and tax provisions in this legislation will allow the wireless industry to invest, create jobs, propel economic growth, and secure America’s edge in innovation,” stated Pai, who is the former chair of the FCC during Trump’s first administration.

The 1,116-page bill is currently awaiting a final vote in the US House of Representatives before moving to the Senate, but members of President Trump’s own political party are opposed to some of the provisions.

The post Trump pushes for big spectrum auction in legislation appeared first on Mobile World Live.

The proposal starts a formal proceeding for the FCC to update technical rules written for the satellite market in the 1990s.

The regulatory agency is looking to update power restrictions for the use of Ku and Ka bands that are commonly used in satellite communications.

“The power limits developed in the 1990s hamper satellite broadband by degrading signal quality, reducing coverage, limiting capacity, and making it harder to share spectrum with other satellite systems,” FCC chair Brendan Carr said in a statement.

Lifting those restrictions will provide more throughput for broadband satellites from Starlink and Amazon’s Kuiper, Tim Farrar, president at TMF Associates, told Mobile World Live.

Carr stated the FCC is also looking at creative ways to unleash wireless spectrum on the 37GHz band for use in fixed wireless access broadband and IoT services.

He noted 37GHz is a shared band between government and commercial entities, but “there are no clear rules of the road for sharing”.

“This lack of clarity prevents companies from moving forward with investments and deployments. This proceeding can fix that by establishing rules for commercial fixed wireless on a shared basis with federal users.”

He stated the new framework could unlock 600MHz of spectrum for new commercial services.

The post FCC to review space-based spectrum rules appeared first on Mobile World Live.

The FCC noted while it is pushing for faster retirement of copper lines, it would keep consumer protection plans in place.

These include “requiring interoperability and guarding against price hikes by ensuring that consumers transitioning to new networks get access to services at similar or lower price points”, it stated.

Carr is pushing for wider deregulation across the telecoms sector.

He noted current FCC rules force service providers to pour resources into maintaining aging and expensive copper-based networks instead of investing in more modern infrastructure.

“Outdated FCC rules have left Americans sitting in the slow lane for far too long,” he stated.

Carr explained the initial actions would ultimately free up billions of dollars for new networks.

The FCC plans to offer a pass through its Wireline Competition Bureau allowing operators to retire copper networks “not only in cases where replacement voice services are available on a standalone basis, but in cases where those services are available on a bundled basis”.

It also seeks to adopt an order waiving “unnecessary requirements” triggered when operators stopped offering a legacy service to new customers along with endeavouring to free operators from notification requirements “in cases where they provide no demonstrable benefit”.

The FCC processed more than 400 network change disclosure filings over the past two years, during which it did not receive a single comment in opposition to a disclosure.

“This initial set of actions gets things moving in the right direction and creates the right incentives for providers to invest and build new networks in communities across the country,” Carr said.

AT&T boost
The push to cut red tape bodes well for AT&T, which plans to retire the bulk of its copper lines by 2029.

CEO John Stankey stated in December 2024 he looked forward to working with the government of President Donald Trump and Carr “to accelerate and advance policies and actions that stimulate investment and modernisation of the US communications infrastructure”.

The operator expects to realise large cost savings by removing its copper infrastructure.

On its Q4 2024 earnings call, Stankey said AT&T planned to seek clearance to stop selling legacy products at 1,300 central offices.

AT&T runs around 4,600 central offices connected to copper lines.

The post US FCC seeks faster copper removal appeared first on Mobile World Live.

The US regulatory agency is seeking public comment on “every rule, regulation, or guidance document that the FCC should eliminate for the purposes of alleviating unnecessary regulatory burdens”.  

As part of that plan, the FCC opened a new docket titled “In re: Delete, Delete, Delete” to carry out President Donald Trump’s goal to deregulate the telecoms sector. Trump signed an executive order on his first day in office that made Carr the new FCC chair.

“Under President Trump’s leadership, the Administration is unleashing a new wave of economic opportunity by ending the regulatory onslaught from Washington,” Carr stated. “For too long, administrative agencies have added new regulatory requirements in excess of their authority or kept lawful regulations in place long after their shelf life had expired.”

He explained current regulations “only creates headwinds and slows down our country’s innovators, entrepreneurs, and small businesses”.

