FCC commissioners moved to assist survivors of domestic violence by approving an NPRM on access to affordable communications services, during the agency's open meeting Thursday (see 2301260050). lt also approved an item seeking comment on ways to further participation among tribal libraries in the E-rate program.

FTC Commissioner Christine Wilson’s resignation “raises significant questions about the agency’s direction and operations,” Senate Commerce Committee ranking member Ted Cruz, R-Texas, told us Wednesday.

The FirstNet Authority Board picked a new CEO to replace Ed Parkinson, who left last year, members said at the board’s quarterly meeting Wednesday (see 2205040047). FirstNet didn't identify the successor to Parkinson, who took the helm in March 2020 and had the role on an acting basis starting in 2018. The new CEO “has been identified and selected, an offer has been accepted,” said FirstNet Chairman Stephen Benjamin and the announcement will come after security and administrative clearances, he said. The quarterly meeting was streamed from Austin.

Satellite use of terrestrial spectrum for direct-to-device service "will be a big tension" at the 2023 World Radiocommunication Conference and a likely subject of a WRC-2027 agenda item, said EchoStar Senior Vice President-Regulatory Affairs Jennifer Manner Wednesday at a Venable panel on space regulation. Panelists said they were fully confident the FCC's reorganization to create a Space Bureau would happen, perhaps within months.

The NARUC board passed telecom resolutions Wednesday on the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF) and extending FCC spectrum auction authority. The RDOF resolution recommends a referral to the Federal-State Joint Board on Universal Service, but that body’s state members told us at NARUC’s meeting this week the joint board hasn’t met in several years. The FCC’s continuing lack of five commissioners could be a big reason, they said.

Fiber has advantages over fixed-wireless access (FWA), which is why fiber is at the start of a boom cycle, said Gary Bolton, president of the Fiber Broadband Association, during an Informa Tech webinar Wednesday. FWA proponents countered it also has advantages and is cheaper and easier to deploy than fiber. The wireless industry is seeking to make FWA a bigger part of the $42 billion broadband, equity, access and deployment (BEAD) program (see 2301230052).

Senate Commerce Aviation Subcommittee Chair Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., criticized the FAA and FCC during a Wednesday hearing about their coordinated work to prevent commercial 5G operations on the C band from interfering with airplanes’ radio altimeters. Duckworth cited a push last week by Airlines for America for the FAA to delay until June 2024 its proposed deadline for passenger and cargo aircraft in the U.S. to have C-band-tolerant radio altimeters or install approved filters. The FAA last month proposed an early 2024 deadline for the tech upgrades (see 2301100060).

Library groups welcomed a draft FCC NPRM on barriers for tribal libraries seeking to participate in the E-rate program. Commissioners will consider the item during their meeting Thursday, after amending the definition of library last year to clarify tribal libraries' eligibility (see 2301260050).

Commissioner Chris Nelson isn’t convinced eligible telecom carrier (ETC) designation is no longer necessary, the South Dakota Republican said at NARUC’s winter conference Tuesday. Telecom association officials on Nelson’s panel said Congress sees that the ETC process has run its course. Nelson and a District of Columbia consumer advocate raised concerns about possible impacts to service quality as telcos abandon state-regulated copper networks.

Snapchat and Instagram are two companies the Senate Judiciary Committee will consider for testimony at an upcoming hearing on children’s online safety, Chairman Dick Durbin, D-Ill., told us Tuesday.