Telecommunications

  • September 04, 2026

    FCC Pays Back $3.08B 'Rip And Replace' Treasury Loan

    After completing a spectrum auction directed by federal law, the Federal Communications Commission said Friday that it has repaid a $3.08 billion loan from the U.S. Treasury that it used to fill a funding gap in the "rip and replace" network security program.

  • September 04, 2026

    Justices Let FCC's New Campaign Ad Rates Take Effect

    The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday cleared the way for the Federal Communications Commission to extend discounted television and radio advertising rates previously reserved for political candidates to political parties and joint fundraising committees that buy spots in coordination with candidates.

  • September 04, 2026

    'Bad Faith' Subpoenas On Apple Execs Spur Fee Sanctions

    A California federal magistrate judge imposed sanctions Thursday on Joseph M. Alioto of Alioto Law Firm for repeatedly trying to depose senior Apple executives, including then-CEO Tim Cook, in an attempt to drag the iPhone-maker back into consumer antitrust litigation accusing Google of shutting out rival search engines.

  • September 04, 2026

    Dems Ask Justices To Deny Stay In Campaign Ad Pricing Case

    A group of Democratic candidates have asked the U.S. Supreme Court to deny a stay of a Fourth Circuit order blocking the Federal Communications Commission from extending discounted television and radio advertising rates to committees that buy spots in coordination with political candidates.

  • September 03, 2026

    State Telecom Roundup: AT&T Pushes To Cut Copper Service

    AT&T has asked the Federal Communications Commission for permission to end all copper-line legacy services at more than 200 locations across 20 states, as it plows forward with its plans to retire its copper lines across the nation.

  • September 03, 2026

    Judge Decries 'Gamesmanship' In Nixing EPA Waiver Moves

    A federal judge has struck an initial blow against the Trump administration and congressional Republicans' aggressive use of the Congressional Review Act to block the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's move to make Clean Air Act waivers for California subject to potential rescission by lawmakers.

  • September 03, 2026

    FCC Denies Retaliatory Pretext In ABC License Renewal Probe

    The Federal Communications Commission urged a D.C. federal court Thursday to toss ABC's suit over the agency's early review of eight station licenses, denying that a discrimination probe of network parent Disney was a pretext for retaliating against ABC.

  • September 03, 2026

    FCC Told It Can't Preempt Local Utilities On Pole Attachments

    A municipally owned electric company from Kentucky wants the FCC to clarify that it doesn't plan to step on its toes or the toes of any other government-owned utilities as the agency seeks to pass rules that would allow it to preempt wireline decisions if localities are moving too slowly.

  • September 03, 2026

    Paramount-Warner Bros. Investor Loses Bid To Expedite Suit

    The Delaware Chancery Court on Thursday denied a Paramount Skydance Corp. stockholder's bid to fast-track derivative litigation seeking to halt the company's planned $110 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery, finding that the investor had not shown a sufficient basis for rushing the case toward trial.

  • September 03, 2026

    RJ Reynolds Beats TCPA Suit Over Unsolicited Texts

    A North Carolina federal judge Thursday granted tobacco giant R.J. Reynolds' bid to dismiss a proposed class action over unsolicited text messages, citing a recent Supreme Court ruling that said the Telephone Consumer Protection Act's prohibitions on unwanted phone calls do not apply to texts.

  • September 03, 2026

    Wireless Tower Group Urges FCC To Back GPS Alternatives

    Wireless tower builders have asked the Federal Communications Commission to consider new rules that will promote the development of new positioning, navigation and timing technologies that can complement GPS technology.

  • September 02, 2026

    Avaya Execs Beat Investor Suit Over Failed Tech Transition

    A New York federal court has dismissed a shareholder lawsuit against two former Avaya Holdings Corp. executives, who were accused of misleading investors about the success of the North Carolina-based company's transition from a telecom to a technology firm prior to its bankruptcy filing, finding all challenged statements were forward-looking or inactionable.

  • September 02, 2026

    FCC Backs Alaska Telecom GCI's Plan To Serve 10K More

    Improvements in broadband infrastructure mean that Alaskan telecom GCI Holdings will be able to provide hybrid fiber-cellular service to 10,000 more people in the state, the telecom has told the Federal Communications Commission.