Carr has long been a vocal critic of Big Tech companies such as Google, Facebook, Apple and Microsoft, as well as networks such as CBS and NBC.

He, along with many Trump supporters, has accused them of undermining conservative viewpoints through censorship.

Carr spoke about deregulation at MWC25 Barcelona last week.

The post FCC unleashes Delete, Delete, Delete scheme appeared first on Mobile World Live.

Pai replaces Meredith Attwell Baker, who announced her retirement in December 2024 after serving as chief since 2014.

“Together, we will work to ensure that our nation’s spectrum and infrastructure policies promote US global wireless leadership and keep consumers on the leading edge of innovation,” Pai stated.

US President Donald Trump appointed Pai as chair of the FCC in 2017 during his first term. He was a vocal opponent of net neutrality rules during his tenure as chair.

He previously served as a commissioner at the FCC after being appointed by President Barack Obama in 2012.

Earlier in his career, he served in positions at the US Department of Justice and in the Senate.

Laurent Therivel, CEO of UScellular and CTIA chair of the board, stated Pai “played a pivotal role in leading our nation’s effort to promote broadband deployment and expand commercial access to spectrum”.

The post Former FCC chair Pai takes top job at CTIA appeared first on Mobile World Live.

In a keynote, Carr said there is a risk the regulatory regime of the DSA could “impose excessive rules with respect to free speech”.

“It’s a worry, I think, here for the people of Europe, but for US technology companies that do business here, the censorship that is potentially coming down the pipe from the DSA is something that is incompatible with both our free speech tradition in America and the commitments that these technology companies have made through diversity of opinions.”

Carr said he wrote to US technology companies regulated by the DSA to find a path forward to make sure they do not face excessive fines while doing business in Europe, but which “also allows them to stay true to America’s free speech tradition”.

“When it comes to US technology companies, if there is an urge in Europe to engage in protectionist regulation to give disparate treatment to US technology companies, the Trump administration has been clear that we’re going to speak up and defend the interests of US businesses.”

Carr said the government of US President Donald Trump would insist on a level and fair playing field, while also noting the same standards apply to the development of AI, which the nation’s Vice President JD Vance recently outlined.

The FCC head also noted it would focus on deregulation of the telecoms sector and push for more spectrum availability.

“We’re also looking to continue to simplify our regulations.”

“We still have a lot of state and local rules in place that make it difficult to build new networks, but we need regulations that make it easier to put new money in new networks rather than simply to get rent off of getting access to ageing legacy networks.”

The FCC plans to auction off AWS-3 spectrum previously awarded to Huawei and ZTE before they were determined to be a threat to national security, with the proceeds pumped into a government rip and replace programme covering the removal of the Chinese vendors’ equipment from US networks.

Carr added the FCC is also looking to free up additional C-Band spectrum.

The post FCC chair pushes Trump agenda in Europe appeared first on Mobile World Live.

The agency created templates for the 18 mostly commonly issued and time-sensitive alerts across the 13 prevalent languages in the US, plus English and American Sign Language (ASL).

The Federal Emergency Management Agency and the FCC are the primary federal agencies responsible for the wireless emergency alerts (WEA) system.

Public safety officials will have the option to use the customisable template alerts to warn communities about life-threatening emergencies.

Outgoing FCC chair Jessica Rosenworcel stated the multilingual alerts “will make it so officials can reach more people with urgent messages and save lives”.

In October 2023, the FCC adopted rules that allow alert creators to send common alerts in more than a dozen languages without needing a translator.

The rules require wireless providers participating in WEA to install and store the FCC’s alert templates on mobile devices.

When an alert initiator sends a template-based multilingual alert, the phone will display the correct template in the subscriber’s default language, if available. Otherwise, the phone shows it in English. 

In February 2024, under the direction of the FCC, the Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau sought public comment on implementation details, including which alerts should have multilingual templates and correct translations for those templates. 

The report and order from the Bureau used that feedback to create the most common and time-sensitive alerts for events such as hurricanes, tornados and earthquakes.

Languages covered are Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Haitian Creole, Hindi, Italian, Korean, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Tagalog, and Vietnamese.  

The post FCC lauds multilingual emergency alerts appeared first on Mobile World Live.

A three-judge panel for the US appeals court struck down the rules before they went into effect. In April 2024, FCC commissioners voted in favour of restoring the net neutrality rules rescinded in 2017 during the administration of former President Donald Trump.

