The company, Odyssey Robot LLC, currently holds equipment authorizations for a UAS model and accompanying remote controller. However, researchers have claimed that Odyssey “provided materially false attestations to the FCC that the Odyssey UAS Equipment was not covered equipment.” Subsequent efforts by the FCC requesting that the company provide updated information and documentation about the authorized products have gone unanswered.
The FCC issued an Order to Show Cause, giving Odyssey 10 days to provide the requested documentation. Failure to provide the requested information is likely to result in the Commission revoking the original equipment authorizations.
According to a Public Notice, the FCC has taken action consistent with recent National Security Determinations that certain power inverters and advanced robotic devices produced in foreign countries “pose a threat to U.S. economic and national security,” and that both categories of devices should be added to the FCC’s “Covered List” of products banned from importation, sale, or use in the U.S.
According to the FCC, the change is not applicable to existing models of power inverters or advanced robotic devices previously authorized by the agency. It also does not affect devices that receive Conditional Approval from the U.S. Department of War (DoW) or the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
In a Consumer Alert, the FCC says that the recent scheme involves callers falsely telling consumers that their phone number is under investigation for criminal activity and requiring them to provide private personal or financial information and/or pay a fine. Callers may also threaten consumers with potential legal action for failing to share information or making a payment directly to the caller.
In the Alert, the FCC reminds consumers of several basic ways to minimize the impact of fraud schemes, including: 1) not answering calls or responding to texts from numbers you don’t recognize; 2) refuse to provide personal information, including account numbers, Social Security numbers, passwords or other sensitive information; and 3) investigate the use of call and text blocking tools and apps to minimize the risk.
The Alert also details the mechanisms in place to report frauds and scams directly to the FCC.
According to an article posted to the website of the ARRL, the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has now issued call sign KM7HFU to Reynaldo Mangual, who lives in Pinal County, Arizona. Mangual is a member of the Pinal County 4-H Amateur Radio Club and is now the youngest member of the Maricopa Amateur Radio Association (MARA), an ARRL-Affiliated Club.
Upon receiving his amateur radio license, MARA also presented Mangual with “an almost new Yaesu FT-857D HF/VHF/UHF multimode transceiver, an LDG YT-100 antenna tuner, and power supply.” Mangual was also given a fully restored World War II-era J-38 telegraph key by another MARA member.
The Sixth Broadband Deployment Report concludes that an increasing number of Americans “are now benefiting from faster, more affordable, and more robust broadband services.” Specifically, 96.9% of Americans now have access to fixed broadband service of at least 100/20 Mbps.
In addition, consumers are benefiting from increased access to multiple internet alternatives, with 77% of Americans now having access to three or more fixed service options at 100/20 Mbps, and 43.4% having access to three or more fixed terrestrial service options at 100/20 Mbps.
At the same time, the FCC reports that “between 14 and 24 million Americans still lack access to broadband,” especially those dealing with economic hardships or living in rural areas. The FCC says that the road to providing all Americans with broadband internet access is reforming the current universal service program and making other changes to broadband policies that will lower the cost of system deployment, thereby supporting further investments in broadband services.
The FDA’s “Third Party Review Organization Performance Report” summarizes the activity of third parties accredited by the FDA’s Accredited Persons Program who completed at least five 510(k) submissions in each federal fiscal year between the first quarter of fiscal year 2023 and the second quarter of fiscal year 2026 (October 1, 2022, through March 31, 2026).
The FDA’s Accredited Persons Program, created under the FDA Modernization Act of 1997, is intended to improve the efficiency and timeliness of medical device 510(k) reviews and speed market access.
During the evaluation period, the FDA accepted 255 submissions from accredited third parties. Of these, 212 received final decisions, 21 were withdrawn by the manufacturer for unspecified reasons, and 22 remained pending at the time of the report.
For submissions receiving a final decision, average FDA review time ranged from 17 to 41 days over the span of the data reported. Average total time to decision (TTD), the average time from submission to final decision, ranged from 106 to 158 days, with a maximum TTD of 743 days.