FCC July 2025 Open Meeting Recap

In this episode of Full Spectrum, Kelley Drye’s Communications team provides a detailed “First Take” on the Federal Communications Commission’s July 24, 2025 Open Meeting. Special Counsel Mike Dover is joined by partners Chip Yorkgitis and Hank Kelly, and senior associates Jennifer Wainwright and Winafred Brantl, to break down the Commission’s major actions and rulemakings, including: • A multi-part Report and Order on pole attachments that introduces new application timelines, advance notice requirements, meet-and-confer obligations, and expanded self-help rights for attachers • Updates to designated entity eligibility rules ahead of the AWS-3 spectrum auction (Auction 113), including revised bidding credits for small and rural service providers • A direct final rule eliminating 11 outdated regulations—such as rules for analog TV, payphones, and telegraphs—while outlining a broader FCC strategy to streamline future rulemaking • A Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) to modernize rules for network transitions, including proposals to reduce or eliminate certain network change disclosures and streamline Section 214 discontinuance processes • Another NPRM revisiting the FCC’s slamming, cramming, and truth-in-billing rules, asking whether current protections are still necessary and proposing a simplified, unified framework The episode also touches on broader themes like AI-driven fraud, transparency in billing, and the agency’s increased use of the Administrative Procedure Act’s direct final rule mechanism. Whether you work in broadband, wireless, telecom, or policy, this recap offers a sharp, practical rundown of where FCC priorities are headed next.