September 2025

Reactions to the FCC's Vote to End E-Rate Support for School Bus WiFi and Hotspot Lending Programs

Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr said, "Today’s decision corrects course. It restores the FCC’s commitment to following the law as written and respecting the intent of Congress. Section 254 of the Communications Act is clear: E-Rate funding is meant to enhance access to telecommunications services in classrooms and libraries. A school bus is neither. We cannot simply reinterpret “classrooms” to mean any place where learning might occur. That’s not how statutory interpretation works, and it’s not how responsible policymaking should work either."

Here’s how a US government shutdown could impact telecom

A U.S. government shutdown threatening to begin at 12:01 a.m. Eastern Time on Oct. 1, 2025, will impact the telecommunications industry in a way that is not immediately obvious but still measurable due to the furlough of nearly 90 percent of Federal Communications Commission staff. The FCC already has a shutdown plan in place. Unveiled in March, the plan calls for the Commission to furlough 88 percent of its employees, with just 171 of the agency’s staff of 1,476 remaining to carry out critical functions.

FCC Aims to Accelerate Wireless Infrastructure Buildout

The Federal Communications Commission voted to begin a proceeding that will explore ways to accelerate buildout of wireless infrastructure including cell phone towers. The FCC will update its rules to supercharge the deployment, densification, and upgrading of wireless networks and, where necessary, clarify that state and local restrictions cannot unlawfully block 5G or soon, 6G deployment.

FCC Takes Aim at Contraband Cellphones in State and Local Prisons

The Federal Communications Commission proposed new rules to empower local and state correctional authorities to jam signals from illegal contraband cellphones. Thousands of contraband cellphones have poured into prisons across the country, and inmates have been using them to coordinate violent gang activity, call in hits, and aid criminal enterprises. Jamming devices are not currently allowed in non-federal prisons.

FCC Advances 2022 Quadrennial Review of Broadcast Ownership Rules

The Federal Communications Commission voted to advance its quadrennial regulatory review of its broadcast ownership rules. Through the action, the FCC seeks comment on whether and how the media ownership rules serve the public interest in light of emerging technologies and constantly changing media marketplace conditions.

FCC to Delete 387 Outdated Wireline Rules and Requirements

The Federal Communications Commission took action for removal of an additional 29,181 words, 69 pages, and 386 rules and requirements from the books that have been identified as obsolete, outdated, or unnecessary, some of which had implemented now-defunct policies from the breakup of Ma Bell in 1984. This marks the latest action in the Commission’s “In re: Delete, Delete, Delete” docket, which seeks public input on identifying FCC rules for the purpose of alleviating unnecessary regulatory burdens.

Fiber operators and investors have different worries amid consolidation

Disconnects between fiber operators and fiber investors abound when it comes to industry challenges, according to the consultants at AlixPartners, which conducted a survey in July and August 2025. When the firm asked 100 operators and investors about some of the challenges that fiber operators are facing, 44 percent of investors thought construction complexity was a big concern; while only 20 percent of operators were concerned about construction.

Advance Colorado Broadband Mini Grant Program

The Colorado Broadband Office is excited to announce that it will soon open the Advance Colorado Broadband Mini Grant Program for unobligated funds from both the Capital Projects Fund and State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds. CBO expects to publish more details on or around October 3, 2025, and will host a webinar providing information on the program, the associated map and the timeline.

City of Superior brings a broadband success story to northern Wisconsin

After five years of planning, the city of Superior (WI) launched a new city-owned fiber optic network called ConnectSuperior. ConnectSuperior works kind of like a highway, where the city supplies the infrastructure, and businesses can use that network to provide high-speed internet service to residents. Stephanie Becken, the city’s broadband manager, said that the new network has been a game-changer for Superior.

Sen Markey Seeks Testimony From FCC Chairman Carr

On September 25, 2025, Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr wrote to Senator Ed Markey (D-MA) regarding the decision by local TV stations to preempt Disney’s Jimmy Kimmel Live! and Disney’s decision to suspend temporarily production of that program. Chairman Carr said, "the claim by some that the FCC threatened to revoke broadcast licenses if Disney did not fire Jimmy Kimmel is simply incorrect.

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