Legal and regulatory updates for the telecom industry
Keller and Heckman’s Telecommunications practice represents major domestic and multinational companies, start-ups, associations, cooperatives, municipalities, and other government entities on a wide range of regulatory, administrative, legislative, and judicial matters involving wireless communications, broadband and telecommunication services, and infrastructure. Working regularly with engineering, financial, and other specialists, we help our clients formulate and implement comprehensive telecommunications plans, develop advanced communications systems, deploy new technologies, and comply with all pertinent federal, state, and local legal requirements.
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The transition to the Biden Administration will impact all agencies and departments in the Federal Government. This entry provides insights into the ongoing work at the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) during its transition to a new, yet unnamed, Democratic Chair and a majority of Democratic Commissioners.
Most headline actions by the FCC are taken at…
In January 2017, newly inaugurated President Trump appointed Commissioner Ajit Pai as the Chairman of the FCC. With a Republican majority, Chairman Pai appointed new FCC leadership and began to make policy changes on issues previously decided by a majority Democratic FCC under Chairman Thomas Wheeler. Given the many issues were decided on party lines…
On Monday, August 3rd, the White House withdrew its (re)nomination of FCC Commissioner Michael O’Rielly for another term. This unusual White House action has sparked discussion about the process and rationale for the withdrawal.
FCC Composition. The full slate of FCC leadership includes five Commissioners. The Chair and two Commissioners are of…
In December 2019, the FCC finally took action in its open docket on radiofrequency (RF) exposure (RFE), adopting a Resolution of Notice of Inquiry, Second Report and Order, Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, and Memorandum Opinion and Order. Therein, the FCC addressed many issues which had been pending since 2013 when the FCC issued a First…
Roughly every four years, representatives of most of the 190+ member countries of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) meet for four weeks at a World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC) to consider changes to the allocations and regulations governing the international use of spectrum. The ITU is the United Nations (UN) specialized agency for information and communications…
Here is the final entry of a three-part series of articles outlining the key provisions of new state legislation regarding the deployment of wireless small cell equipment in public right-of-way (ROW). Each of the three-part series addresses newly enacted legislation. The first two articles in the series featured Nebraska and Wisconsin. Today’s article features…
Here is the second of a three-part series of articles outlining the key provisions of new state legislation regarding the deployment of wireless small cell equipment in public right-of-way (ROW). Each of the three-part series addresses newly enacted legislation. The first part of the series featured Nebraska. Today’s article features Wisconsin and the final…
Here is the first of a three-part series of articles outlining the key provisions of new state legislation regarding the deployment of wireless small cell equipment in public right-of-way (ROW). Each of the three-part series addresses newly enacted legislation. Today’s article features Nebraska, the next article will feature Wisconsin, and the final article in…
The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) is a specialized organization of the United Nations which addresses international communications and information technology, regulatory, and policy issues. Its origins date back to the formation of its predecessor in 1865, the International Telegraph Union. It plays a crucial role in promoting efficient sharing of spectrum and compatibility of communications…
Update: the FCC decision described in these two articles was reversed by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit in August 2019. The Court summarized its conclusion as:
We grant in part the petitions for review because the Order does not justify the Commission’s determination that it was not in the public…