Those regulations, which were approved by three of the five commissioners, prohibit service providers from blocking or throttling broadband traffic, or creating pay-to-play fast lanes.

“With this decision it is clear that Congress now needs to heed their call, take up the charge for net neutrality, and put open internet principles in federal law,” stated FCC chair Jessica Rosenworcel.

The court stated in its ruling the “FCC lacks the statutory authority to impose” its desired net-neutrality  policies through the telecommunications service provision under Title II of the Communications Act of 1996.

Current US President Joe Biden signed an executive order in 2021 that urged the FCC to restore net neutrality rules.

Operators and industry associations vehemently opposed the reinstatement of net neutrality.

Net neutrality rules were first implemented in 2015 during President Barack Obama’s tenure.

The post US court strikes down FCC net neutrality rules appeared first on Mobile World Live.

The vote is one of many provisions included in an 1800-page document seen by Reuters, aimed directly at China. The report apparently includes an intelligence assessment on the state of China’s biotechnology capabilities and a look into alleged efforts to avoid US security regulations.

Funding for US’ rip and replace programme has been a hot topic. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) chair Jessica Rosenworcel has long-lobbied for the US government to approve more than $3 billion in funding to remove equipment deemed a security risk.

She stated in May that nearly 40 per cent of participants involved in the programme claimed they could not complete the swap out without additional funding.

She followed up on her comments last week, stating the programme to replace equipment in networks of 126 operators faces a shortfall of around $3 billion and puts “national security and the connectivity of rural consumers who depend on these networks at risk”.

Operators serving less than 10 million customers could be in line to claim expenses for costs incurred in removing kit made by Chinese vendors. A total of $1.9 billion has been allocated to the programme, but the FCC estimates the cost could run up to just shy of $5 billion.

President Joe Biden’s administration asked for $3.1 billion in 2023, but Congress did not approve the request.

The post US to vote on boosting rip and replace funding appeared first on Mobile World Live.

Rosenworcel joined the FCC in 2012 and was confirmed for additional terms by the US senate in 2017 and 2021.

She was named acting chair in January 2021 prior to being confirmed as the agency’s first female permanent chair in October of the same year.

The FCC is comprised of five commissioners appointed by the president and confirmed by the US senate, with the president then selecting one as the chair. A maximum of three from one political party can serve at a time.

She is following an FCC precedent of exiting when a new president takes office, which will leave the commission split 2-2 between Democratic and Republican appointees until her replacement is approved.

President elect Trump named Republican Brendan Carr as the next chair.

Rosenworcel stated serving at the FCC has been “the honour of a lifetime”. She thanked current president Joe Biden “for entrusting me with the responsibility to guide the FCC during a time when communications technology is a part of every aspect of civic and commercial life”.

During her tenure as chair, she championed the formation of the Space Bureau and a broadband affordability programme that connected more than 23 million households to high-speed internet and provided internet access to more than 17 million students.

She led an effort to bring back controversial net neutrality rules removed in 2017 during the administration of former president Donald Trump. Carr opposed the return of net neutrality.

Rosenworcel was hamstrung by the senate not confirming a third Democratic FCC commissioner until September 2023, which prevented it from moving forward on several fronts.

The post FCC chair Rosenworcel sets departure date appeared first on Mobile World Live.

In a notice, the FCC explained it is exploring options including making it easier to cancel subscriptions, talk to customer service agents and consent to or decline automatic service renewals.

The FCC is also considering extending cable operator installation, outage and service call rules to satellite TV, voice and broadband services, along with improving accessibility for individuals with disabilities

FCC chair Jessica Rosenworcel stated customers should not “get stuck in a doom loop trying to cancel a subscription or just get a human being to help resolve their service problems”.

“We can, and should, expect consistent, transparent and helpful customer service from the communications companies that provide so many services that are so vital in our day-to-day lives.”

The FCC is building a public record on the current state of customer service and the ways it could “further protect families and businesses that rely on these critical services”.

Commissioner Brendan Carr voted against the move because the measures “would fit more appropriately within the scope of the Federal Trade Commission’s jurisdiction”.

The post FCC reviews operator customer service appeared first on Mobile World Live.