  • September 02, 2026

    FCC Staff Are Making Big Decisions, But The Tactic Isn't New

    When an arm of the Federal Communications Commission that deals with broadcast competition waived one of the country's signature media ownership rules without a full FCC vote this year, it wasn't the first time agency staff had been entrusted with a major decision by the FCC's politically appointed chair.

  • September 02, 2026

    AT&T Asks To Cut Copper-Based VoIP Service In 20 States

    AT&T is continuing with its plans to end its legacy copper-line telephone service across the United States, asking the Federal Communications Commission for permission to cut services that rely on copper wires in certain areas in 20 states.

  • September 02, 2026

    Trump Foreign Equipment Order Perplexes Power Cos.

    The U.S. power industry is scrambling to make sense of President Donald Trump's sweeping executive order restricting imports of equipment used for the electricity grid, and attorneys say complying with the directive could ultimately make projects more expensive and take them longer to build.

  • September 02, 2026

    14 Cos. Banned From US Networks Over Robocall Violations

    More than a dozen voice service providers have been booted from U.S. networks after failing to follow Federal Communications Commission rules aimed at staunching the barrage of robocalls that assault Americans' phones every day.

  • September 02, 2026

    FCC Floats 'Scorecard' To Deal With Robocall Deluge

    As the flood of robocalls continues, Federal Communications Commission leaders are considering a "scorecard" to let consumers rate their voice service providers as to how effectively they are blocking unwanted calls.

  • September 02, 2026

    STMicro Investors Seek Cert. In Suit Over COVID Market Drop

    Investors in semiconductor manufacturing company STMicroelectronics have asked a New York federal judge to certify their securities class action alleging company executives failed to acknowledge pandemic-related semiconductor chip demand declines, arguing they all relied upon the executives' public misrepresentations to purchase company shares. 

  • September 02, 2026

    Dems Call Subpoenas' Secrecy Request 'Abuse Of Authority'

    Democratic lawmakers Sen. Ron Wyden, Ore., and Rep. Pramila Jayapal, Wash., have called for an investigation into subpoenas issued from federal law enforcement to private companies that contain nondisclosure provisions and carry threats of legal consequences for noncompliance.

  • September 02, 2026

    Wireless Provider Claims Utility Slowing Idaho Projects

    A wireless services provider claims a Washington-based public utility is slowing down its Idaho broadband deployments and charging excessive fees, asking the Federal Communications Commission to step in.

  • September 02, 2026

    GAO Says FCC Needs To Ease Broadband Map Issues

    A U.S. Government Accountability Office report to congressional committees is recommending that the Federal Communications Commission work with smaller communities and providers in completing the challenge process to determine the accuracy of its mapping data.

  • September 02, 2026

    DOJ Ad Tech Judge Won't Break Up Google's Biz

    A Virginia federal judge on Wednesday refused to break up Google's advertising placement technology business, opting instead to grant the U.S. Department of Justice a litany of behavioral fixes aimed at limiting the search giant's ability to boost itself and the ads running through its own servers over ads from rival ad tech providers.

  • September 01, 2026

    Satellite Permitting, Robocall Bills Sail Through Subcommittee

    The SAT Streamlining Act was one of half a dozen bills that breezed through a House energy and commerce subcommittee Tuesday afternoon, with lawmakers managing to get all six bills sent along to the full committee in under an hour.

  • September 01, 2026

    4th Circ. Told Geofence Warrant Doesn't Meet New Standards

    The Fourth Circuit has been asked to rule that the geofence warrant at the heart of a major U.S. Supreme Court decision clarifying standards for location-data searches did in fact authorize an unconstitutional search in light of the high court's ruling.

Expert Analysis

  • FCC Satellite Co. Action Starts New Chapter For Team Telecom

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    The Federal Communications Commission's recent settlement with satellite company Marlink marks a modest but meaningful step forward in how the U.S. regulates foreign involvement in its telecommunications sector, proving "Team Telecom" conditions are not limited to companies with substantial foreign ownership, says attorney Sohan Dasgupta.

