Wireless Telecommunications

The Federal Communications Commission's Space Bureau and Wireless Telecommunications Bureau grant-in-part and defer-in-part the application, as amended, of Space Exploration Holdings, LLC to deploy and operate a new constellation of 15,000 non-geostationary orbit satellites. The D2D System is authorized for the provision of direct-to-device services using Mobile Satellite Service and Supplemental Coverage from Space operations in the United States, MSS and MSS direct-to-cell outside of the United States, and related Fixed-Satellite Service operations. With this action, SpaceX’s planned depl

The FirstNet Authority allocated $1.1 billion of its fiscal 2027 budget, which starts October 2026, for network improvements and approved 220 new cell sites in rural areas for AT&T to build based on public safety input. There are now 350 FirstNet sites in development.

Throughout this year, I’ve been hearing the phrase “good enough broadband” to describe consumers willing to take slower, less robust broadband connections in order to save money. This is most commonly used when referring to fixed wireless access broadband, but I’ve seen big internet service provider executives using the phrase when talking about customers who leave fiber for any slower technology. This is not a new phenomenon.

While broadband advocates appear to broadly support the National Telecommunications and Information Administration's move to open up a supplemental funding round to reach remaining unserved Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment program locations, it's also clear that many are 

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 adopted rules that will open up additional spectrum for next-generation connectivity. The FCC will unlock more than 1,000 megahertz of spectrum in the 12 GHz and 42 GHz bands for a range of connectivity services, including even faster satellite broadband. In addition to these final rules, in a Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, the Commission explores freeing up 1,450 megahertz of spectrum in the Ku- and Ka- bands, along with 138.25 gigahertz in the D-band, for more intensive satellite communications.

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.

SpaceX has now told the Federal Communications Commission multiple times that the agency should begin the process of phasing down and eliminating all rural high-cost subsidies from the Universal Service Fund. The company filed comments asking for the end of subsidies in FCC Docket 26-96, which is looking at reforming the High-cost fund for an all IP Future, and in Docket 10-90 that was looking at Universal Service Fund reform. In both filings, SpaceX says that its proliferation of low-orbit satellites means that rural subsidies are obsolete and are no longer needed.

AT&T, in public-private partnership with the First Responder Network Authority, added a new 5G cell site in Brantley County (GA) as a direct result of state and local public safety feedback, boosting wireless connectivity for first responders on