AT&T on Wednesday called for major changes in how 3 GHz, including the citizens broadband radio service band, is configured, going beyond what the FCC proposed in an August NPRM (see 2408160031). Meanwhile, during a Broadband Breakfast webinar Wednesday, experts said the CBRS band has demonstrated the value and importance of spectrum sharing.

NTIA remains “on track” to deliver on initial commitments under the national spectrum strategy that the Biden administration released in November (see 2311130048), NTIA Administrator Alan Davidson said at the Mobile World Congress in Las Vegas. Davidson also defended the administration’s progress under the $42.5 billion broadband equity, access and deployment (BEAD) program, a recurring target of Republican criticism (see 2409270032).

Attorneys general from 13 states and the District of Columbia sued TikTok in 14 separate courts Tuesday. The 10 Democratic and four Republican AGs said TikTok violated state and D.C. consumer protection laws when it allegedly addicted young users and collected their data without consent. TikTok disputed the claims as “inaccurate and misleading.” Separately, more than 20 states asked that a court force TikTok to cooperate with their investigation.

House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., is taking aim again at the FCC and FTC with less than a month left before the Nov. 5 presidential election. Comer said Tuesday he’s expanding his probe of FTC actions under Chair Lina Khan (see 2306010053) to examine her attendance at upcoming policy events as a way to campaign for Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democrats’ presidential nominee, and congressional candidates. House Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash., and GOP former FCC Commissioner Mike O’Rielly have criticized Khan’s pro-Harris activities in recent days (see 2410020046).

Federal and state legislators should take a light-touch regulatory approach to AI because there are unsettled questions about free speech and innovation potential, a Trump-appointed trade judge, a religious group and tech-minded scholars said Tuesday.

CTIA President Meredith Baker warned Tuesday that the U.S. will fall behind other countries unless Congress restores FCC auction authority, in remarks to the Mobile World Congress in Las Vegas. Baker quoted Paul Milgram, the economist whose work led to the first spectrum auction. The loss of auction authority is “nuts,” she said. The agency’s auction authority lapsed in March 2023 (see 2303100084).

Broadband deployment continues in a timely manner and adoption rates are rising, ISPs said in comments about the FCC's annual Section 706 report on the state of competition in the broadband marketplace (see 2409060058). In addition, some urged that the commission refrain from including metrics on pricing and adoption rates in its final analysis. Others said the FCC should refine the broadband data collection (BDC) process and national broadband map.

The Arizona Corporation Commission should pull back regulations on Frontier Communications while eliminating Arizona Universal Service Fund (AUSF) subsidies for the wireline carrier, Frontier and commission staff argued at a livestreamed hearing Monday. Meanwhile in Connecticut, Frontier pushed back against a proposed $2.48 million fine for missing certain state service-quality metrics.

The U.S. Supreme Court will take up early in its new term whether reimbursement requests submitted to the Universal Service Administrative Co.-administered E-rate program are “claims” under the False Claims Act (FCA). On Nov. 4, justices will hear Wisconsin Bell v. U.S., a case from the 7th U.S. Circuit Appeals Court (see 2405220039).

The Heritage Foundation argued the FCC should abandon rules that let schools and libraries use E-rate support for off-premises Wi-Fi hot spots and wireless internet services. Its position was made in comments on a Further NPRM. Commissioners approved the FNPRM 3-2 in July (see 2407180024). Other commenters supported the order, urging tweaks that could make the program more effective. Comments were due Friday, with most posted Monday in docket 21-31.