The Wireless Foundation's valuable annual report regarding the taxes and fees imposed on wireless services has just been released. It short, it paints a dismal picture for consumers with respect to the taxes, fees, and government surcharges added to their bills.| The Free State Foundation
FSF, Free State Foundation, communications policy, law, Internet, broadband, spectrum, Randolph May, Randolph J. May, Seth Cooper, 5G| freestatefoundation.blogspot.com
by Randolph May| The Free State Foundation
On September 4, Representative Bob Latta (R-OH), co-chair of the Rural Broadband Caucus, reintroduced the Winning the International Race for Economic Leadership and Expanding Service to Support (WIRELESS) Leadership Act (the Act). First introduced in February 2021, the Act would "modernize broadband permitting to reduce barriers to deployment."| The Free State Foundation
Senator Deb Fischer is proposing an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) currently being debated on the Senate floor that would prohibit modification of the spectrum between 3.1 - 3.4 GHz and between 7.4 - 8.4 GHz unless the Secretary of Defense and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff jointly agree. In spectrum provisions of the One Big Beautiful Bill reconciliation statute, these bands generally were exempted from being designated for auction to private sector...| The Free State Foundation
FSF, Free State Foundation, communications policy, law, Internet, broadband, spectrum, Randolph May, Randolph J. May, Seth Cooper, 5G| freestatefoundation.blogspot.com
FSF, Free State Foundation, communications policy, law, Internet, broadband, spectrum, Randolph May, Randolph J. May, Seth Cooper, 5G| freestatefoundation.blogspot.com
FSF, Free State Foundation, communications policy, law, Internet, broadband, spectrum, Randolph May, Randolph J. May, Seth Cooper, 5G| freestatefoundation.blogspot.com
FSF, Free State Foundation, communications policy, law, Internet, broadband, spectrum, Randolph May, Randolph J. May, Seth Cooper, 5G| freestatefoundation.blogspot.com
FSF, Free State Foundation, communications policy, law, Internet, broadband, spectrum, Randolph May, Randolph J. May, Seth Cooper, 5G| freestatefoundation.blogspot.com
FSF, Free State Foundation, communications policy, law, Internet, broadband, spectrum, Randolph May, Randolph J. May, Seth Cooper, 5G| freestatefoundation.blogspot.com
On August 13 President Trump issued an Executive Order revoking President Biden's Executive Order 14036 issued in 2021. EO 14036 was styled "Promoting Competition in the American Economy." | The Free State Foundation
As reported in Law360 [subscription required] on August 13, both the Fourth and the Eleventh Circuits issued decisions on the same day affirming lower court actions that had rejected local governments denial of permission to cell tower companies to build out cell tower infrastructure. There continue to be attempts by some municipalities and counties to improperly forestall cell tower projects, hindering the deployment of a robust 5G networks. So these two new appeals court decisions are wel...| The Free State Foundation
You may not know the name James Byrnes! But, for me, he comes to mind. Mr. Byrnes once declared: The nearest approach to immortality on Earth is a government bureau." | The Free State Foundation
On July 30, 2025, Arielle Roth officially assumed the role of Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information, a position that includes serving as Administrator of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA). Days later, NTIA released updated Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) regarding the $42.45 billion Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program. Notably, the revised FAQs underscore a significant policy shift from the Biden Administra...| The Free State Foundation
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FSF, Free State Foundation, communications policy, law, Internet, broadband, spectrum, Randolph May, Randolph J. May, Seth Cooper, 5G| freestatefoundation.blogspot.com
A quarter century ago I published a column in Legal Times titled, "Any Volunteers?" The editors added this subtitle: "The FCC unfairly regulates 'by condition' when it extracts concessions from merging telecom companies."| The Free State Foundation
By Randolph May | The Free State Foundation
FSF, Free State Foundation, communications policy, law, Internet, broadband, spectrum, Randolph May, Randolph J. May, Seth Cooper, 5G| freestatefoundation.blogspot.com
Maryland Governor Wes Moore talks a good game (well, sometimes!) about making Maryland's government more efficient, effective, and accountable. But talking and doing are two different things. | The Free State Foundation
FSF, Free State Foundation, communications policy, law, Internet, broadband, spectrum, Randolph May, Randolph J. May, Seth Cooper, 5G| freestatefoundation.blogspot.com
Free State Foundation President| The Free State Foundation
At today's Commission open meeting, Chairman Brendan Carr's IN RE: DELETE, DELETE, DELETE initiative bore fruit when the agency adopted a Report and Order providing the cable industry with long-overdue relief on the rate regulation front. As long as Section 623 of the Communications Act remains on the books (see below for more on that), the rate a cable operator not facing "effective competition" – essentially a null set, legally speaking, since 2017 –charges for the Basic Service Tier (B...| The Free State Foundation
FSF, Free State Foundation, communications policy, law, Internet, broadband, spectrum, Randolph May, Randolph J. May, Seth Cooper, 5G| freestatefoundation.blogspot.com
FSF, Free State Foundation, communications policy, law, Internet, broadband, spectrum, Randolph May, Randolph J. May, Seth Cooper, 5G| freestatefoundation.blogspot.com
News outlets have reported that President Donald Trump held a meeting at the White House with EchoStar Chairman Charlie Ergen and FCC Chairman Brendan Carr on June 12. Although we do not know for certain what was discussed at the White House meeting, it is a supremely safe bet that the conversation included the FCC's current review of EchoStar's compliance with deadlines for reaching wireless facilities construction milestones. Reports indicate the President rightly hopes to prevent a scena...| The Free State Foundation
FSF, Free State Foundation, communications policy, law, Internet, broadband, spectrum, Randolph May, Randolph J. May, Seth Cooper, 5G| freestatefoundation.blogspot.com
The Spring 2025 issue of Regulation magazine features an eye-opening article by Law Professor Jonathan M. Bartlett titled "The Perils of 'Free' Information." In the article, Mr. Bartlett tackles the narrative that IP owners are exploitative monopolists that inflate prices and bar competition and corresponding legal and policy strategies employed by certain tech platforms "to weaken IP rights to reduce the costs of securing content and tech assets, which are then monetized within a portfoli...| The Free State Foundation
FSF, Free State Foundation, communications policy, law, Internet, broadband, spectrum, Randolph May, Randolph J. May, Seth Cooper, 5G| freestatefoundation.blogspot.com
FSF, Free State Foundation, communications policy, law, Internet, broadband, spectrum, Randolph May, Randolph J. May, Seth Cooper, 5G| freestatefoundation.blogspot.com