In a significant shakeup for U.S. telecommunications policy and advocacy, Meredith Attwell Baker, President and CEO of CTIA, and Alan Davidson, Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information at the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), have both announced their departures, effective 2025. The exit of these two prominent leaders marks a transformative moment for the industry as it faces …
The elephant in the FCC: Carr signals end of DEI era but is tactfully advised to recharter the CEDC
President-elect Donald Trump has appointed Brendan Carr, the senior Republican commissioner of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), to serve as the agency’s chairman in his forthcoming administration. Carr, who has been an FCC Commissioner since 2017, said the agency will end its promotion of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) next year. Last month, he criticized the FCC’s budget for 2025, …
SpaceX and T-Mobile get green light to launch direct-to-phone connectivity, but held back on power boost
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has approved SpaceX to use its Starlink broadband satellites to provide direct-to-phone service for T-Mobile customers. This marks the first collaboration between a satellite operator and a wireless carrier to receive FCC approval for supplemental cell coverage from space. “The Commission recognized that satellite-to-device connectivity can support critical public interest benefits, including ubiquitous connectivity, access …
FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel announces her departure set for January 2025
Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel announced today her intention to step down from the agency on January 20, 2025, following a transformative tenure that began in 2012. As the first woman to lead the FCC, Rosenworcel leaves a significant legacy, including initiatives aimed at expanding broadband access, safeguarding national security, and overseeing the burgeoning space communications sector. “Serving …
Déjà Vu at the FCC: Republicans demand a timeout as power swaps hands asking for ‘pencils down’
In a move that mirrors past transitions of power, Republican leaders are urging the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to temporarily hold any contentious regulatory initiatives until President-elect Donald Trump takes office on January 20. This “pencils down” approach, often invoked during transitional periods, aims to restrict the FCC’s agenda to non-controversial matters, ensuring a smooth handover of authority. It’s a …
From Q Link to the clink: Telecommunications provider’s CEO pleads guilty to massive FCC fraud
Issa Asad, 51, of Southwest Ranches, FL, and Q Link Wireless LLC, of Dania Beach, FL, pleaded guilty Tuesday to conspiring to defraud and commit offenses against the United States in connection with a years-long scheme to steal over $100 million from a celebrated federal program providing discounted phone service to people in need, Lifeline. Asad, Q Link’s CEO, also …
Safety-first approach by NATE, FCC and OSHA program participants ensures quality and reliability for industry clients
NATE: The Communications Infrastructure Contractors Association has 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 2024-2025 year. NATE has proudly accepted 171 participating companies in this year’s STAR Initiative program and 129 participating companies in this year’s NATE-OSHA-FCC Partnership. The STAR Initiative will enter its 15th program …
NATE advocates for industry-specific adjustments to OSHA’s heat safety proposal
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration announced it will accept public comments through Dec. 30, 2024, on its proposed rule issuing a heat injury and illness prevention standard for outdoor and indoor workplaces. According to NATE: The Communications Infrastructure Contractors Association, the rule would require employers to develop a heat injury and illness prevention plan and provide water, rest breaks, …
Unprecedented outage: No hurricane has knocked out more cell sites than Category 4 Helene
Hurricane Helene has severely disrupted cell phone communications across the affected regions, particularly in Western North Carolina. The storm caused widespread power outages, flooding, and infrastructure damage, which led to the shutdown of numerous cell towers and fiber optic lines. As a result, large portions of the region were left without any cell service, cutting off communication for many residents. …
In mixed ruling, Ninth Circuit invalidates FCC’s concealment provision, citing procedural missteps
On Friday, the United States Court of Appeals three-judge panel for the Ninth Circuit issued a mixed ruling in a case brought by several California cities and organizations against the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) regarding its 2020 Ruling that clarified regulations for modifying wireless communication facilities.” The ruling is a response to a 2020 FCC clarification of its existing rules …
FCC to ISPs: Broadband data dodgeball will cost you $15K a pop
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has issued Notices of Apparent Liability (NAL) to nine internet service providers for failing to provide critical data on broadband coverage. The companies face penalties for not complying with federal data reporting requirements, marking the first instance of such enforcement actions. The companies under scrutiny include National Telecom, LLC, Centex Web Access, Particle Communications Wholesale, …
Lather, rinse, fraud: FCC Ponzi cell tower scammer Merced-Torres can’t stop repeating himself
A man previously convicted for orchestrating a multi-million-dollar cellular tower investment fraud, after serving years in jail, once again has found himself behind bars. Miguel Merced-Torres, 57, who served six years in prison for his role in a $14.2 million Ponzi scheme, has admitted to carrying out a near-identical scam, defrauding unsuspecting investors while still under supervised release. His second …
New extensive study confirms no link between mobile phone use and brain, head and neck cancers
The Federal Communications Commission is frequently accused of taking what some people believe is an industry-backed supportive role in minimizing cancer risks from cell phone RF exposure. The agency acknowledges that “some experimental data have suggested a possible link between exposure and tumor formation in animals under certain conditions.” However, they’re insistent that many other studies have failed to find …
Throwing Verizon under the bus, CWA union cheers for AT&T in 4.9 GHz spectrum battle
AT&T CEO John Stankey has entered the fray over allocating the valuable 4.9 GHz spectrum band, advocating for its exclusive use by FirstNet, the nationwide first responder network operated by AT&T. Stankey defended the proposal amid opposition from other major wireless carriers in a series of meetings last week with top Federal Communications Commission (FCC) officials. Stankey met with FCC …
Senators sound alarm on T-Mobile’s plan to acquire US Cellular, predict higher prices, loss of jobs
In a concerted effort to protect competition and consumers in the wireless market, a coalition of US Senators, including Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Bernie Sanders (D-Vt.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), has written a letter to Jonathan Kanter, Assistant Attorney General for the Antitrust Division of the Department of Justice (DOJ), and Jessica …
FCC proposes 60-day deadline for carriers to unlock mobile phones
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is making it significantly easier for consumers to unlock their mobile phones from their carriers. The agency has proposed new rules requiring all devices to be unlocked just 60 days after purchase, a move that could have wide-ranging impacts on current phone plans and buying trends. Mobile phones purchased from carriers are typically locked to …
FCC Commissioner Carr condemns $42 billion BEAD’s delays with construction possibly detained until 2026
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 …
