Defense Department
FCC Votes to Block Foreign-Controlled ‘Bad Labs’
Also proposed opening 20,000 megahertz of spectrum for space-based internet at May meeting.
Jericho Casper
Assistant Editor Jericho Casper graduated from University of Virginia studying telecommunications policy. She previously served as a research assistant examining state laws that restrict local governments from owning or operating broadband networks.
Free Speech
Lawyers: FTC ‘Censorship’ Inquiry Itself Violates First Amendment
Critics say the agency is acting beyond its authority by probing how platforms police speech.
House Appropriations
Carr Pressed Over FCC’s ‘Speculative’ Savings as No Budget Request Submitted
Lawmakers say only a fraction of Carr’s $567 million in cuts may be realized .
Digital Equity Act
Texas Opens $3.8 Billion Broadband Grant Window
BEAD applications due August 1 in the state that pushed for looser rules.
Funding
Commerce Department to Relaunch Tech Hubs Program
Lutnick slams Biden administration's Tech Hub picks as ‘rushed, unfair.’
FCC
FCC Approves $20 Billion Verizon–Frontier Merger
Democrat Gomez condemned the approval as a 'backroom deal.'
mergers
Verizon Ends DEI Programs as FCC Reviews $9.6B Frontier Deal
FCC Chairman Carr previously warned diversity efforts could jeopardize merger approval.
FCC
White House Pressure on Newsrooms a ‘B.F.D.,’ FCC’s Gomez Warns
Gomez said White House-directed effort to chill speech in newsrooms and online was working.
Justice Department
Fired FTC Officials Warn of ‘Corruption,’ Threat to Independent Agencies
Slaughter, Bedoya head to court May 20.
Congress
House Commerce Advances $88 Billion Spectrum Auction Plan, Turning Back Amendments
Democrats fail in bid to redirect spectrum funds to broadband affordability, 911 infrastructure, or cybersecurity in reconciliation bill.
Commerce
Protesters Disrupt House Markup of Budget Bill Addressing Spectrum, AI
House Energy and Commerce Committee markup stretched late into the evening.
Spectrum
FCC Reviews EchoStar’s 2 GHz Spectrum Rights
Move follows SpaceX's push to open the band to new satellite entrants.
AI
House Commerce Proposes 10-Year Ban on State AI Regulations
Democrats call the provision in reconciliation package a ‘giant gift to Big Tech.’
Virginia
UVA Deploys CBRS Network With Comcast to Boost Cell Coverage
The university’s historic Grounds get wireless upgrade with the help of shared spectrum.
FCC
Simington, Wax Call on Trump to ‘DOGE’ the FCC
The commissioner and his new chief of staff called for slashing subsidies and downsizing staff.
BEAD
Largest Nevada BEAD Awardee Urges NTIA to Break Ground on Broadband Projects
SkyFiber joins growing chorus as BEAD delays stretch into mid-2025
