Telecom Alert: FCC Commissioner Vote; FCC April Open Meeting Agenda; BEAD Final Proposal Deadline Extension; Broadcast Station Rule Updates; Domestic Violence Hotline Deadline [Volume XXII, Issue 17]
Senate Slated to Vote on FCC Commissioner Nomination
On April 30th, the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee will vote on the nomination of Olivia Trusty as FCC Commissioner. Trusty previously testified before the Commerce Committee earlier in the month, during which she received questions on the future of the Universal Service Fund, the availability of national mid-band spectrum, and public-private partnerships, as well as the Administrations’ calls for heightened enforcement against national broadcasters. The Committee’s affirmative vote would send Trusty’s nomination to the full Senate and require Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) to schedule a floor vote, potentially before the Memorial Day Recess on May 23rd, 2025. For more information, please contact Wes Wright (wright@khlaw.com; 202.434.4239) or Tim Doughty (doughty@khlaw.com; 202-434-4271).
FCC to Consider Satellite Spectrum Sharing, 37 GHz, TRACED Act, and Foreign Ownership Items at April Open Meeting
On April 28, the FCC will hold its monthly Open Meeting beginning at 10:30 AM ET. The confirmed agenda includes consideration of a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) for updating spectrum sharing regulations between geostationary and non-geostationary satellite systems, a proposal for new licensing frameworks for the lower 37 GHz Band, and proposals for non-IP caller ID authentication frameworks under the TRACED Act. Additionally, the Commission will focus on codifying longstanding practices relating to the disclosure of foreign ownership under Section 310(b), in light of recent cyberattacks and congressional calls for expanded national security protections. For more information, please contact Wes Wright (wright@khlaw.com; 202.434.4239) or Tim Doughty (doughty@khlaw.com; 202-434-4271).
NTIA Grants Extension for BEAD Final Proposal Deadline
The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) issued a notice of programmatic waiver providing states with an additional 90 days to submit their Broadband Equity, Access and Development (BEAD) Program final proposals. Originally, the NTIA had set a deadline of 365 days from the approval of each entity’s initial proposal, which is now extended to 455 days. In issuing the extension, the NTIA cited the need to provide states with additional time to implement changes stemming from ongoing reviews of the BEAD program conducted by the Commerce Department. For more information, please contact Casey Lide (lide@khlaw.com; 202.434.4186) or Sean Stokes (stokes@khlaw.com; 410.458.1342).
FCC Receives Comments on Broadcast Station Rules Update
Last December, the FCC adopted a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) which sought comment on updates to the application and filing procedures for broadcast radio and television stations, particularly mutually exclusive (MX) noncommercial education (NCE) stations and low power FM (LPFM) stations. In its NPRM, the FCC proposes administrative and technical updates for AM and FM stations and seeks to remove unnecessary restrictions on renewal requests for Special Temporary Authorizations and other applications. During the comment period, which concluded on April 23, the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) took issue with the proposed modifications to the local notice requirement, in which the FCC seeks to codify specific documents as acceptable to trigger the notice obligation. The NAB stated that this revision goes against the purpose of the proceedings in creating efficient processes and increasing public input, and argued the FCC should eliminate the notice obligation entirely. For more information, please contact Casey Lide (lide@khlaw.com; 202.434.4186) or Sean Stokes (stokes@khlaw.com; 410.458.1342).
FCC Extends Domestic Violence Hotline Compliance Deadline
The Wireline Competition Bureau announced they are postponing the August 20, 2025 deadline for service providers to comply with new requirements protecting the privacy of calls and text messages made to domestic violence hotlines. The Bureau cited the need for more time and resources to implement and effectively manage the hotline database, which houses a directory of domestic violence hotlines and identifies the types of calls and text messages warranting protection. While a new deadline will be announced no later than six months from this announcement, small service providers must comply with the new requirements by February 20, 2026. For more information, please contact Wes Wright (wright@khlaw.com; 202.434.4239) or Tim Doughty (doughty@khlaw.com; 202-434-4271).
To sign up for our weekly alert, please send us an email at telecomalert@khlaw.com and provide us with your name and email.