The Trump Administration’s immigration crackdown has been meticulously documented through smartphones—most recently, in the anonymous bystander videos of an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent fatally shooting Renee Good in Minneapolis (MN). The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), under President Trump, has argued that recording and publishing images of its officers while on operations is a crime that threatens officials’ safety. As DHS tries to crack down on accountability videos and as protests against ICE escalate, the ability to post videos of ICE anonymously is being challenged in a California court. On January 14, a judge for the US District Court of the Northern District of California will hear DHS’s argument in a case that—though unrelated—could have repercussions for groups that have filmed and uploaded sightings of officers on social media over the last year.

The Federal Communications Commission took action to bring a more uniform approach to its handset unlocking rules that will benefit consumers. The FCC's action also closes a loophole that sophisticated criminal networks and everyday lawbreakers alike have exploited to engage in illicit activity. Specifically, the FCC waived a 2007 rule that required one wireless carrier to unlock its handsets well earlier than standard industry practice, thus creating an incentive for bad actors to steal those handsets for purposes of carrying out fraud and other illegal acts. Under the FCC’s 2007 unlocking requirements, Verizon is the only major provider that the FCC requires to unlock its handsets 60 days after activation, which is earlier than standard industry practice. The FCC extended this unique requirement in 2021 as a condition of Verizon’s acquisition of Tracfone. Verizon has stated that it “saw a spike in fraud of approximately 55 percent after TracFone moved from its earlier policy of a one-year lock to Verizon’s 60-day lock.” Under this waiver order from the FCC’s Wireless Telecommunications Bureau, Verizon will, like its competitors, provide unlocking services in alignment with the CTIA Consumer Code for Wireless Service, established in 2013.

The National Telecommunications and Information Administration applauds the approval of SpaceX’s Gen2 Version 3 application by the Federal Communications Commission, a decisive step toward expanding satellite connectivity and strengthening U.S. leadership in next-generation communications technologies. NTIA led the interagency coordination of this application, working closely with federal partners to deliver a rigorous and timely review that protects critical government missions while clearing the path for innovation. The Gen2 Version 3 authorization will significantly expand coverage and capacity—especially in remote areas—and support faster speeds for Starlink consumers receiving service through the Broadband Equity Access and Deployment Program. This approval underscores the Trump Administration’s commitment to effective spectrum management, American space leadership, and results for American consumers.

OpenAI and Common Sense Media said they would set aside competing proposals in California to limit how artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots interact with children and work together on a compromise. The deal could avert a multimillion-dollar fight between OpenAI and Common Sense Media, which both said they would work to qualify their measures for the California ballot in November 2026. OpenAI will commit at least $10 million to the ballot measure campaign. The compromise language would give parents more control over how their children interact with AI chatbots, but would omit clauses that Common Sense Media had originally supported, including one banning cellphones in classrooms and another allowing parents and children harmed by chatbots to sue large AI companies. “Rather than confusing the voters with competing ballot initiatives on AI, we decided to work together,” said Jim Steyer, founder and Chief Executive of Common Sense Media.

Google and Shopify, along with retailers, unveiled a new standard to help artificial intelligence (AI) autonomously complete purchases across different shopping platforms. The initiative centers on the Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP), co-developed by Google with industry leaders including Shopify, Etsy, Wayfair, Walmart, and Target. More than 20 retailers, platforms, and payment companies endorse the protocol, including Home Depot, Best Buy, Macy's, Mastercard, and Visa. The new standard is designed to help AI tools move shoppers from "I'm interested" to "I've bought it" without forcing them to jump between apps, websites or checkout systems. Google says UCP will soon power shopping inside AI Mode in Search and the Gemini app, letting people buy without leaving the conversation.

The Supreme Court agreed to decide whether the Federal Communications Commission’s authority to issue massive fines violated AT&T’s and Verizon’s constitutional right to a jury trial. It’s the latest Supreme Court case to take aim at federal agencies’ regulatory power. The case is expected to be argued near the end of this term, which would enable it to be decided by summer 2026. The FCC ordered AT&T to pay roughly $57 million. Verizon’s fine amounted to nearly $47 million. In 2024, the Supreme Court ruled the Securities and Exchange Commission’s in-house civil fraud enforcement system violated defendants’ constitutional jury trial right. Guided by the justices’ decision, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit ruled the FCC’s penalty system was also unconstitutional, siding with AT&T. Verizon’s case went before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit, which ruled for the government. All sides—the Trump Administration, AT&T, and Verizon—agreed the Supreme Court should take up the two cases and resolve the issue.

Cable operators are transforming the wireless industry, not through clever marketing or promotional pricing, but through network jiu-jitsu that turns their existing cable plant into a weapon against the carriers who once held all the leverage. Charter Communications and Comcast have deployed $922 million in Citizens Broadband Radio Service (CBRS) spectrum and are now converting it into strand-mounted small cells, fundamentally changing the economics of their wireless businesses. The logic is simple enough that executives from both companies have publicly stated it. Comcast CEO Brian Roberts says that 3 percent of Comcast's geography generates 60 percent of its mobile macro network traffic. The overwhelming majority of cellular usage happens in a tiny fraction of the geographic footprint. Traditional carriers must build networks that cover nearly 100 percent of the geography where people live to capture that traffic. Cable operators can target just the 3 percent where traffic actually occurs, leverage their existing cable infrastructure, and let Verizon handle the unprofitable long tail.

There have been a number of articles in the industry press predicting a major shortage of fiber in 2026. Fiber manufacturers have already been working at full capacity due to the large amounts of fiber networks being built, and 2026 should be a busy year for fiber construction. The telephone companies, cable companies, and fiber overbuilders are all planning a lot of fiber construction. There is still a little over $10 billion in planned fiber construction funded by the same existing subsidy and grant programs, plus there will start to be orders for fiber from Broadband Equity Access and Deployment (BEAD) Program grants as 2026 goes by. Vendors and industry experts are predicting that some kinds of fiber could experience ordering backlogs as long as a year. Vendors are likely going to satisfy their largest customers first, so smaller projects might find themselves in a bind. It will be ironic after all of the hurry up and wait for BEAD if grant projects are badly delayed due to a fiber supply chain problem. But all of the industry predictions are based upon demand staying firm. There are a number of credible predictions that there will be an artificial intelligence (AI) market contraction in the coming year, since data center supply seems to have outstripped the ability to generate the revenues needed to make the industry viable. The Fiber Broadband Association says it is not expecting big backlogs in the fiber needed to build last-mile networks. I guess none of us will know for sure until we start seeing smaller internet service providers place orders for fiber.