Wireless Internet

Verizon has started enforcing a 365-day lock period on phones purchased through its TracFone division after the Federal Communications Commission waived a requirement that Verizon unlock handsets 60 days after they are activated on its network. Verizon was previously required to unlock phones automatically after 60 days due to restrictions imposed on its spectrum licenses and merger conditions that helped Verizon obtain approval of its purchase of TracFone.

The Internet protocol (IP) interconnection transition generates unavoidable costs for intercarrier compensation (ICC)-dependent rural carriers, and deferring those costs to “future proceedings” predictably leads to pressure for permanent new Universal Service Fund (USF) support. The Technology Policy Institute proposes a Voluntary IP Service Transition Auction (VISTA) that converts those implicit future liabilities into explicit, time-limited transition payments.

Ookla published a Wireless Internet Service Provider (WISP) Report Card in November that looks at the speed performance of eight large WISPs—Etheric Networks, GeoLinks, NextLink, Resound Networks, Rise Broadband, Starry, Unwired Broadband, and Wisper Internet. Since this article was published, Starry has been acquired by Verizon. Ookla trended speed test results for each WISP by quarter from first quarter 2021 through second quarter 2025. The results of the speed tests for most WISPs were not spectacular:

Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Ted Cruz (R-TX) and Senator Peter Welch (D-VT) introduced the Satellite and Telecommunications (SAT) Streamlining Act, bipartisan legislation that aims to update the Federal Communications Commission’s application process and remove regulatory barriers and uncertainty that could threaten investments in the United States’ commercial satellite industry. The number of applications submitted to the FCC for satellites has dramatically increased, but outdated regulatory barriers have delayed processing those applications.

SpaceX’s Starlink is gearing up to deploy another 7,500 satellites thanks to the Federal Communications Commission authorization. But the move is less about expanding coverage than it is about improving latency and network reliability, said some analysts. Per the FCC’s announcement, SpaceX will be allowed to operate across the Ku-, Ka-, V-, E- and W-band frequencies, supporting both fixed satellite service and mobile satellite service.

For most of Iran, the internet was shut off on January 8—the most severe blackout the country has seen in years of internet shutdowns, coming after days of escalating anti-government protests. For a very small sliver of the country, it is still possible to get photos and videos to the outside world, and even to make calls. The Telegram channel Vahid Online posted photos of dead bodies lying next to a street in Kahrizak, on the southern outskirts of Tehran; it also shared a video of Iranians chanting “death to Khamenei” at a funeral.

Commnet Wireless submitted a Connect America Fund (CAF) Phase II build-out status notification for locations in Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Nevada. Commnet was required to deploy 100 percent of its authorized locations in Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Nevada by December 31, 2025. Commnet’s initial data, which the company is continuing to review, shows that as of December 31, 2025, Commnet may not have reached the CAF Phase II deployment milestone in Arizona, and has not met the milestone in Colorado, Nevada or New Mexico.

AT&T’s FirstNet public safety network plans to offer satellite connectivity to first responders in the first half of 2026 to fill gaps in nationwide coverage. FirstNet President Scott Agnew said, “You need a layered approach when deploying a public safety network.” AT&T’s mobile network covers nearly 3 million square miles in the U.S. The company also uses a fleet of deployables such as cell-towers-on-wheels, which can be delivered to areas that have been hit by disasters.

Recon Analytics has tracked consumer wireless and broadband behavior continuously since July 2022, accumulating almost 1.5 million survey responses across the US consumer telecommunications market. This weekly dataset captures the 5G era in real time, measuring satisfaction, churn intent, and competitive positioning at ZIP code granularity. Six years after the first nationwide commercial 5G networks in December 2019, the technology has delivered results that confound the original hype cycle. Some promises materialized in unexpected ways. Others collapsed entirely.

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.