  • Series

    Trivia Competition Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Playing trivia taught me to quickly absorb information and recognize when I've learned what I'm expected to know, training me in the crucial skills needed to be a good attorney, and reminding me to be gracious in defeat, says Jonah Knobler at Patterson Belknap.

  • Opinion

    Federal Preemption In AI And Robotics Is Essential

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    Federal preemption offers a unified front at a decisive moment that is essential for safeguarding America's economic edge in artificial intelligence and robotics against global rivals, harnessing trillions of dollars in potential, securing high-skilled jobs through human augmentation, and defending technological sovereignty, says Steven Weisburd at Shook Hardy.

  • Series

    Law School's Missed Lessons: What Cross-Selling Truly Takes

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    Early-career attorneys may struggle to introduce clients to practitioners in other specialties, but cross-selling becomes easier once they know why it’s vital to their first years of practice, which mistakes to avoid and how to anticipate clients' needs, say attorneys at Moses & Singer.

  • CFIUS Initiative May Smooth Way For Some Foreign Investors

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    A new program that will allow certain foreign investors to be prevetted and admitted to fast-track approval by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States will likely have tangible benefits for investors participating in competitive M&A, say attorneys at Simpson Thacher.

  • Strategies For Effective Class Action Email Notice Campaigns

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    Recent cases provide useful guidance on navigating the complexities of sending email notices to potential class action claimants, including drafting notices clearly and effectively, surmounting compliance and timing challenges, and tracking deliverability, says Stephanie Fiereck at Epiq.

  • Series

    Judges On AI: Practical Use Cases In Chambers

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    U.S. Magistrate Judge Allison Goddard in the Southern District of California discusses how she uses generative artificial intelligence tools in chambers to make work more efficient and effective — from editing jury instructions for clarity to summarizing key documents.

  • Class Actions At The Circuit Courts: February Lessons

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    In this month's review of class action appeals, Mitchell Engel at Shook Hardy discusses four recent rulings from November and December, and identifies practice tips from cases involving the Missouri Merchandising Practices Act and Missouri unjust enrichment claims, the Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act, the Class Action Fairness Act, and the Telephone Consumer Protection Act.

  • Series

    Trail Running Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Navigating the muddy, root-filled path of trail marathons and ultramarathons provides fertile training ground for my high-stakes fractional general counsel work, teaching me to slow down my mind when the terrain shifts, sharpen my focus and trust my training, says Eric Proos at Next Era Legal.

  • Malpractice Claim Assignability Continues To Divide Courts

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    Recent decisions from courts across the country demonstrate how different jurisdictions balance competing policy interests in determining whether legal malpractice claims can be assigned, providing a framework to identify when and how to challenge any attempted assignment, says Christopher Blazejewski at Sherin & Lodgen.

  • Learning From A Typical Section 1782 Discovery Case

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    A California federal judge's recent approval of a Section 1782 application, compelling a U.S.-based company to produce materials relevant to a German patent dispute, usefully illustrates the specific steps foreign litigants must undertake before wielding this powerful tool for obtaining evidence unavailable via discovery mechanisms abroad, say attorneys at Fish & Richardson.

  • Venezuela Legal Shifts May Create Investment Opportunities

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    Since the removal of President Nicolás Maduro, Venezuela has shown signs of economic liberalization, particularly in the oil and mining sectors, presenting unique — but still high-risk — investment opportunities for U.S. companies, say attorneys at Haynes Boone.

  • Opinion

    CFIUS Must Adapt To Current Foreign Investment Realities

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    To continue protecting the U.S.’ long-term strategic and economic interests, the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States should implement practical enhancements that leverage technology, expertise and clear communication, and enable it to keep pace with evolving demands, says attorney Sohan Dasgupta.

  • Texas AG Wields Consumer Protection Law Against Tech Cos.

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    Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has targeted technology companies using the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act, a broadly worded statute that gives the attorney general wide latitude to pursue claims beyond traditional consumer protection, creating unique litigation risks, say attorneys at Yetter Coleman.

  • Series

    Teaching Logic Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Teaching middle and high school students the skills to untangle complicated arguments and identify faulty reasoning has made me reacquaint myself with the defined structure of thought, reminding me why logic should remain foundational in the practice of law, says Tom Barrow at Woods Rogers.

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