FCC rolls out a $9 billion fund for rural 5G connectivity

The FCC is creating a $9 billion 5G Fund to support rural high-speed connectivity. The funding is intended to help carriers deploy 5G in hard-to-serve areas, those that are sparsely populated and/or have rugged terrain. At least $1 billion will be re...

US Senators ask the FCC to review licenses with China-owned telecoms

Two US Senators want the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to review whether two Chinese state-owned telecoms should be permitted to operate in the US. In a letter to the FCC, Democratic leader Senator Chuck Schumer (D-New York) and Senator Tom...

FCC approves Nexstar’s $6.4 billion acquisition of Tribune Media

The long, drawn out saga over Tribune Media Company's fate could soon come to an end. Today, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) approved the sale of Tribune to Nexstar Media Group. The $6.4 billion deal will create the nation's largest local...

FCC wants to fine CBS for using fake emergency alert in ‘Young Sheldon’

The Federal Communications Commission is cracking down on the use of emergency alerts unless there's a legitimate crisis. Its latest target is a Young Sheldon episode broadcast in April 2018. CBS said "sound producers modified a version of the EAS [e...

FCC proposes ‘988’ for quick access to national suicide prevention line

The FCC wants accessing a national suicide prevention line to be as simple as dialing 988. In a report sent to Congress today, staff members recommend that the FCC designate 988 as the 3-digit dialing code for a nationwide suicide prevention and ment...

FCC chairman Ajit Pai endorses T-Mobile / Sprint merger

The proposed merger of Sprint and T-Mobile is inching ever closer to being complete, after the Department of Justice gave its conditional endorsement last month. Now, Federal Communications Commission chairman Ajit Pai is formally recommending that t...

FCC approves another $137 million to expand rural broadband access

The Federal Communications Commission has approved another $121 million in funding to bring broadband access to rural homes and businesses. It's the fourth round of support following last year's Connect America Fund Phase II reverse auction. The fund...

Elizabeth Warren reveals $85 billion rural broadband plan

Millions of Americans don't have access to high-speed internet connections and despite efforts to bolster rural broadband, there's still a lot of work to be done. Presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren has the issue in mind, and she revealed a propo...

FCC bans spoofed text messages and international robocalls

This week the FCC voted to approve rules that ban spoofing text messages and international robocalls. The new rules close long-standing loopholes in the Truth in Caller ID Act, which banned spoofing domestic calls but made it hard for the FCC to comb...

FCC Chairman wants to ban caller ID spoofing for text messages

FCC Chairman Ajit Pai is advancing the war against robocalls. Today, he proposed adopting rules that would ban caller ID spoofing of text messages and robocalls originating outside of the US. More than 40 state attorney generals have urged the FCC to...