Federal Communications Commission

At the end of a fireside chat, Federal Communications Commissioner Anna Gomez warned the cable industry and US citizens about the pattern of censorship and the corrosive power of the Trump administration. "This administration has engaged in this campaign to bring all broadcasters to heel. And really it affects cable in addition to that, it affects broadcasters, because some of the targets are, in fact, themselves, cable companies," said Commissioner Gomez. "And I think it should concern everyone.

Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr was blasted as a “censorship czar” by protesters, who disturbed the FCC’s open meeting before being escorted out by security. The open meeting was the FCC’s first one since the multi-day suspension of Jimmy Kimmel from his ABC late night show—which came about after Chairman Carr publicly

The Federal Communications Commission granted a petition for reconsideration filed by Maurine and Matthew Molak and found that the best reading of section 254 of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended, (the Communications Act) is that it does not permit funding of off-premises use of Wi-Fi hotspots and the associated wireless Internet services with E-Rate program support. In so finding, the FCC rescinded the rules adopted in July 2024.

In this Declaratory Ruling, the Federal Communications Commission takes the opportunity to better align E-Rate eligibility with section 254 of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended (Communications Act), and clarify that the provision of Wi-Fi, or other similar access point technologies, including the equipment needed to provide such service, on school buses is ineligible for E-Rate funding.

The Federal Communications Commission began to suspend  most operations effective 12:00:01 a.m. EDT on October 1, 2025.  During a suspension of normal operations, some public-facing filing systems and databases will remain available while others will not. 

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."

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.

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.

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.

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.