The FCC voted to approve a Report and Order, Order of Proposed Modification, and Order on Reconsideration authorizing the auction of 160 megahertz of spectrum in the upper C-band (3.98‑4.14 GHz). The order also adopts new rules intended to harmonize terrestrial wireless operations across the entire C-band, combining the upper C-band with the previously cleared lower C-band to create a single 440 megahertz “super-band” spanning 3.7‑4.14 GHz. FCC Chairman Brendan Carr and Commissioner Olivia Trusty approved the order, while Commissioner Anna Gomez approved in part and dissented in part.
The action exceeds a Congressional requirement that the FCC auction at least 100 megahertz of upper C-band spectrum by July 2027 and is expected to generate billions of dollars for the U.S. Treasury. The FCC says the auction will help position America as the global leader in next-generation connectivity, with new wireless services able to launch in the largest markets by December 2030 and elsewhere by July 2031.
The Commission’s Delegated Regulation modifies the existing European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS), which cover a broad range of issues, including environmental, social, and governance-related matters. Their purpose is to promote transparency for stakeholders regarding an organization’s sustainability efforts.
According to the Commission, the revised standards are intended to reduce administrative burdens on companies impacted by the requirements while also maintaining their core principles. The new standards are “shorter and clearer, add new flexibilities, and streamline key processes.” They reportedly reduce the number of mandatory datapoints by over 60% and the total number of datapoints by over 70% and are also expected to reduce organization reporting costs by more than 30% per company.
The Commission’s Delegated Regulation has now been forwarded to the EU Parliament and the Council of the EU for their review. The reporting measures detailed in the Delegated Regulation will then take effect after the end of the two‑month review period.
According to an article posted on the Industrial Cyber website, Senator Tom Cotton (a Republican from Arkansas) has proposed a bill that would restrict the future procurement of medical devices produced by companies linked to the Chinese government.
The bill, titled “The Countering Chinese Cyberthreats for Patients (Countering CCP) Act,” would also require the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) to evaluate legacy China-made networked medical devices for potential cybersecurity risks and to recall those devices found to pose a risk to American patients.
According to a posting on the website of the ARRL, Ben Leovy, a sophomore at Howard High School in Ellicott City, Maryland, won the competition for his design and development of a mobile application intended to support licensing applicants as they study to take the exam. The competition judges chose Leovy’s application for the award “based on usability, clarity, stability, and code quality.”
Leovy will receive a $5000 cash prize for his win, as well as a new MacBook Neo. In addition, the ARRL has offered him a consulting project so that he can work with ARRL employees to further refine his application. He’ll earn an additional $5000 for the consultancy and will also be eligible for a $5000 ARRL scholarship when he starts college.
The ARRL’s annual Student Coding Competition is part of the organization’s ongoing efforts to develop the next generation of radio amateurs. Similar ARRL initiatives include its Collegiate Amateur Radio Program and its Teachers Institute on Wireless Technology.
According to a posting on the website of the law firm Trench Rossi Watanabe, CONAMA Resolution No. 516/2026 established maximum permissible concentration limits for 10 hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment, cables, and spare parts sold in Brazil. The regulated substances include lead, mercury, cadmium, hexavalent chromium, polybrominated biphenyls (PBBs), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), and four different phthalates.
The new regulations provide a phased compliance schedule, with limits to PBB and PBDE taking immediate effect. Restrictions on mercury take effect in January 2027, while the compliance deadlines for the remaining restricted substances take effect over a three- to four-year span.
Resolution No. 516/2026 also calls for the creation of a National Registry of Electrical and Electronic Equipment Subject to Restrictions on Hazardous Substances. The Registry provides an on-line platform for manufacturers, importers, and distributors to register equipment covered under the new regulations.
The press release from the Office of FCC Chair Brendan Carr details 30 specific changes to the agency’s rules, regulations, and procedures that will “unleash fast and affordable services for American families and businesses.”
The summary of accomplishments under the “Build America Agenda” includes several key aspects of the FCC’s portfolio, including high-speed infrastructure build-outs, wireless services, space-related technologies, and unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) technologies. The list of accomplishments also includes the agency’s efforts to onshore more of the technology infrastructure to support the American workforce, reducing regulations and compliance requirements, and taking steps to strengthen national security.
The Commission’s Delegated Regulation supplements existing EU regulations applicable to portable batteries regarding the ability of consumers to remove and replace batteries in certain products. Current EU battery regulations stipulate that portable batteries must generally be removable and replaceable by consumers. The intent of this requirement is to facilitate a longer useful product life and easier recycling of used batteries.
However, certain products are exempt from regulations requiring consumer removability and replaceability in cases when replacing a battery could pose safety risks to a consumer, or the technical complexity of a battery-powered device makes consumer access to the battery compartment difficult. Existing exemptions for consumer access include devices that can be exposed to water or that could expose children to unnecessary risks, as well as equipment used in hazardous industrial environments.
The Delegated Regulation adds a number of products to the list of those exempt from consumer access requirements, including the following:
- Appliances, including wearable devices designed for use in environments where exposure to water is possible;
- Professional medical imaging and radiotherapy devices;
- Wearable devices for which consumer access to the battery could compromise safety;
- Wireless thermometer probes designed for contact with food products;
- On-body delivery systems used for delivery of subcutaneous medicinal products; and
- Certain electric toys that incorporate rechargeable batteries.
The EU Parliament and Council now have two months to consider any objections to the proposed changes. If none are offered, the Delegated Regulation will enter into force 20 days after its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union.
Current FCC rules require internet service providers to have a label for each broadband service plan they offer, providing information on rates, data allowances, and broadband speeds, as well as links to additional information about the provider’s privacy policies. However, the Commission says that the original requirements, initially adopted in 2022, resulted in confusing labels that also increased compliance costs for providers.
The FCC’s Report and Order updates its original broadband labelling requirements to “visualize the monthly cost of services more clearly…giving consumers a label that they can more clearly understand and use when comparing high-speed internet service plans.”
The FCC says that the new rules also allow providers the flexibility to discuss the label information in conversations with consumers, instead of just reading a scripted summary of the information. Providers can also use links and QR codes to help consumers more quickly connect with requested information.