Newsletter May 30, 2025

Wireless Roundup (June 2025)

May 30, 2025

Key Wireless Deadlines
Upcoming Meetings and Events
Cyber Corner
Did You Know?
Recent Wiley Client Alerts, IoT Blog Posts, and Podcasts

Key Wireless Deadlines

FCC Seeks Comment on Wireless 911 Location Accuracy Rules: In this Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (FNPRM), the Federal Communications Commission (FCC or Commission) invites comment on proposed rules designed to strengthen wireless 911 location accuracy requirements and provide greater information to Public Safety Answering Points (PSAP) and first responders. In particular, the FNPRM seeks comment on proposals to require commercial mobile radio service (CMRS) providers to deliver z-axis information to PSAPs in more actionable formats, mechanisms to increase the scope of wireless 911 calls for which CMRS providers provide dispatchable location information, and other proposals for improving location accuracy. Comments are due on June 6. Reply Comments are due on July 7.

Wireless Telecommunication Bureau and Space Bureau Open Inquiries on EchoStar’s Licenses: In a pair of Public Notices (PN), the Space Bureau (SB) and Wireless Telecommunication Bureau (WTB) request feedback on EchoStar’s use of its licenses. The SB PN invites commenters to provide information on EchoStar’s current utilization of its 2 GHz licenses to provide mobile-satellite service (MSS) and whether it might be feasible to permit new MSS entrants in the band. WTB’s PN requests additional comment on a pending Petition for Reconsideration seeking reversal of WTB’s 2024 extension of certain EchoStar licenses’ construction deadlines. Reply Comments for both PNs are due June 6.

FCC Invites Comment on Proposed Changes to Rules Governing the 896-901/935-940 MHz Band: In this Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) and Order the Commission proposes a voluntary, negotiation-based process to transition the entire ten megahertz in the 900 MHz band for broadband use in counties where applicants and licensees reach private agreements to do so. The NPRM invites specific comment on where the current band rules, such as eligibility criteria, application requirements and procedures, licensing, and operating rules, as well as the band’s technical requirements, are appropriate to facilitate the proposed broadband licensing framework. Reply Comments are due on June 16.

FCC Seeks Comment on Covered List Expansion Related to Connected Vehicle Technologies: The FCC’s Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau and Office of Technology issued a PN seeking comment on whether it should add to certain automated driving systems, completed connected vehicles, and vehicle connectivity systems to the FCC Covered List in light of BIS's January decision to restrict transactions involving connected vehicle hardware and software provided by PRC and Russia controlled entities. Comments are due June 9. For more information about the BIS rule that prompted the PN, see Wiley’s client alert here.

Legislative Update

On May 22, 2025, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a budget reconciliation bill, the "One Big Beautiful Bill Act," by a vote of 215 to 214. The language in the communications section of the bill reauthorized the FCC's spectrum auction authority until the end of FY 2034 and directs NTIA and the FCC to find 600 megahertz of spectrum to be auctioned within the next nine years. The text also directs the FCC and NTIA to identify spectrum in the band of frequencies between 1.3 GHz and 10 GHz, inclusive, excluding the band of frequencies between 3.1 GHz and 3.45 GHz (which Department of Defense [DoD] stakeholders have opposed repurposing), and the band of frequencies between 5.925 GHz and 7.125 GHz.

The bill is now before the Senate, where Commerce Committee Chairman Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) has said he wants to be more precise in choosing which bands should be auctioned. He also expressed concerns about the 3 GHz and 6 GHz carveouts in the House reconciliation bill. Conversely, Subcommittee Chair Sen. Deb Fischer (R-NE) feels the House text does not adequately protect DoD-held spectrum.

We expect the budget reconciliation process to continue to play out over the next several months.

Upcoming Meetings and Events

FCC Open Meeting: The next FCC Open Meeting is scheduled for June 26. Meeting details can be found here. The tentative agenda will be posted approximately three weeks prior to the meeting.

FirstNet Authority Meeting: The FirstNet Authority Board will convene an open public meeting of the Board and Board Committees on June 2. Additional information can be found here.

CSRIC IX Meeting: The Communications Security, Reliability, and Interoperability Council (CSRIC) IX will meet to provide recommendations to the FCC regarding best practices the agency can implement on June 12. Meeting information can be found here.

Cyber Corner

NIST 16th Annual NICE Conference: The National Institute of Standards and Technology’s (NIST) National Initiative for Cybersecurity Education (NICE) will host its 16th Annual Conference and Expo on June 1-3. The agenda and registration information can be found here.

FirstNet and NIST 5x5 Public Safety Innovation Summit: The FirstNet Authority and NIST’s Public Safety Communications Research Division are hosting a three-day Public Safety Innovation Summit to discuss the future of first responder communications on June 3-5. Additional information can be found here.

NIST Seeks Comment on Draft NISTIR 8259 Revision, Workshop Scheduled for June 18: On May 13, NIST released for comment NISTIR 8259, Foundational Cybersecurity Activities for IoT Device Manufacturers. Comments are due July 14. NIST will host a virtual workshop to discuss the proposed revisions on June 18. Registration is required.

Did You Know?

The FCC adopted a “Satellite Spectrum Abundance” NPRM that, in some cases, pivots away from previous proposals to expand terrestrial use. In particular, the NPRM seeks “to explore opportunities to make over 20,000 megahertz of spectrum available for satellite use across four bands.” Comment deadlines have not yet been set.

In comments made at an NTIA Town Hall, as reported by industry press, NTIA has committed to going public with the Spectrum Sprint.

Wiley launched a Trump Administration Resource Center and Resource Guide to track Executive branch priorities during the second Administration of President Trump. With Wiley’s deep-rooted understanding of Washington and today’s evolving regulatory landscape, the Resource Center and Resource Guide provide critical insights, actionable intelligence, practical solutions, and guidance across key industries to help businesses stay ahead of the curve and manage challenges in 2025 and beyond.

Wiley created an AI hub, All Things AI, to showcase thought leadership and insights on AI legal and regulatory matters.

Wiley launched a Federal Infrastructure Resource Center, highlighting the federal government’s initiative to invest in our nation’s infrastructure, including the $42 billion Broadband Equity Access and Deployment (BEAD) Program.

Wiley created a Sanctions and Export Controls Resource Center, which hosts our latest insights related to sanctions, export controls, digital currency, cybersecurity and privacy, and other issues surrounding Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Check out our Consumer Protection Download Newsletter; the latest edition is available here.