Major cable lobby groups, including Comcast and Charter, announced plans to sue the FCC over its recent decision to eliminate the National Television Ownership Rule. The rule previously restricted the number of broadcast TV stations a single company could own, but was repealed on August 6, with the order published on October 1. The cable groups argue that the change will lead to increased retransmission fees and higher consumer bills, while the FCC claims the new approach allows for more flexible, case-by-case review of mergers.
arstechnica.com
· 2026-10-05
On October 2nd, the FCC added Matic's models 4MA0001 and 4DK0008 to its waiver list, allowing their import and sale. However, these models did not require a waiver since their radios had been approved years earlier, and the company assembles the robots domestically in California. The FCC's recent actions aim to tighten regulations and close loopholes in its import bans, but Matic's products are unaffected by the current restrictions.
theverge.com
· 2026-10-05
FCC listings have surfaced for two Samsung smart glasses models, reportedly tied to its partnerships with Gentle Monster and Warby Parker. The filings show model numbers SM-O200J and SM-O200P, each with several additional variant numbers, according to Droid Life.
androidauthority.com
· 2026-09-30
TP-Link has opened preorders for its Archer 8 Ultra, the company's first Wi-Fi 8 router, in the UK, Germany, Australia and other markets. The US is not included, as TP-Link lacks FCC Conditional Approval needed to sell new wireless hardware there, unlike rivals Netgear, Asus and Amazon. Existing FCC-certified TP-Link Wi-Fi 7 products can still be sold in the US, but new Wi-Fi 7 or Wi-Fi 8 devices cannot.
tomshardware.com
· 2026-09-30
Asus has received an FCC exemption dated September 9th from the new US ban on foreign-made consumer routers, allowing it to sell its upcoming Wi-Fi 8 routers domestically. Under the rules, manufacturers must submit a 'detailed, time-bound plan' to build or expand US manufacturing to qualify, and Asus says it has submitted such a plan, but it has repeatedly declined to confirm whether that plan involves actually manufacturing routers in the United States.
theverge.com
· 2026-09-30
Consumer advocacy group Public Citizen has asked the FCC and FTC to force broadcasters to stop airing government-funded ads featuring President Trump, arguing they violate anti-propaganda laws and restrictions on political activity by federal employees. The complaint cites 'The Final Battle,' a Department of Homeland Security-funded ad that reuses footage and audio from a 2024 Trump campaign ad, now labeled 'Paid for by the US government.' The ad aired during Saturday Night Live, Fox News Sunday, and football broadcasts, according to Public Citizen's letter and a Wall Street Journal report saying Trump personally pushed for its creation.
arstechnica.com
· 2026-09-29
Local governments across the US have filed objections to an FCC proposal that would impose a 120-day deadline on broadband permit approvals and limit fees they can charge providers. The FCC argues that local rules delay deployment and inflate costs, a position backed by broadband providers, while cities counter that the plan would undermine public safety oversight and exceeds federal authority. Groups including the League of California Cities and Minnesota municipalities say Congress never granted the FCC this preemptive power.
news.slashdot.org
· 2026-09-24
The FCC is taking public comments on a rulemaking that would override state and local permitting rules for wired broadband deployment, including a 120-day permit deadline and limits on fees charged to providers. Groups representing mayors, counties and cities—including the US Conference of Mayors and National League of Cities—filed comments in September opposing the plan, calling local permitting essential for public safety rather than a deployment barrier. Broadband providers support the FCC's proposal.
arstechnica.com
· 2026-09-22
The FCC has granted Paramount a waiver of its 25% foreign-ownership limit for broadcast licensees, allowing sovereign wealth funds from Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the UAE to collectively hold up to 49.5% equity in the merged Paramount-Warner Bros. Discovery entity. The commission says the funds will hold non-voting stakes, so they won't exercise formal control over the 28 broadcast stations involved. The underlying petition had actually requested approval for up to 100% foreign ownership.
engadget.com
· 2026-09-18
The FCC has approved Paramount Skydance's request to waive federal foreign-ownership limits, allowing indirect foreign ownership to reach 49.5 percent through investments from sovereign wealth funds in Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Qatar. The funds, totaling roughly $24 billion, are tied to Paramount's pending $111 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery, a deal already cleared by the Justice Department but still facing a lawsuit from several US states.
arstechnica.com
· 2026-09-18
The FCC has waived its 25 percent cap on foreign equity ownership to approve a deal allowing sovereign wealth funds from Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Abu Dhabi to collectively hold up to 49.5 percent of the combined Paramount-Warner Bros. entity. The agency argued the stakes carry no voting rights and therefore no control, but critics including Free Press and Commissioner Anna Gomez dispute that reasoning.
theverge.com
· 2026-09-18
WIRED updated its annual robot vacuum roundup for 2026, testing new models from Shark, Eufy, Roborock and other brands across a multi-story home with kids and pets. The update also notes a new FCC ban that will affect future robot vacuum designs and features going forward.
wired.com
· 2026-09-16
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