The Supreme Court ruled on September 4 that broadcast TV stations must sell election ads to political parties and joint fundraising committees at the same lowest unit charge rates required for individual candidates. The order came after the National Republican Congressional and Senatorial Committees petitioned the court, overturning a Fourth Circuit ruling that had sided with Democratic candidates who challenged an FCC notice mandating the discount.
arstechnica.com
· 2026-09-08
Streaming and video-call services have modest bandwidth needs on their own—Netflix 4K needs just 15 Mbps and Zoom calls need under 5 Mbps—but households with multiple devices running simultaneously need far more headroom. Experts recommend at least 100 Mbps for one or two people, 300 Mbps for larger or work-from-home households, and 500 Mbps or more for heavy users, while noting the FCC's official broadband baseline is now 100 Mbps down and 20 Mbps up.
engadget.com
· 2026-09-08
Using Bluetooth or other signal jammers is banned in nearly all countries except for limited military use, under laws like the US Communications Act of 1934 and FCC regulations, alongside international rules from the ITU. These devices can disrupt Wi-Fi, medical equipment, security systems, and even emergency responder communications within a wide radius.
engadget.com
· 2026-09-07
DJI unveiled its Osmo 360 II camera in Berlin, an upgrade over its predecessor with dual 1-inch square sensors capable of 8K60 recording, edging out Insta360's X6 which tops out at 8K50. The standout new feature is user-replaceable lenses, addressing a common failure point for 360 cameras. Because of an ongoing FCC restriction on new DJI hardware, the device is unlikely to launch officially in the United States.
cnet.com
· 2026-09-07
President Trump imposed a 100 percent tariff on large foreign-made drones, particularly targeting Chinese models used widely by American police departments. Officials like Lake County Drone Unit chief Scott Mlakar say the tariffs will make it financially difficult for many communities to buy or replace drones used for tasks like locating suspects and missing children. The FCC is also weighing classifying some drone technologies, such as lidar, as military-grade, further restricting access.
futurism.com
· 2026-09-06
The FCC filed a motion to dismiss Disney's lawsuit, defending its decision to launch an early review of the broadcast licenses held by ABC's eight owned stations. The agency argues the review concerns only alleged discrimination tied to Disney's diversity, equity, and inclusion policies, not Chairman Brendan Carr's public threats over Jimmy Kimmel jokes or The View's political content. Separately, two watchdog groups and individual ABC viewers are seeking to intervene in the case, fearing Disney could strike a settlement with the FCC that doesn't serve the public interest, a motion Disney itself opposes.
arstechnica.com
· 2026-09-04
The FCC announced plans to build a public scorecard grading wireless, wireline, and VoIP providers on how well they block illegal robocalls. The rating could use numeric scores, letter grades, or risk categories, drawing on call-blocking statistics, complaint data, and enforcement records. The measure would apply to retail voice providers but exclude wholesale-only carriers.
arstechnica.com
· 2026-09-02
The FCC's latest broadband deployment report, released August 14 under Chairman Brendan Carr, eliminates the previous gigabit-speed goal and rephrases its language to describe broadband as merely 'often' essential rather than fully essential to modern life. The report claims 96.9% of Americans now have access to 100Mbps/20Mbps speeds, though these figures rely on self-reported data from internet service providers.
cnet.com
· 2026-08-27
The 4th Circuit Court of Appeals voted 2-1 to block an FCC Media Bureau notice that would have let political parties and joint fundraising committees, not just individual candidates, claim the discounted 'lowest unit charge' broadcast ad rate ahead of the election. Four Democratic candidates had sued, arguing federal law reserves that discount for candidates alone, while national Republican committees backed the FCC's broader interpretation.
arstechnica.com
· 2026-08-26
The FCC has retroactively revoked the equipment authorization it granted to Shenzhen Zero Zero Infinity Technology for the HoverAir Versa's Flight Kit, a module that turns the 230g pocket camera into a self-flying drone. The agency says the certification was issued in error since the Flight Kit qualifies as a prohibited foreign-made UAS critical component under its Covered List rules, and it accused HoverAir of willfully skirting the ban. HoverAir has already pulled Flight Kit orders for U.S. backers on its Indiegogo campaign, which had raised over $230,000, citing vague 'logistics updates.'
tomshardware.com
· 2026-08-23
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