Welcome to our monthly update on significant FCC actions and filing deadlines. The FCC continues to repeal outdated rules and adopt new rules to streamline its regulatory processes and protect national security by limiting participation of foreign adversaries in the U.S. market. New and proposed rules may significantly affect your business. Please let us know if you want additional details about compliance requirements or would like to file comments on proposed rules to protect and promote your company’s interests.

Latest Signals from the FCC

FCC August 7, 2025 Open Meeting

The following items were approved at the August Open Commission Meeting:

Revamping NEPA Review to Accelerate Infrastructure Deployment – This Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) aims to overhaul the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process to accelerate permitting and high-speed infrastructure builds. The proposed changes would streamline reviews for wireless and broadband infrastructure projects, reducing delays and aligning FCC rules with updated federal requirements. Comments are due September 18, 2025; reply comments are due October 3, 2025.

Streamlining Space Bureau Reviews – This Report and Order focuses on streamlining space licensing rules.The reforms simplify and expedite application processes for space and earth stations, allow operators to modify licenses more easily, and eliminate outdated requirements. These changes are designed to boost innovation in the growing U.S. space economy by reducing regulatory delays and costs. The rules take effect on September 26, 2025, except for amendments related to the contents of earth station license applications, modifications to earth station licenses that do not require prior authorization, and the availability of special temporary access for non-U.S.-licensed space stations.

Accelerating Buildout of Secure Undersea Cable Infrastructure – This Report and Order adopts rules to modernize submarine cable regulations to speed deployment of high-speed undersea cable infrastructure while preventing national security risks by adopting a presumption of denial for certain foreign adversary-controlled license applicants and establishing limitations on leasing capacity to such entities, the reforms reduce administrative delays and simplify the application process to support critical international data transmission networks. The NPRM portion of this document seeks comment on additional measures to protect submarine cables against foreign adversary equipment and services and promote the use of trusted technology. Comments are due 30 days after publication in the Federal Register.

Examining the Nation’s Alerting Systems – This NPRM initiates a comprehensive, ground-up evaluation of the nation’s alerting systems, including the Emergency Alert System (EAS) and Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA). The FCC seeks comments on the goals for the alerting systems, whether these goals are being met, and the steps needed to modernize the alerting systems to ensure that the public’s needs are met in an evolving technological landscape. Comments are due September 25, 2025; reply comments are due October 10, 2025.  

Deleting 98 Obsolete Broadcast Rules and Requirements – This Direct Final Rule eliminates 98 outdated or unnecessary FCC broadcast regulations under the “Delete, Delete, Delete” initiative. Effective October 20, 2025, unless significant adverse comments are received by September 9, 2025.

The following items were adopted prior to the August Open Meeting and removed from the meeting agenda: 

Evaluating the Deployment of Advanced Telecommunications – Through this Notice of Inquiry, the Commission initiated its annual evaluation of whether advanced telecommunications capabilities are being deployed to all Americans in a reasonable and timely manner, as mandated by section 706 of the Telecommunications Act of 1996. The inquiry seeks public input on current deployment status, challenges faced by providers and consumers, and potential policy measures to accelerate infrastructure expansion. Comments were due September 8, 2025; reply comments are due September 23, 2025. 

Modernizing the Disaster Information Reporting System (DIRS) – Through this NPRM, the FCC looks to modernize the Disaster Information Reporting System (DIRS) with the goal of reducing reporting burdens on communication providers during disasters. The FCC proposes rules to streamline reporting processes so providers can receive useful disaster information while not imposing unreasonable administrative burdens on stakeholders. Comments are due October 2, 2025; reply comments are due November 3, 2025.  

Addressing Business Data Services Pricing Regulations – This NPRM looks to eliminate rate regulation and tariffing obligations for legacy circuit-based business data services provided by incumbent local exchange carriers (ILECs). This change represents a major update to existing regulations, aiming to reflect current market and technological realities while easing regulatory burdens on providers. The proposals are designed to encourage a more competitive market environment by removing outdated pricing controls. Comments are due October 6, 2025; reply comments are due October 20, 2025. 

September Filing Requirements

FCC Annual Regulatory Fees:

• Who: Broadcast licensees, wireless licensees, wireline and VoIP providers, satellite and earth station operations, and international services.
• What: Regulatory fees must be paid for authorizations that were granted on or before October 1, 2024. There is a 25% late payment penalty. 
• When: September 25, 2025.
• How: All regulatory fee payors must use CORES.  

FCC and Telecom: Next Transmissions

On September 30, the Commission will tentatively consider the following items at its Open Meeting: 

Accelerating Wireline Infrastructure Buildout – The Commission will consider a Notice of Inquiry to assess whether state and local laws, regulations, or other legal requirements have an unlawful prohibitive effect on the provision of wireline telecommunications services, particularly through the imposition of excessive delays and fees that obstruct infrastructure buildouts and discourage investment.

Freeing Wireless Infrastructure from Unlawful Regulatory Burdens – The Commission will consider an NPRM as part of its Build America Agenda to seek comment on potential reforms that would eliminate unlawful state and local regulatory burdens on towers and other wireless infrastructure. 

Phone Jamming Solutions in Non-Federal Correctional Facilities – The Commission will consider an NPRM to seek comment on removing regulatory obstacles to deployment and effectiveness of existing and emerging technologies designed to block or manage contraband wireless device use in correctional facilities. 

Modernizing Broadcast Ownership Rules – The Commission will consider an NPRM as part of its quadrennial review to seek public comment on whether its broadcast ownership rules should be retained, revised, or repealed, given the state of today’s media marketplace. 

Deleting Obsolete and Duplicative Wireline Rules – As part of the Delete, Delete, Delete proceeding, the Commission will consider a Direct Final Rule to remove nearly 400 wireline-related rules that are outdated, duplicative, or no longer in use. These rules pertain to a wide variety of now-defunct topics, including regulatory reporting requirements, distinctions between wireline carriers that are no longer applied, technology that has been eclipsed, and dates pertaining to pricing, universal service, pilot programs, and equipment requirements that have long passed. 

Navigating the FCC’s rules and latest moves? Dial into our expertise and let’s discuss your next steps.