Major Telecom Trade Groups to Supreme Court: FCC Can’t Fine Us

WASHINGTON, Feb. 27, 2026 – Major telecom trade groups are urging the Supreme Court to find that the industry’s main federal regulator can’t issue fines for violations of its rules.

CTIA, NCTA, and USTelecom submitted a joint filing with the high court Wednesday arguing the Federal Communications Commission’s process for fining companies, as outlined in the Communications Act, was unconstitutional. 

They, and the major wireless carriers who were fined in 2024, pointed to the Supreme Court’s 2024 decision in SEC v. Jarkesy, which found that under the U.S. Constitution, companies need the option of a jury trial before paying fines.