States face less certainty and clarity about the BEAD program in light of Commerce axing its fiber focus and indicating more rules changes could be forthcoming, according to broadband policy experts. Earlier in the week, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said the agency is launching a review of BEAD rules and dropping its emphasis on fiber (see 2503050067).
X-energy, a closely held nuclear reactor and fuel design engineering company, has joined Incompas to support the group’s work on AI, Incompas said Thursday. “Collaboration is needed to address the energy needs for advanced technologies,” said Incompas CEO Chip Pickering. “A reliable, clean energy supply, leveraging advanced nuclear technologies, such as small modular reactors, promise the enhanced safety, flexibility and reliability to support AI’s growing energy requirements.”
The U.S. shouldn’t rush to adopt comprehensive AI legislation, despite a growing patchwork of state regulations, Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Ted Cruz, R-Texas, told us Wednesday.
Expect big changes to BEAD, with the Donald Trump administration and congressional Republicans rewriting the rules and putting more emphasis on efficient use of funding, tech policy experts said Tuesday at the annual State of the Net conference. Consultant Mike O'Rielly, a former FCC commissioner, said NTIA isn't likely to process any state's final proposals in the near term as it awaits where the administration and Congress take BEAD. States must be flexible and ready to pivot once that new direction becomes clear, he added.
Senate Commerce Committee Democrats are already signaling that they're unlikely to give new NTIA administrator pick Arielle Roth a free pass through her confirmation process, particularly given their amplified doubts about how the agency-administered, $42.5 billion BEAD program will fare under Howard Lutnick, the commerce secretary nominee (see 2501290047). Several Senate Commerce Democrats are likely to vote against Lutnick at a Wednesday panel meeting, but lobbyists told us he is all but certain to advance to the floor with unified GOP support.
Incompas elects to board through 2026: For small companies, Gary Watts, Fuse.Cloud; Tom Spackman, Gigabit Fiber; Daniel Friesen, IdeaTek Telecom; Brian Worthen, Mammoth Networks; Elise Brentnall, South Valley Internet; for medium companies, Chris Champion, C Spire; Jill Sandford, FirstLight Fiber; Jon Clopton, Sinch; Ronald Mudry, Uniti Group; for large companies: Jeff Blum, EchoStar; Michael Galvin, Granite Telecommunications; Paula Boyd, Microsoft … MPA hires Josh Rubin, ex-National Security Council, as senior vice president-global strategy and chief of staff, effective Feb. 28, assuming some duties of Urmila Venugopalan, who's advanced to president and managing director-Asia Pacific region ... Associated Press promotes Michael Giarrusso to vice president-news strategy, new post.
FCC Chairman Brendan Carr promotes Jacob Lewis to acting general counsel, replacing Michelle Ellison; Patrick Webre to acting chief, Enforcement Bureau, replacing Peter Hyun; Eduard Bartholme to acting chief, Consumer & Governmental Affairs Bureau, replacing Alejandro Roark; Erin Boone to acting chief, Media Bureau, replacing Holly Saurer. Carr moves Joel Taubenblatt to acting chief, Wireless Bureau; Trent Harkrader to acting chief, Wireline Bureau; Debra Jordan to acting chief, Public Safety Bureau.
Incoming President Donald Trump said Friday he has tapped former Special Assistant to the President-Technology, Telecommunications and Cybersecurity Policy Robin Colwell as National Economic Council deputy director. Meanwhile, additional communications industry entities hailed Thursday night and Friday Trump’s choice of Senate Armed Services Committee Republican staffer Olivia Trusty as his intended nominee for the FCC seat that then-Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel planned to vacate Monday (see 2501160077).
President Joe Biden on Tuesday signed an executive order aimed at fast-tracking the buildout of large-scale AI infrastructure in the U.S. Meanwhile, during an Analysys Mason webinar, industry officials said the telecom industry remains in the very early stages of figuring out how it will use AI.
The FCC tightened filing requirements for the Robocall Mitigation Database “to better ensure widespread compliance and heightened awareness of provider responsibilities to protect consumers,” said a news release and order Wednesday. “We are tightening our rules to ensure voice service providers know their responsibilities and help stop junk robocalls,” said FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel. The database’s “continued effectiveness relies on information submitted by providers being complete, accurate, and up to date,” the order said. “Yet a review of filings in the Database indicates a lack of thoroughness and diligence by some providers and, in some cases, malfeasance by bad actors.” The new rules include a $100 filing fee, requirements that providers promptly update the database with changes, higher forfeitures for false or inaccurate information, an annual recertification requirement, and a two-factor authentication process for logging into the database. Incompas, NCTA and others had objected to the filing fees and higher penalties for inaccurate submissions (see 2410160037). “Through these actions, we strengthen the Robocall Mitigation Database as a compliance and consumer protection tool,” the order said. In addition, it directs the Wireline Bureau to “establish a dedicated reporting mechanism to facilitate shared oversight of the database among all stakeholders” and issue additional guidance and best practices for companies that use it.