People
Tower, Fiber Trade Groups Back Thumann Severs for FCC
The Congressional Hispanic Caucus said the Senate shouldn’t move forward without a Democratic pairing
Congress
House Commerce Panel to Markup Six Telecom Bills
Bills include the PLAN for Broadband Act and SAT Streamlining Act
permitting
With House Effort Stalled, NCTA Presses Senate on Broadband Permitting
Cable group asks Senate committee leaders to include broadband reforms in any permitting package.
People
White House Nominates Danielle Thumann for FCC Spot
A senior attorney in FCC Chairman Brendan Carr’s office, she would give Republicans a 3-1 majority at the agency
Congress
Senate Commerce Advances Kids’ Online Safety Bills
From chatbots to connected toys, senators push new guardrails for kids online
Congress
Democratic Senators Oppose ‘Weak’ House Kids Online Safety Act
Blumenthal, Cantwall argue House Republicans diluted the bill under pressure from big tech.
Public Safety
Public Safety Groups Want Senate to ‘Give Serious Consideration’ to House FirstNet Reauthorization Bill
The Fraternal Order of Police is still opposed and sent its own draft language to Senate Commerce
Congress
Senators Affirm Need For U.S. Dominance In Space Exploration
The Artemis II mission is just the start, senators say.
Expert Opinion
Daniel Suhr: Broadcast License Revocation Fact Check
Historical FCC precedent includes cases where station owners lost their broadcast licenses for deliberately skewing news coverage toward favored political candidates.
Satellite
Amazon LEO Asks FCC to Deny SpaceX’s Spaced-Based Data Center Proposal
SpaceX has been researching the feasibility of space-based data centers.
Satellite
Compromise Amendment Allows Satellite Bill to Clear Senate Committee
Concerns raised at the Feb. 3 markup hearing led to additional discussions and an agreement that moved the bill out of committee.
AT&T
Cantwell Says AT&T, Verizon Blocked Salt Typhoon Inquiry
She called for a hearing with the companies’ CEOs.
Chips
Lawmakers Urge Faster Tech Investment as U.S. Competes With China
U.S. lawmakers warned that delays in regulation, infrastructure, and research funding weaken American leadership.
AI
Senate Commerce Committee United in Support of Limiting Kids’ Screen Time
Still, the E-Rate program got caught in partisan crossfire, as some senators said the program led to unsupervised connectivity in schools.
Spectrum
FCC Must Prioritize Public Interest in Future Spectrum Auctions, Senators Say
Sen. Schumer and colleagues push FCC to put consumer protections first in upcoming allocations
Free Speech
Senators Press FCC Chair for First Time Since Kimmel Controversy
Senators confront Carr on broadcast influence, consolidation, and FCC independence
