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 …
NATE highlights 192 companies that are participating in the STAR Initiative and NATE-OSHA-FCC Partnership
NATE: The Communications Infrastructure Contractors Association today announced the member companies who have been formally approved to participate in the STAR Initiative program and the NATE-OSHA-FCC Partnership program for the 2023-2024 year. NATE has proudly accepted 192 participating companies in this year’s STAR Initiative program and 157 participating companies in this year’s NATE-OSHA-FCC Partnership. The STAR Initiative will be entering …
SpaceX says AT&T and RWA’s opposition to satellite direct to cell is a ‘desperate 11th hour campaign’
AT&T and the Rural Wireless Association (RWA) have coordinated “a desperate, 11th-hour campaign” to prevent SpaceX from testing its mobile coverage from space in partnership with T-Mobile with “baseless procedural claims while offering no substantive reasons” for denying its special temporary authority (STA) approval, SpaceX said in a filing with the FCC. Although Dish isn’t a voting carrier member of RWA …
South Florida Broadband Careers Awareness Day is expected to set the national template for other states
South Florida will host the first national Broadband Careers Awareness Day, a broadband industry coalition led by Broadband Careers and supported by Junior Achievement of South Florida and Neptuno USA, Corp. Open to the public at no charge (REGISTER HERE), the promoters have provided an opportunity for telecommunication companies, education providers, industry associations, and representatives of state, local, and federal …
Nation’s largest-ever lawsuit filed against DoD and Commerce for $39 billion by Ligado in spectrum fight
Satellite company Ligado Networks is seeking up to $39 billion in compensation from the U.S. government for spectrum rights it claims were unfairly denied, alleging that the Pentagon and Commerce Department used a false pretext of GPS interference to deny its use of wireless spectrum licenses. In its Hail Mary attempt to stay solvent as bankruptcy looms for Ligado, and …
Telecoms get rip and replace extension, but China-controlled equipment may be with us past 2024
The FCC has granted five telecom companies’ requests for additional time to “rip and replace” Chinese-manufactured equipment due to a shortfall of funding, supply chain issues, and workforce shortages due to factors beyond their control. The agency agreed to delay their deadlines, extending them all into 2024 with the following new dates: WorldCell, May 20, 2024; Mediacom, January 15, 2024; …
Midco sells its towers and is sold on Sioux Falls as its new headquarters
Midco announced that it sold its tower portfolio to K2Towers. The companies did not reveal the amount of the transaction nor how many towers were in the agreement. However, according to Midcontinent Communications’ registrations with the FCC, the company has 33 structures. In a statement, Midco said the sale further solidifies the company’s commitment to delivering exceptional broadband services to …
Charleston’s historic skyline is degraded by a 5G mono toilet paper pole: residents
Founded 353 years ago, the City of Charleston, SC, is one of America’s most beautifully preserved architectural and historical treasures. It boasts the first public college, museum, and playhouse in the U.S., and unfortunately, as The Post and Courier has labeled it, the first “toilet paper tower” that has become a “prominent and regrettable Charleston landmark.” The publication’s editorial excoriated the erection …
Maui cell site outages drop considerably as death toll rises to 111 with possibly 1,000 still missing
Although cell phone coverage has improved significantly in Maui today with only five out of 21 cell sites on the west coast out of service, the death toll has risen to 111, and according to authorities, more than 1,000 people are estimated still to be missing. The five sites represent an out of service amount of 24%, about half of …
