FCC Chairman proposes 100MHz spectrum reallocation in C-band●REPAIR Act advances in Senate Commerce Committee●TSMC announces $65B Arizona fab expansion, seeks federal support●California CPPA issues draft enforcement regulations for AI data brokers
FCC & SPECTRUM
Independent coverage of FCC rulemaking, spectrum auctions, ORAN deployment and telecommunications regulation in the United States.
The Federal Communications Commission processed 26 filings of regulatory significance on May 12, 2026, spanning FCC & Spectrum, Chip Supply Chain, and Broadband & 5G.…
The FCC and NTIA have backed Open RAN interoperability as national security policy since 2020, using rip-and-replace funding and a $1.5B innovation grant program to drive adoption. AT&T targets 70% open-capable traffic by late 2026; T-Mobile remains unconvinced.
The Biden National Spectrum Strategy directed NTIA to study at least 1,500 MHz of federal bands for commercial reuse. The Trump administration's One Big Beautiful Bill Act subsequently codified the 3.1–3.45 GHz exclusion and mandated Upper C-band and AWS-3 auctions.
Open RAN disaggregates the 5G base station stack across open interfaces and a third-party xApp platform, expanding the attack surface beyond closed proprietary deployments. Federal agencies have assessed the risks; no enacted statute conditions rip-and-replace funding or NTIA grants on verified security compliance.
The FCC's RF exposure limits, unchanged since 1996, are under court-ordered review after a 2021 D.C. Circuit ruling found the agency failed to address children's vulnerability, non-thermal effects, and long-term exposure evidence.
Reference guide to FCC spectrum auction mechanics, legislative authority, 30-year auction history, the commercial pipeline, and active 2026 proceedings.