#fcc

#fcc

Disney's ABC is firing back at the FCC, accusing the agency of engaging in actions that, quote, threaten to upend decades of settled law and practice and chill critical protected speech.

Extending the waiver to 2029 will "give the Commission an opportunity to consider a rulemaking on this subject," and reduce "potential harm to the public interest," the FCC engineering office said. The office said it will recommend making the waiver permanent for existing equipment on the Covered List and "any future covered equipment with similar characteristics."

The FCC's Office of Engineering and Technology (OET) posted an announcement on May 8 that stated affected routers and drones will be able to receive "software and firmware updates that mitigate harm to US consumers," until January 1, 2029.

The ruling affects every stakeholder in the broadband ecosystem: consumers who believed the rules protected them, broadband providers who challenged them, state broadband officials implementing the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program, digital equity practitioners whose advocacy shaped the rules, and the FCC itself, which is now under an explicit court-recognized obligation to start the rulemaking process over.

The FCC's decision to ban testing of electronic devices in Chinese labs stems from ongoing security concerns, as approximately 75% of US devices depend on results from these facilities.

The FCC's proposal would bar entities on its 'Covered List' from receiving automatic authorization to provide domestic telecom services, requiring a case-by-case review instead.

Today marks an important step, as we continue scaling our network and moving closer to commercial service. We are accelerating deployment of our constellation, advancing integration with leading mobile network operators, and preparing to deliver seamless, space-based cellular broadband directly to everyday smartphones, bringing us closer to connecting people everywhere.

The FCC added a new section to a FAQ titled, 'Is my device a consumer-grade router under the National Security Determination?' The new FAQ section says this category includes 'consumer-grade portable or mobile MiFi Wi-Fi or hotspot devices for residential use.'

The Benton analysis concludes that the FCC's report measures process, not outcomes, stating that it offers no evidence that broadband deployment has actually accelerated, that prices have fallen, or that the digital divide has narrowed.

District Judge Troy Nunley stated that the merger would force national pay-TV providers like DirecTV to lift their prices on consumers, causing 'irreparable harm.'

[T]he non-compliance framework the [FCC] adopted for the RDOF was designed to avoid altogether the burden of filing and addressing petitions such as these - carriers continue to receive the majority of funding except in the most serious of shortfalls, and they can quickly receive all funding by catching up on buildout.

Darren Botelho described the experience of climbing the North Carolina tower with FCC Chair Brendan Carr as an out-of-body experience, emphasizing the height they reached was comparable to stacking the Empire State Building and the Washington Monument.

Justice Clarence Thomas stated that a company is not liable simply for providing services to the public with knowledge that some users will infringe copyrights, indicating broader implications for the tech industry.

"Malicious actors have exploited security gaps in foreign-made routers to attack American households, disrupt networks, enable espionage, and facilitate intellectual property theft," the FCC wrote.