Following a transition period, the rules will give people with hearing loss access to the same mobile phone models available to all consumers, the FCC explained.

The FCC stated the rules were made possible by the collaborative efforts of members of the Hearing Aid Compatibility Task Force, an independent organisation of wireless service providers, handset manufacturers, research institutions and hearing loss advocates.

FCC chair Jessica Rosenworcel stated hearing problems are the most common service-connected problem experienced by US military veterans.

“They deserve to have access to a full range of wireless handsets in the marketplace. They deserve to call, connect and live life wirelessly like so many of us do”.

The FCC also established a Bluetooth coupling requirement, ensuring improved universal connectivity between mobile handsets and hearing aids. It aims to achieve this “by encouraging handset manufacturers to move away from proprietary Bluetooth coupling standards”.

Consumers will be notified through point-of-sale labelling explaining if the handset is certified as hearing aid compatible and whether it meets hearing implant or Bluetooth coupling requirements.

The labels will also include information about how high handset volumes can be raised while still meeting control requirements.

The post FCC adopts smartphone, hearing aid rules appeared first on Mobile World Live.

In an update to its disaster response issued yesterday (6 October), T-Mobile stated it received a special temporary authority from the Federal Communications Commission to employ the Starlink satellites’ capabilities in North Carolina, one of several states hit by Hurricane Helene in late September.

T-Mobile noted most of its network was back up and running, “with less than 1 per cent of network sites” in areas where “conditions remain particularly challenging” yet to be recovered.

Explaining its satellite move, T-Mobile stated it believed “getting even this early test version into the hands of people on the ground could provide vital support” to the teams working to restore connectivity, along with emergency services.

On X, SpaceX stated the satellites had begun broadcasting the alerts and the companies “may test basic” SMS capabilities for T-Mobile customers in North Carolina.

SpaceX added services would be “delivered on a best-effort basis” because the Starlink constellation is not yet fully deployed.

FCC information issued yesterday (6 October) showed North Carolina remained the most affected region of the US, with 16.9 per cent of mobile sites still out of action.

Tennessee clocked in at 9.2 per cent, with Georgia on 6.8 per cent and almost all sites restored in South Carolina (1.7 per cent).

AT&T and Verizon of course played their respective parts in restoring connectivity across affected areas, deploying various emergency-response equipment and temporary mobile sites, and donating to recovery efforts by local organisations.

The post T-Mobile US employs test sat service in hurricane response appeared first on Mobile World Live.

The Enforcement Bureau is responsible for ensuring compliance with the FCC’s Communications Act, which includes regulations as well as various licencing terms and conditions.

In the newly created CTO role, the FCC stated Hendrickson would strengthen the bureau’s technical expertise around privacy, data protection, cybersecurity and network outages.  

He also provides support for the FCC’s Privacy and Data Protection Task Force, which was created by chair Jessica Rosenworcel.

The Privacy and Data Protection Task Force works across the FCC on rulemaking, enforcement and public awareness in the privacy and data protection sector, including breaches by service providers.

Hendrickson held several positions at Verizon over the past nine years, most recently serving as its senior director of technology. He was involved in the rollout of the operator’s 5G network and the engineering and operations of the Verizon Cloud Platform. 

Loyaan A Egal, chief of the Enforcement Bureau and chair of the Privacy and Data Protection Task Force, stated Hendrickson’s expertise and understanding of how communications networks operate “will only enhance our investigatory capabilities”.

The post Former Verizon exec given FCC role appeared first on Mobile World Live.

The mobile operator agreed to the fine and the investment to resolve cybersecurity breach investigations in 2021, 2022 and 2023.

The FCC is requiring T-Mobile “to address foundational security flaws, work to improve cyber hygiene, and adopt robust modern architectures, like zero trust and phishing-resistant multi-factor authentication”.

“Today’s mobile networks are top targets for cybercriminals,” FCC chair Jessica Rosenworcel stated. “Consumers’ data is too important and much too sensitive to receive anything less than the best cybersecurity protections.”

Those cybersecurity incidents impacted millions of current, former and prospective T-Mobile customers as well as MVNO subscribers, according to the FCC.

Information exposed in the breaches included customers’ names, addresses, dates of birth, social security numbers and driver’s licence numbers as well as tariff information. 

