Intelligent Telecom Data Solutions
In oral arguments held on March 26, 2024, most justices at the U.S. Supreme Court appeared sympathetic to the FCC’s argument that the federal universal service fund (USF) is a lawful mechanism for ensuring equitable telecommunications services to low-income and rural areas. Moreover, the justices also seemed supportive of the agency’s delegating of authority to the […]
On March 20, 2025, the FCC released a series of orders eliminating several unnecessary rules to enable carriers to more easily retire their antiquated copper networks and replace these networks with modern broadband. As FCC Chairman Brendan Carr notes, Outdated FCC rules have left Americans sitting in the slow lane for far too long. Those […]
Next Generation 911 (NG911) service has largely replaced legacy 911-time division multiplexing technology nationwide. It utilizes Internet Protocol (IP) technology to support new 911 capabilities, including using text, video, and data. However, the FCC is concerned that for NG911 service to be fully effective, all network components need to be reliable and there must be complete interoperability […]
The FCC is poised to use its February 27, 2025, meeting to address one of the most annoying aspects of owning a mobile phone, the loud screech of an emergency alert. Yes, these alerts are important, but people are opting out from receiving them because they are loud and distracting, especially while driving. To address […]
On February 6, 2025, the FCC released its Eighth Report and Order (Order) in Docket 17-79 in its latest attempt to stop the never-ending scourge of illegal robocalls. According to the Commission, one industry expert estimates “that the average U.S. consumer receives 13 spam or fraud calls per month. These illegal calls are not just […]
In December, US officials claimed that hackers linked to the Chinese government breached security at nine major telecommunications companies, including AT&T and Verizon and some US agencies including the Department of the Treasury. Apparently, the hackers were able to access employee workstations and some unclassified documents. Officials said that this series of attacks began in […]
To the surprise of almost no one in the telecommunications industry, on January 2, 2025, the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals in Cincinnati released an Opinion in Docket 24-52, rejecting the FCC’s Safeguarding and Securing the Open Internet Order and ending Net Neutrality in the short term and probably for all time. While the […]
The FCC ended 2024 with a potentially significant decision to grant AT&T permission to replace its traditional copper home phone lines with a new wireless landline technology called AT&T Phone-Advanced (AP-A) for 52 customers in nine small service areas in Oklahoma. While the number of customers is small, this represents a significant step forward for […]
In June the Fifth Circuit Court found that the Universal Service Fund was unconstitutional because the FCC does not administer the Fund itself but instead turns it over to the Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC). According to the Court, USAC includes members with an incentive to keep the Fund growing and therefore, was illegal. Since […]
The battle to stop illegal robocalls is never-ending. The FCC’s latest missive is its Eighth Report and Order (Order), issued in Docket 17-97 on November 22, 2024, which sets rules for carriers who rely on third parties for their Stir/Shaken call authentication obligations. The STIR/SHAKEN caller ID framework allows service providers to verify that the […]