Apollo’s purchase of Lumen’s ILEC assets is likely to close without any major conditions from the FCC, experts said in recent interviews (see 2108030077). Both companies said they expect the $7.5 billion deal to close in the second half of 2022.

The FCC is addressing questions raised last month in a letter from Senate Consumer Protection Subcommittee Chairman Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut and other Democrats on Verizon’s proposed buy of Tracfone (see 2107210054), acting Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel responded, in letters posted Thursday. “Our public interest analysis takes several factors into account, including issues raised in your letter like the impact on consumers and competition,” Rosenworcel said. “We determine if we can appropriately remedy any harms that may arise from the transaction, and also review any benefits that the transaction may confer for consumers and the communications marketplace.” She said she couldn’t comment on the merits of the proceeding.

Aviation and aerospace industry representatives raised concerns on interference risks to low-range radar altimeters posed by mobile C-band use, in calls with aides to FCC commissioners. Industry “has been diligently examining the mitigations it or the FAA can initiate without the Commission or the 3.7 GHz Band flexible use licensees assuming an active role,” said filings posted Monday in docket 18-122. “Adding band pass filters to certified aircraft in a timely fashion -- before 3.7 GHz Band deployments start operating in major markets -- is a practical impossibility and fails to offer a comprehensive solution to mitigate the risks of interference to radio altimeters,” the filings said. The Aerospace Industries Association, the Aerospace Vehicle Systems Institute, the Airborne Public Safety Association, Airbus, American Airlines, the Air Line Pilots Association, Boeing, the General Aviation Manufacturers Association, Garmin International, Honeywell International, the International Air Transport Association and Lockheed Martin were among those represented on the calls to aides to acting Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel and Commissioners Geoffrey Starks and Nathan Simington.

An AT&T representative urged the FCC to consider 6 GHz interference concerns raised by Southern Co. (see 2106240075), in a call with an aide to acting FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel. The FCC allowed the use of low-power indoor devices without automated frequency coordination based on “theoretical studies by some proponents for unlicensed use that purported to show that such use would be unlikely to cause harmful interference to microwave incumbents,” said a filing posted Monday in docket 18-295. Southern provided “data from real-world tests of commercial, off-the-shelf 6 GHz unlicensed devices and an actual operating microwave link, and the data show harmful interference to primary, incumbent microwave licensees is inevitable,” AT&T said.

Congressional Democrats are considering how to attach additional broadband money to a coming budget reconciliation package (see 2108100062) without violating the agreement a bipartisan group of senators struck on spending for what became the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. The Senate-passed HR-3684 includes $65 billion for broadband. Republicans and some observers caution attempts to include connectivity money this year beyond what was in the bipartisan infrastructure package could backfire.

The FCC’s rules for foreign-sponsored content are outside the agency’s authority and violate the Administrative Procedure Act, said a petition for review filed Friday in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit by NAB, the National Association of Black Owned Broadcasters, and the Multicultural Media, Telecom and Internet Council. Provisions in the rules that require broadcasters to investigate any entity leasing airtime are “overbroad,” said NABOB President James Winston in an interview (see 2104220074). “Broadcasters strongly oppose foreign interference in American elections, but the Commission’s order fails to even address this core objective,” the groups said in a joint news release.

In the Aug. 4 Customs Bulletin (Vol. 55, No. 30), CBP published a proposal to revoke rulings on refrigerator gaskets and costume accessory sets.

The U.S. District Court for the District of Connecticut denied Arif Durrani's "frivolous" motion to vacate his 34-year-old conviction and sentence, in an Aug. 3 order. Durrani was convicted in 1987 of violating the Arms Export Control Act by shipping Hawk missile parts to Iran without a license. The issues raised in his September 2020 motion to vacate "have been exhaustively addressed -- and rejected -- in prior motions brought by Durrani," the court said. Durrani also has served his prison sentence. "Moreover, as the government notes, to the extent Durrani’s petition is construed as one under 28 U.S.C. § 2255, it necessarily fails because Durrani is no longer 'in custody' as required under the statute," the order said (Arif Durrani v. United States, D. Conn. #20-01373).

The U.S. District Court for the District of Connecticut denied Arif Durrani's "frivolous" motion to vacate his 34-year-old conviction and sentence, in an Aug. 3 order. Durrani was convicted in 1987 of violating the Arms Export Control Act by shipping Hawk missile parts to Iran without a license. The issues raised in his September 2020 motion to vacate "have been exhaustively addressed -- and rejected -- in prior motions brought by Durrani," the court said. Durrani also has served his prison sentence. "Moreover, as the government notes, to the extent Durrani’s petition is construed as one under 28 U.S.C. § 2255, it necessarily fails because Durrani is no longer 'in custody' as required under the statute," the order said (Arif Durrani v. United States, D. Conn. #20-01373).

The FCC acknowledges the National Environmental Policy Act requires an environmental assessment of an authorization that could have significant environmental impact, but it inexplicably didn't require an EA for SpaceX's license modification plans despite the ozone damage, light pollution and orbital debris risks posed, Viasat and Balance Group told the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit in a brief Friday. They and Dish Network are appealing the agency's April license modification OK (see 2104260077). The order shouldn't have relied on uncertainty to refuse further assessment and gave no adequate reasoning, the appellants said in a docket 21-1123 brief (in Pacer). Appellant Dish Network, in a separate brief (in Pacer), said the FCC "refused to consider" Dish's showing that SpaceX would exceed power limits and jam Dish's direct broadcast satellite service. "It appears that none of the Commission’s engineering expertise was marshaled to analyze the interference concerns raised," Dish said, urging the court to vacate the FCC order authorizing SpaceX use of the 12 GHz band. The FCC didn't comment. Many think the license mod appeal is unlikely to succeed (see 2106020036).