On September 8, 2026, the United States Federal Communications Commission (“FCC”) began accepting comments in a regulatory proceeding with the potential to significantly expand the FCC’s national-security controls over communications equipment, largely impacting devices manufacturers outside of the U.S.
In its Third Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (“Third FNPRM”) in ET Docket No. 21-232, the
On September 11, 2025, the FCC released a Consent Decree with T-Mobile US, Inc. (“T-Mobile”) formally resolving an investigation into whether T-Mobile violated section 302 of the Communications Act of 1934 and parts 2 and 15 of the FCC Rules, specifically concerning the import, marketing, and sale of its REVVL 7 PRO 5G smartphone. The
On January 16, 2025, the FCC closed out Jessica Rosenworcel’s term as Chairwoman by releasing a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (“NPRM”) seeking to expand the use of the 896-901/935-940 MHz (“900 MHz”) band for broadband use. The NPRM builds on the Commission’s 2019 rulemaking, which created a 3/3 MHz broadband allocation at 897.5-900.5/936.5-939.5 MHz and
On October 18, 2024, the FCC adopted an Eighth Report and Order in its 4.9 GHz band proceeding. The new rules will permit a yet-to-be-selected Band Manager to be eligible for a nationwide license in the band, overlaying the licenses of incumbent public safety licensees. The Band Manager will be authorized to enter sharing agreements
In 2019, the U.S. Department of Justice and the states of Kansas, Nebraska, Ohio, Oklahoma, and South Dakota brought a civil antitrust suit opposing the merger of T-Mobile and Sprint. According to the lawsuit, consolidating nationwide carriers from four to three would reduce competition to an unacceptable degree, ultimately harming consumers. To resolve the complaint,
Drones, or unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), are experiencing rapid growth throughout the world. In the United States, the FAA expects the recreational UAV fleet to reach almost 1.5 million units by 2024. Significant growth is also expected in commercial drones used for safety, delivery, and service operations, with the number of such aircraft expected to
On March 9, 2023, Keller and Heckman attorneys Greg Kunkle and Casey Lide presented a webinar titled “Navigating the FCC’s Universal Service Program: Compliance Requirements for Service Providers.”
The FCC’s Universal Service Fund (USF) program is one of the most significant regulatory issues faced by service providers. The USF assessment amount is substantial and penalties
The FCC’s CBRS band at 3.55-3.70 GHz took a big leap forward this month.
PAL Auction Date Proposed
On September 5, 2019, FCC Chairman Ajit Pai released a draft Public Notice that, once adopted, will seek comment on proposed procedures for Auction 105, the auction of 70 MHz of Priority Access Licenses (PALs) in the
On October 23, 2018, the FCC adopted a Report and Order in its 3550-3700 MHz Citizens Broadband Radio Service (CBRS) proceeding. The Report and Order makes several modifications to rules governing the band, including extending license terms to 10 years, adding license renewability, and increasing the size of Priority Access License (PAL) areas from census
On August 10, 208, the FCC’s Office of Engineering and Technology released a Public Notice seeking comment on the rule changes resulting its 2015 rule-making regarding the 3.5 GHz band. It’s unusual for the Commission to seek comment on rule changes that were adopted several years ago when it is not reconsidering those rules. In