In testimony before Tuesday’s House Subcommittee on Communications and Technology, FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr sharply criticized the Biden Administration’s handling of the $42 billion Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program. Carr’s testimony highlighted significant delays and inefficiencies in the program, which aims to expand high-speed internet access across the United States.| Carr began by highlighting the program’s failure …
D.C. Circuit upholds FCC decision on SpaceX satellite system Starlink over Dark-Sky and Dish’s challenges
The D.C. Circuit panel upheld the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) decision to license a new SpaceX satellite system, rejecting challenges from Dish Network and the International Dark-Sky Association. The decision released today, made by U.S. Circuit Judges Neomi Rao, Michelle Childs, and Senior U.S. Circuit Judge Douglas Ginsburg, found that the FCC had adequately considered potential risks and conducted the …
Two California counties wanted $25.5 million for student towers; FCC denies holey Trinity application review
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has released an order denying the Trinity County Connectivity Consortium’s request for $25.5 million in funding from the Emergency Connectivity Fund (ECF) to construct 16 wireless towers in Trinity and Humboldt County, California. In reviewing their previous denial, the FCC found that the application was flawed, full of holes, and did not meet the eligibility …
U.S. Supreme Court decision threatens FCC and OSHA’s regulatory framework
On Friday, the U.S. Supreme Court dismantled decades of regulatory law, significantly complicating the ability of federal agencies like the FCC and OSHA to issue rules and regulations based on broad congressional mandates. This ideological ruling overturned a 40-year-old precedent that has guided how agencies interpret federal statutes. The Supreme Court reversed the 1984 Chevron v. Natural Resources Defense Council …
Old Wires, New Wealth: How telecom companies are turning copper into cash
In the evolving telecommunications landscape, a new gold rush is emerging—not for the precious yellow metal, but for an equally valuable commodity: recycled copper. AT&T Inc., BT Group Plc, Orange SA, and their global peers are gearing up to tap into a lucrative new revenue stream by harvesting their old copper wiring. This initiative is more complex than unearthing and …
Industry leaders at Connect X foresee massive growth for indoor 5G networks
The wireless industry is abuzz with anticipation for the potential of bringing 5G technology indoors. This technology promises faster and more reliable connections, lower latency, and the ability to connect a massive number of devices simultaneously. During the Wireless Infrastructure Association’s (WIA) View From the Top session on Thursday at Connect X, moderated by Patrick Halley, President and CEO of …
FCC targets AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, and Verizon for illegal data sharing, fining them $200 million
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has imposed fines totaling nearly $200 million on leading U.S. wireless carriers AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, and Verizon for unlawfully sharing customer location data without proper consent and adequately protecting this sensitive information. The fines stem from the carriers’ practices of selling access to this data to aggregators, who subsequently resold it to third-party service providers, …
Industry influencers Adelstein and Borghei make strategic moves to new company leadership roles
Two seasoned leaders, Jonathan Adelstein and Bernard Borghei, have announced new positions within the digital infrastructure industry. Adelstein has joined TWN Communications as the new Executive Vice President, Chief Strategy and External Affairs Officer. He was previously a managing director at DigitalBridge. Borghei will now be Symphony Wireless’s Chief Executive Officer. He formerly served as the Chief Revenue Officer of Tower …
Shelby Broadcast pleads poverty, but FCC says their undisclosed station sale will handle its $16,500 fine
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has levied a $16,500 fine against Shelby Broadcast Associates, LLC, citing unauthorized operations and failure to disclose full operational details. The fine, aimed at the broadcaster for violations at its FM translator station W252BE in Tarrant, Alabama, comes amidst a financial debate in which Shelby claims it is unable to pay due to a lack …
Senator Cruz leads opposition to FCC’s plan to fund Wi-Fi on school buses, citing legal overreach and safety concerns
In a significant legal challenge, U.S. Senate Commerce Committee Ranking Member Ted Cruz, along with several Republican senators, has filed an amicus brief in the Fifth Circuit, opposing the Biden administration’s move to extend the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) E-Rate program to include funding for Wi-Fi on school buses. The lawsuit, titled Molak v. FCC, has been instigated by parents …
