Wireless Internet

In an abbreviated 4th quarter 2025 earnings call, EchoStar’s Chairman and CEO Charlie Ergen was asked about the two things most on analysts’ minds: What’s going on with EchoStar’s investment in SpaceX? And what’s the deal with EchoStar not paying its wireless vendors? EchoStar’s fortunes are now tied to SpaceX ever since its new division called “EchoStar Capital” was created in November 2025.

The total projected collected interstate and international end-user revenue base to determine the contribution factor for the Universal Service support mechanisms for second quarter of calendar year 2026 is $7,553,336,520.

The Telecommunications Act of 1996 arrived at a pivotal moment in American communications history. For decades, universal service had meant one thing: ensuring that all Americans could access basic telephone service at affordable rates through a system of implicit cross-subsidies managed largely within the monopoly structure of AT&T and its successors. But by the mid-1990s, this model faced twin pressures.

The Oregon Broadband Office has launched the American Rescue Plan Act Capital Projects Fund (CPF) Digital Connectivity Technology Program, making $6.8 million available to expand access to internet-enabled devices and public Wi-Fi infrastructure across Oregon. Funded through the U.S.

The Federal Communications Commission's Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau (CGB or Bureau) seeks comment in connection with its biennial report required by the Twenty-First Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act of 2010 (CVAA).

“All we’ve got left now,” the Russian soldier said, “are radios, cables and pigeons.” A decision earlier this month by SpaceX to shut down access to Starlink satellite-internet terminals caused immediate chaos among Russian forces who had become increasingly reliant upon the Elon Musk-owned company’s technology to sustain their occupation of Ukraine, according to radio transmissions intercepted by a Ukrainian reconnaissance unit and shared with the Axel Springer Global Reporters Network. The communications breakdown significantly constrained Russian military capabilities,

Ultimately, ensuring network resiliency and security is a shared responsibility. Interagency and industry coordination is paramount. The Federal Communications Commission has an important role to play working with its federal partners, industry, and Congress, on a range of issues, including: reevaluating outage reporting to reflect modern networks; strengthening transparency around supply-chain risks; and supporting responsible space and satellite growth.

SpaceX's proposed pair of acquisitions of EchoStar spectrum is getting more static in the Federal Communications Commission docket as Liberty Latin American presses its case that the agreements toss a monkey wrench into its mobile plans. Meanwhile, dozens of tower and property owners continue to urge the FCC to require Dish Wireless to pay its bills.

Amazon announced a new device that offers broadband backup for broadband outages. The new device is the eero Signal, which is an add-on to Amazon’s eero WiFi system that will automatically connect a customer to cellular broadband any time the primary broadband connection fails. The Signal device will connect with the strongest carrier signal in your area, meaning that Amazon has made arrangements with AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon.

To say that Consumer Cellular has a lot going on is an understatement. But what’s really remarkable is how it’s adding more retail stores and using real live people to answer customer service calls in an industry increasingly awash in AI. For the uninitiated, Consumer Cellular is an MVNO that was founded about 30 years ago by two Portland, Oregon-based guys, John Marick and Greg Pryor. Early in their tenure, they decided to focus on the 50+ age group and align the company with AARP.