FCC’s $398 Million Budget Request May Cut 110 Jobs
Despite a budget decrease in FY 2027, the agency is focused on AI and spectrum auctions as priorities
WASHINGTON, April 6, 2026 – The country’s communications regulator plans to do some belt tightening.
The Federal Communications Commission has requested $398 million in budget authority for fiscal year 2027, which is 4.3 percent less than last year and would lead to the suspension of 110 jobs.
On Friday, President Donald Trump proposed Congress decrease annual funding for the FCC in fiscal year 2027, which begins Oct. 1. If approved by lawmakers, the 4.3 percent decrease would represent $17.77 million less than its current $416 million budget in the current year.
The largest cut would be at almost 4 percent, or nearly $2.6 million, to the FCC’s Office of Inspector General, which the office will adapt to by “delayed hiring, process improvements, operational efficiencies, technology enhancements, and non-salary level reductions,” the budget said.
In the FCC’s budget justification, it estimated that the 110 dismissed jobs would affect almost all bureaus and offices, including 14 lost positions in the Office of Managing Director and 13 lost positions in the Enforcement Bureau. The budget indicated that the total staff would fall from 1,404 to 1,294, with cuts driven largely by attrition, early retirements, and hiring slowdowns.
The FCC is also seeking $15 million to integrate artificial intelligence into its operations, decision-making, cybersecurity defenses, and engagement with the public. This would be a major one-time investment for AI adoption, which FCC Chairman Brendan Carr has championed through emphasizing AI growth and modernization during his time leading the commission.
The budget also highlighted the FCC’s spectrum auctions program as a lucrative operation, generating more than $233.5 billion in revenue since its inception while costing less than $2.8 billion to administer. The FCC proposed that it would maintain the program’s funding at $132.7 million for fiscal year 2027, unchanged from the previous year.
Trump proposes claw back of Digital Equity Program
The Trump administration is also proposing Congress cancel the remaining funding for the Digital Equity Act program, which was instituted by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021. Overseen by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, the Digital Equity Program would lose more than $2 billion over Trump’s proposed cancellation.
The National Digital Inclusion Alliance (NDIA), which won funding under the program, sued over Trump’s cancellation. However, the NDIA has recently asked to pause the case until another related lawsuit against Trump is decided.
These court cases will not matter if Congress follows Trump’s proposal, as it would have to claw back the remaining Digital Equity Program funds itself.
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