On November 20, the Federal Communications Commission's Wireline Competition Bureau released its decision to change how the Lifeline program is run in California. Specifically, the FCC decided to remove California's special permission to use its own Lifeline eligibility verification system instead of the federal system (the National Lifeline Accountability Database and  Lifeline National Eligibility Verifier). Starting February 1, 2026, California will lose its special permission to check eligibility for federal Lifeline applications using its own state system. Instead:

• All California residents applying for federal Lifeline benefits must use the federal "National Verifier" system
• Phone and internet companies in California must switch to federal processes for enrolling customers in Lifeline
• The federal system will handle checking whether people qualify and preventing duplicate benefits

The Federal Communications Commission took a step toward releasing a large swath of mid-band spectrum for America’s innovators when it voted to propose rules for 5G and 6G services in the Upper C-band (3.98-4.2 GHz). This proceeding will examine a range of options for the Upper C-band, including auctioning up to 180 megahertz, with the ultimate goal of maximizing the amount of spectrum for next-gen wireless services as generational aviation safety upgrades occur in the adjacent band. This item represents a milestone in implementing the spectrum provisions of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. The legislation requires the FCC to complete a system of competitive bidding for at least 100 megahertz in the Upper C-band no later than July 2027. To meet that deadline, the FCC proposes to leverage its highly successful framework from the first C-band proceeding.  In 2020, the FCC auctioned 280 megahertz in the lower portion of the C-band (3.7-3.98 GHz) for flexible wireless use.  That auction brought enhanced 5G to countless communities, accelerated new builds, and enabled game-changing competitive offerings for in-home broadband.  Today’s Notice of Proposed Rulemaking seeks comment on how to accommodate incumbent satellite users and other services presently in the Upper C-band.  It also explores ways to promote co-existence with adjacent band radio altimeters, along with a range of related technical issues.  The Notice reflects input and coordination from the FCC’s federal partners, including the FAA and NTIA. 

The Federal Communications Commission announced a plan to modernize Telecommunications Relay Services through a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking seeking information about how these services can continue to be delivered efficiently in the current IP-based environment. The Commission will also consider updating or eliminating obsolete regulations like those that were never enforced by the FCC or govern an obsolete market structure. The proposal seeks to ensure that relay services remain effective, accessible, and sustainable for individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing, deafblind, or have speech disabilities by proposing a series of reforms to transition users to Internet-based alternatives. This Notice also explores certifying a national analog relay provider and improving compatibility with real-time text. Additionally, this proposal aims to streamline the TRS provider certification processes and close an outdated docket. 

Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr announced a review of the relationships between broadcast networks and their affiliates, calling into question contractual restrictions that penalize stations for pre-empting shows and those that prevent them from airing rival programming. The FCC will take comments on a host of issues, rooted in Chairman Carr’s belief that networks have gained too much leverage at the expense of local stations. He wrote on X, “The FCC has an obligation to ensure that local broadcast TV stations meet their public interest obligations. Yet National Programmers operating out of New York & Hollywood are reportedly preventing those broadcasters from serving their local communities—including by punishing them for exercising their right to preempt national programming.” 

Acting Texas Comptroller Kelly Hancock announced that Texas’ final proposal for the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment program, a roadmap for investing approximately $1.3 billion to close the state’s digital divide, has been approved by the federal government. Greenlighted by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, the BEAD plan submitted by the Comptroller's Broadband Development Office will make it possible for almost every Texas location on the Federal Communications Commission’s National Broadband Map to connect to high-speed internet for the first time in state history, a landmark achievement years in the making. Under the plan, about 123,000 unserved and underserved locations would be connected by end-to-end fiber technology, roughly 65,000 via low-earth orbit satellite and about 54,000 locations through fixed wireless. Selected awardees will have four years to complete their work and provide service to every eligible location.Tex

For many years, Cisco issued reports that regularly reported that the demand for speed was growing at roughly 21% per year for residential broadband, and a little faster for business broadband. Cisco and others noted that the demand for broadband speeds was on a relatively straight line back to the early 1980s. I can’t think of any fundamental industry changes that would change the historical growth rate in the near future. What does that suggest for Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment and other grants? Consider the evaluation of Starlink, which is the technology that is closest to meeting or not meeting the needed speed of 100/20 Mbps. Ookla released a report in the first quarter of 2025 showing that the median speed on Starlink was 104.71 Mbps download and 14.84 Mbps upload, and that only 17% of Starlink customers in the first quarter fully met the 100/20 Mbps speed threshold. Cisco's growth rate would predict the definition of broadband in 2025 should be something like 177/35 Mbps. It’s debatable if Starlink meets the 100/20 Mbps test today, but it clearly doesn’t meet a test based on the speed demand in 2025. 

When Hurricane Helene ripped through the southeast United States in late 2024, it caused widespread devastation. Communities faced powerful winds, flooding, and infrastructure damage that stretched across multiple states. Yet amid the destruction, public safety sprang into action to protect lives and restore community services quickly and safely. From the field to 9-1-1 call centers, public safety agencies turned to FirstNet to help maintain critical communications when traditional infrastructure was destroyed by the storm. Public safety in Tennessee and North Carolina relied on FirstNet resiliency and redundancy during the hurricane and in the days that followed. In North Carolina, Hurricane Helene put pressure on Public Safety Answering Points in the western part of the state, which saw a surge in 9-1-1 calls. From September 26-28, when the hurricane was most devastating, North Carolina emergency telecommunicators answered nearly 90,000 calls—a 55 percent increase compared to the same period the year before. Since 2023, the North Carolina 9-1-1 Board has worked in partnership with AT&T and the FirstNet Authority to build a highly resilient IP-based network called ESInet. ESInet is a closed private network for 9-1-1 traffic only; FirstNet provides redundant connectivity for ESInet. This system-wide redundancy ensured North Carolinians could still reach help when they needed it most. 

Mark Zuckerberg and other Meta Platforms directors agreed to a $190 million settlement of claims they failed to rectify repeated violations of Facebook users’ privacy and improperly engineered an accord to shield the billionaire chief executive officer from personal liability. The amount of the settlement had been sealed since a trial was halted in July. A lawsuit by Meta investors claimed board members mishandled the Cambridge Analytica data privacy scandal and improperly agreed to a $5 billion Federal Trade Commission settlement to personally protect Zuckerberg. Meta shareholders sought at least $7 billion in damages, arguing directors wrongfully overpaid in the FTC deal to prevent Zuckerberg from digging into his own pocket to cover some of the financial hit to the company. The accord, which will be paid by an insurance policy covering Meta directors, amounts to a recovery of 3%. In a court filing, the company denied wrongdoing and said the settlement wasn’t an admission that it was liable.