Telecommunication

The times they are a-changin' when it comes to landline telephone service.

Researchers from Pennsylvania State University recently published an excellent report, Beyond Connectivity Among Rural First Responders in Pennsylvania. The report is based on the findings from focus groups and interviews with law enforcement officers, firefighters, EMTs, 911 center representatives, local officials, and other key stakeholders. The in-depth discussions identified multiple problems that hinder public safety work in rural areas:

Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee Chairman Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Senate Energy and Natural Resources (ENR) Committee Chairman Mike Lee (R-UT), and Senators Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and Martin Heinrich (D-NM) introduced the Bipartisan American Affordability and Jobs Act of 2026 to reform the federal environmental review and permitting processes.

The Federal Communications Commission approved a Notice of Inquiry (NOI) seeking comment on how the agency can best adapt its approach to the changing communications landscape and apply these objectives to the next generation of communications technologies and platforms. The FCC invites stakeholders to look beyond today's 911 system, consider how new technologies and services could reshape 911, and provide input on how the FCC can best adapt its approach to meet public safety needs and consumer expectations in the years ahead.

On August 10, 2026, Verizon filed an application with the Federal Communications Commission requesting authority, under section 214 of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended, 47 U.S.C.

What should the social contract be between the communications sector, the government, and the public in the next two decades? Its terms should reflect that the purpose of communications policy is to ensure that all Americans can fully participate in the economy and civic life of their communities. In 1996, there was a bipartisan consensus that policy should drive competition that, in turn, would drive the communications sector to continually deliver faster, better and cheaper communications for all.

The company Ooma has been around for about 20 years, offering its voice-over-IP and unified communications as a service phone technologies, but now Ooma has come up with a product that lets residential Starlink broadband subscribers add voice to their Starlink service. Ooma’ StarDial is targeted to Starlink internet users in rural, remote or off-grid locations who may want to also tap their satellite broadband service for voice.

Spectate or participate. Those are the options on the table for operators as the AI revolution rolls on, Alianza CEO Brian Beutler argued. And the choice could mean the difference between hitching up to a growth engine or being left behind as a dumb pipe—again. Alianza recently unveiled Crux, a new orchestration platform designed to enable operators to tap into the AI voice market.

The Federal Communications Commission's Office of Managing Director (OMD) announced that the proposed universal service contribution factor for the fourth quarter of 2026 will be 0.42 or 42.0 percent. The FCC's Wireline Competition Bureau (WCB), in consultation with the OMD, instructs the Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC) to apply $69 million in unused funds to offset the Schools and Libraries program demand and $56 million in unused funds to offset the Rural Health Care program demand.

Comcast has sparked a plan to transform its cost structure and the overall business in a way that will save billions of dollars and enable Comcast to redirect those funds toward growth initiatives, CFO Jason Armstrong revealed at the Goldman Sachs Communacopia + Technology Conference. "We embarked earlier this month on the largest cost transformation in the company's history. This will be billions of dollars in costs," he said. "I frame it [as] more of a transformation. It's not a budget exercise.