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

Gregory E. Kunkle
Partner at Keller and Heckman LLP
Washington, DC
Keller and Heckman Webinar: Navigating the FCC’s Universal Service Program: Compliance Requirements for Service Providers
On March 9, 2023, Keller and Heckman attorneys Greg Kunkle, Casey Lide, and Jason Chun 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…
3.5 GHz CBRS Band Becomes Reality
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…
A New Year (Finally?) Brings New Uses for the 3.5 GHz Band
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…
FCC Seeking Comment on 3.5 GHz Band Rule Changes
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…
FCC Issues 5G Service Rules in 5G Speed
On July 14, 2016, the Federal Communications Commission released a Report Order and Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking issuing service rules for four spectrum bands above 24 GHz. These bands are intended to be the future home for 5G wireless services and technologies currently being developed. The FCC’s new rules authorize mobile operations on a…
FAA Finalizes Drone Rules
Last week, the FAA finalized its rules for routine commercial use of small unmanned aircraft systems (drones). The new rules govern the operation and certification of small drones weighing less than 55 pounds for non-hobby and non-recreational purposes. The rules will permit UAS operations for applications such as the delivery of consumer goods, inspections of…
FCC Aims High in 2016 with Incentive Auction, 3.5 GHz Band
2016 looks to be the year the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) will place its biggest bet on the value of spectrum and begin to see whether two novel approaches to spectrum management are hits or misses.
Continue Reading FCC Aims High in 2016 with Incentive Auction, 3.5 GHz Band
LightSquared May Be Running Out Of Time, Options and Money
The news has not been good for wireless start-up LightSquared as recent reports suggest it is running out of cash as key Federal agencies and departments maintain the company has not demonstrated that its proposed Wireless service will not interfere with critical GPS applications.
Background
LightSquared started 2011 by celebrating the FCC’s decision to grant…