Spectrum

The Federal Communications Commission ordered a review of all station licenses owned by ABC, an extraordinary move to pressure a major television network whose programming has frequently angered President Trump. The FCC said that the action was related to an investigation into ABC’s diversity and inclusion policies.

The Federal Communications Commission denied requests by multiple satellite companies—including SpaceX—for access to spectrum, saying it’s all about enabling the direct-to-device market to flourish. Our first reaction was: Huh? How does denying satellite companies access to spectrum encourage them to compete in the D2D space?  Turns out, it’s actually providing regulatory certainty in a very uncertain but highly hyped industry.

The Federal Communications Commission is blocking an investment firm’s access to valuable wireless spectrum and threatening to take away its licenses because of a paperwork filing error—and the firm’s executives warn that customers in rural America will pay the price. Brevet Capital, with around $2.5 billion in assets under management, has been locked in what appears to be a strange, two-year bureaucratic snafu with regulators that began when it took over licenses for 112 satellites as part of a bankruptcy proceeding in 2021.

The Federal Communications Commission's Space Bureau granted AST SpaceMobile a permanent license to operate the company’s foundational satellite system.

In an experience that is probably familiar to everybody, in the last few months I’ve found myself unable to get a cell signal in places I routinely visit. At the pharmacy, the only cell coverage I could find was directly next to the front windows. I went to my doctor and found I couldn’t get any reception while biding my time in a waiting room. There was no signal in the back half of the grocery store. I know my experience is not unique, and I regularly see other people grumbling in these locations about the lack of cell signal.

House appropriators are trying to block federal regulators from implementing one company’s plan for a GPS backup, fearing interference on RFID chips and tolling systems. The House Appropriations Committee cleared a bill on April 21 that included the Federal Communications Commission’s fiscal year 2027 budget.

Starlink has threatened to shun Australia's satellite mobile market if it is forced into a spectrum auction.

Readers of a certain age will recall former New York City Mayor Ed Koch's famous "How'm I doin'?" But for any age, people can and should ask for an accounting of policymakers' performance. Recently, the Federal Communications Commission released its annual performance review for fiscal year 2025 (October 1, 2024—September 30, 2025). How well is the FCC delivering on its core broadband deployment mission?

House Commerce Committee Chairman Brett Guthrie (R-KY) introduced the Satellite And Telecommunications Streamlining Act (SAT Streamlining Act HR 8255), a bill aimed at reducing regulatory bottlenecks for the satellite industry. HR 8255 would mandate strict deadlines on the Federal Communications Commission when reviewing spectrum license applications from satellite operators. Specifically, the bill would:

The National Telecommunications and Information Administration announced a major milestone in repurposing the 2.7 GHz band for full-power commercial licensed use—clearing a key technical review and advancing America’s 6G leadership. In 2025, Congress gave NTIA a first-of-its-kind mandate: identify 500 MHz of federal spectrum for commercial use in five years.