FCC Seeks Comment on The State of Competition in the Communications Marketplace

In the last quarter of every even numbered year, the Federal Communications Commission must publish a Communications Marketplace Report that, among other things, “assess[es] the state of competition in the communications marketplace, including competition to deliver voice, video, audio, and data services among providers of telecommunications, providers of commercial mobile service, multichannel video programming distributors, broadcast stations, providers of satellite communications, Internet service providers, and other providers of communications services.” In assessing the state of competition, the FCC must consider all forms of competition, including “the effect of intermodal competition, facilities-based competition, and competition from new and emergent communications services.” The FCC must also “assess whether laws, regulations, regulatory practices, or demonstrated marketplace practices pose a barrier to competitive entry into the communications marketplace or to the competitive expansion of existing providers of communications services.” This Public Notice seeks public input to inform the FCC’s required assessment of the state of competition in the communications marketplace in its upcoming Communications Marketplace Report to Congress. Specifically, the FCC seeks data, information, and comment on a wide range of issues relevant to the state of competition in the communications marketplace as a whole. The FCC requests that commenters submit information, data, and statistics for 2024 and 2025, as well as information on any notable trends and developments that have occurred during early 2026. Industry stakeholders, the public, and all other interested parties are encouraged to submit information, comments, and analyses. To facilitate analysis of competitive trends, parties should submit relevant current and historic data that are comparable over time. [GN Docket No. 26-78. Comments Due:  May 21, 2026; Reply Comments Due:  June 22, 2026]