The Telephone Consumer Protection Act of 1991 (TCPA) restricts many types of calls to residential and wireless telephone numbers if they are made without the prior express consent of the called party or a statutory exemption...more
Spectrum management in the United States is a hydra-headed challenge — there are technical, policy, political and financial dimensions to the ongoing process of identifying spectrum bands where spectrum can be reallocated or...more
After years of discussion and planning, the FCC’s Reassigned Numbers Database opened for commercial use on November 1, 2021. Now business callers can register for a paid subscription with the FCC’s designated Administrator,...more
During his presidential campaign, President Biden committed “to build back better in rural America” by “expand[ing] broadband, or wireless broadband via 5G, to every American.” Last month, President Biden renewed his focus on...more
10/8/2021
/ 5G Network ,
Biden Administration ,
Broadband ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Executive Orders ,
FCC ,
National Security ,
Popular ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
Telecommunications ,
Wireless Industry ,
Wireless Technology
Some welcome the New Year with new goals and new plans while others – the FCC, in particular, welcomes the New Year by wrapping up TCPA rulemakings and issuing other rulings. As expected, a number of TRACED Act items were...more
On April 20, 2020, commissioners of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) voted unanimously to approve a long pending and controversial application by Ligado Networks to repurpose parts of the L-band (1-2 GHz) to...more
A federal interagency group commonly referred to as “Team Telecom” has been operating largely behind the scenes for years, advising the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) on the FCC’s review of the national security...more
On March 12, 2020, the Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Act entered into force. This legislation is expected to make permanent the Federal Communication Commission’s (FCC’s) ban on the use of Universal Service Fund...more
As previously reported, the FCC’s ban of Huawei and ZTE equipment and services from projects subsidized by the FCC’s Universal Service Fund (USF) became effective on January 3, 2020, following the publication of its December...more
As predicted, amendments to the TCPA – in the form of the Pallone-Thune Telephone Robocall Abuse Criminal Enforcement and Deterrence Act (the “TRACED Act”) – were signed into law by the President of the United States on...more
1/7/2020
/ Amended Legislation ,
Auto-Dialed Calls ,
Criminal Prosecution ,
FCC ,
Law Enforcement ,
New Legislation ,
Robocalling ,
Spoofing ,
TCPA ,
Telecommunications ,
Telemarketing
Senate Bill 151, now called “the Pallone-Thune Telephone Robocall Abuse Criminal Enforcement and Deterrence Act” (the “TRACED Act”), has been reconciled with the House of Representatives’ bipartisan bill House Bill 3375 and...more
On November 26, 2019, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) voted unanimously to ban Huawei Technologies Company and ZTE Corporation equipment and services from all projects subsidized by funding from the FCC’s...more
12/5/2019
/ China ,
FCC ,
Foreign Policy ,
Huawei ,
Information Technology ,
National Security ,
Prohibited Transactions ,
Supply Chain ,
Technology Sector ,
Telecommunications ,
Universal Service Fund ,
ZTE
As we previously discussed, the need for clarification as to the TCPA’s treatment of outbound calls made using soundboard technology (“soundboard calls”) is particularly manifest in light of two pending petitions before the...more
11/25/2019
/ Auto-Dialed Calls ,
Class Certification ,
Class Members ,
Declaratory Rulings ,
FCC ,
Prior Express Consent ,
Robocalling ,
Statutory Violations ,
Summary Judgment ,
TCPA ,
Telecommunications ,
Telemarketing
The 2016 amendments to the TCPA—which created an exemption for calls that are made “solely to collect a debt owed to or guaranteed by the United States”—have inadvertently reshaped the way that TCPA claims are litigated....more
10/18/2019
/ Auto-Dialed Calls ,
Debt Collection ,
Exemptions ,
FCC ,
Financial Services Industry ,
First Amendment ,
Petition for Writ of Certiorari ,
Proposed Rules ,
Robocalling ,
TCPA ,
Telecommunications
The FCC’s TCPA docket now has two pending petitions for declaratory ruling on the question as to whether outbound telemarketing calls made through soundboard technology are prohibited communications if made without prior...more
On June 24, 2019, the FCC’s adopted Declaratory Ruling and Third Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (“Third FNPRM”) was published in the Federal Register, triggering the commenting period deadlines...more
While the FCC has a record open to adopt guidance and a new definition for what it considers as an “automatic telephone dialing system” (ATDS) and related TCPA matters, there appears to be growing consensus on “Robocall”...more
6/24/2019
/ Auto-Dialed Calls ,
Bad Actors ,
Do Not Call List ,
Enforcement Actions ,
FCC ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Robocalling ,
Safe Harbors ,
TCPA ,
Telecommunications
By directing voice service providers to deal with “unwanted calls” as part of its anti-robocall policies, the FCC seems to have moved well beyond addressing “illegal and spoofed robocalls.” The text of the FCC’s new “Call...more
6/12/2019
/ Algorithms ,
Call Blocking ,
Declaratory Rulings ,
FCC ,
Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NOPR) ,
Opt-Outs ,
Robocalling ,
Safe Harbors ,
Spoofing ,
Telecommunications ,
Telephone Service Providers
Voice service providers soon may dictate which calls will reach you. The FCC honed in on “unwanted calls” when it voted at its Open Meeting yesterday to adopt a Declaratory Ruling and Third Further Proposed Rulemaking (the...more
6/7/2019
/ Auto-Dialed Calls ,
Call Blocking ,
Declaratory Rulings ,
FCC ,
Opt-Outs ,
Robocalling ,
Rulemaking Process ,
Spoofing ,
TCPA ,
Telecommunications ,
Telephone Service Providers
On May 15, 2019, President Trump issued an Executive Order (EO), “Securing the Information and Communications Technology and Services Supply Chain.” The EO directs the U.S. Department of Commerce to lead an interagency effort...more
5/16/2019
/ China ,
Economic Sanctions ,
Executive Orders ,
Export Administration Regulations (EAR) ,
Foreign Adversaries ,
Huawei ,
International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) ,
Licensing Rules ,
National Security ,
Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) ,
Prohibited Transactions ,
Supply Chain ,
Telecommunications ,
Trump Administration ,
U.S. Commerce Department