A representative for T-Mobile told Mobile World Live the FCC’s settlement is a resolution of incidents that occurred years ago and were immediately addressed.

“We have made significant investments in strengthening and advancing our cybersecurity program and will continue to do so”.

In April, the FCC announced it was collectively fining AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon nearly $200 million for illegally selling subscribers’ real-time locations to third-party distributors without their consent.

It reached a $13 million settlement with AT&T earlier this month to resolve an investigation over a data breach of a cloud vendor in 2023.

The post FCC fines T-Mobile US for data breaches appeared first on Mobile World Live.

The FCC noted in January 2023 the unnamed cloud vendor suffered a data breach that exposed information related to AT&T customers.

AT&T reported the breach on 7 February 2023 and then filed a supplemental submission on 15 May 2023. Based on that information, the FCC’s Enforcement Bureau opened an investigation.

The operator used the cloud vendor to generate and host personalised video content including billing and marketing videos for its customers.

Under AT&T’s contracts, the vendor should have destroyed or returned customer information when no longer needed to fulfil contractual obligations, which ended years before the breach occurred.  

The FCC stated AT&T failed to ensure the vendor protected the information of its customers and to return or destroy the content as required by the contract.

To resolve the investigation, AT&T agreed to strengthen its data governance practices and increase its supply chain integrity for the handling of sensitive data to protect consumers against similar vendor data breaches in the future.

The US agency stated the terms of its consent decree will require the mobile operator “to make significant investments in and prioritise the safeguarding of customers’ information shared with third parties”, which it noted “will likely require expenditures far greater than the civil penalty”.

A representative for AT&T told Mobile World Live its systems were not compromised during the incident, and stated the data included information such as the number of lines on an account.

The data did not include credit card information, Social Security numbers, account passwords or other sensitive personal information.

“Protecting our customers’ data remains one of our top priorities. We’re making enhancements to how we manage customer information internally, as well as implementing new requirements on our vendors’ data management practices.”

The post FCC reaches settlement with AT&T for data breach appeared first on Mobile World Live.

FCC commissioners voted in favour of the voluntary labelling programme for consumer IoT devices in March after it was proposed by chair Jessica Rosenworcel last year.

The programme is under the auspices of the FCC’s Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau.

It will enable qualifying consumer smart products that meet cybersecurity standards to display a label, including a certified shield-shaped Cyber Trust Mark.

The FCC stated labels are designed to help consumers identify trustworthy products, and to encourage manufacturers to prioritise higher cybersecurity standards.

Rosenworcel stated that while smart devices are convenient, consumers need to be protected from devices that bring malware and other malicious activity into their homes.

The plan includes appointing cybersecurity labelling administrators (CLAs) authorised to certify the use of the FCC IoT label by manufacturers whose products comply with the programme rules.

A lead administrator will be elected to serve as a liaison between the FCC and CLAs. That administrator will also conduct stakeholder outreach to develop and recommend technical standards and testing procedures.

In addition, the lead administrator is tasked with collaborating with the CLAs and other stakeholders to develop and execute a consumer education campaign.

The FCC issued a public notice with more information about programme qualifications and the application process.

The public notice states CLA and lead administrator applications open today (11 September) and close 1 October.

The post FCC starts application process for IoT labelling appeared first on Mobile World Live.

In the first phase, the fund will distribute up to $9 billion for voice and broadband services across rural areas deemed unlikely to see unsubsidised deployments of 5G-capable networks.

Rules approved by FCC commissioners relaunch the 5G Fund for Rural America unveiled in 2019.

In 2020, the FCC agreed to allocate the $9 billion using a reverse auction process. The funds were to be taken from its Universal Service Fund, but the agency ultimately decided to wait until updated broadband maps were created.

“With the progress we’ve made in mapping broadband service availability, there is no reason to wait to put the 5G fund to work connecting households and businesses in rural communities across the country,” FCC chair Jessica Rosenworcel stated.

The fund includes up $900 million in incentives for incorporating open RAN into the 5G networks.

Commissioners modified the definition of areas eligible for 5G Fund Phase I support, with other changes ensuring areas of Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands which meet the new rationale will be included.

The latest rules also require recipients of the funding to implement cybersecurity measures and supply risk management plans.

A public notice will be issued providing auction details.

The post FCC reboots 5G funding for rural broadband, voice appeared first on Mobile World Live.