FCC proposes opening 5GHz spectrum for drones to enhance emergency and commercial uses
The FCC is proposing to open a specific segment of the 5 GHz spectrum to unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) or drones, aiming to enhance their usability in critical applications like emergency response and commercial services. This regulatory initiative seeks to designate the 5030-5091 MHz band exclusively for drones, improving communications during wildfires, disaster recovery, and for first responders. Traditionally, most drones …
Omaha stakeholders’ roundtable addressed the state of broadband connectivity at all levels
NATE: The Communications Infrastructure Contractors Association was invited to participate in a roundtable event hosted today in Omaha, Nebraska by U.S. Senator Deb Fischer and FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr. NATE President & CEO Todd Schlekeway represented the Association at the roundtable, which was held at the Greater Omaha Chamber of Commerce Headquarters. During the event, Senator Fischer and Commissioner Carr …
WTB grants exemption to Vertical Bridge and Drake Services for quarterly inspection requirements
The Wireless Telecommunications Bureau (WTB) of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) on Tuesday granted Vertical Bridge REIT, LLC, and Drake Services, Inc., an exemption from the mandatory quarterly inspections of antenna structure lighting systems stipulated under existing regulations (see below). The exemption specifically pertains to the requirements under 47 CFR § 17.47(b), which mandates owners of antenna structures to conduct …
ISP given a $10,000 fine for lying about coverage said they didn’t take the time to read the FCC’s guidance
A broadband provider has agreed to a $10,000 settlement with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) after confessing to falsifying its service area information. The provider, Jefferson County Cable (JCC) based in Toronto, Ohio, admitted inaccurately claiming it provided fiber services in regions it had yet to reach. Additionally, it has been revealed that the company submitted incorrect data to the …
Stolen Alabama AM tower sparks a broader conversation about the station’s ‘bizarre’ operational history, and video debunked claims
Other than local, state, and industry media covering a communications tower collapse, unless it involves a fatality, failure incidents seldom get national legs. However, when an AM station general manager in Jasper, Alabama, reported earlier this month that vandals in the night had walked off with his 200-foot tower, forcing him off the air, it had all the right visuals, …
Able to issue steep fines, the FCC says, ‘Hasta la vista, baby!’ to AI-generated voice robocalls
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has taken significant action to combat AI voice-cloned robocalls by declaring them illegal under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act of 1991. This decision, effective immediately, is part of the FCC’s efforts to curb AI-aided scam and misinformation campaigns, especially ahead of the 2024 election season. The ruling was motivated by the use of AI-generated voices …
AT&T and Duke Energy bury the hatchet and settle their FCC pole rate row before the Fourth Circuit
With oral arguments before a three-judge appeals court for the Fourth Circuit set to begin on January 24, 2024, Duke Energy and AT&T have agreed to settle their disagreements against the FCC over a pole rate decision that both were concerned about for different reasons. On November 18, 2022, in a unanimous vote, the FCC stood by its 2021 decision …
Serial FCC violator again flouts Commission’s rules and receives a $1.2 million fine
Sound Around, Inc. of Brooklyn, NY, is again in hot water with the FCC’s Enforcement Bureau, as it faces a proposed penalty of $1,202,454 for alleged violations of FCC rules. The violations primarily revolve around the company’s marketing of non-compliant radio frequency devices and its repeated failure to comply with Commission orders. The FCC’s investigation revealed that Sound Around marketed …
Biden administration releases plan to grow more spectrum, but it’s light on details
The Biden Administration released a National Spectrum Strategy identifying more than 2,700 megahertz of airwaves to study for innovative new uses by the private sector and federal agencies. President Biden also released the Presidential memorandum on Modernizing the United States Spectrum Policy and Establishing a National Spectrum Strategy, which will promote a trustworthy, predictable, and evidenced-based process for ensuring spectrum serves its highest and …
Two more telecoms receive rip and replace extensions, one says it has problems paying its contractors
The FCC has extended the deadline for two more companies to rip and replace Huawei and ZTE Chinese-made network equipment in the Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Reimbursement Program. Both companies said the lack of funding was their primary concern, causing one company to delay contractor payments. However, last week, the Biden administration asked Congress for an additional $3.1 billion to “fully …
