The California Public Utilities Commission reasserted authority to review T-Mobile/Sprint, while tweaking some conditions the carriers opposed, in a revised proposed decision released Wednesday. Commissioners plan to vote Thursday.
Frontier Communications is the latest telco to file for bankruptcy. Bondholders representing more than 75% of the carrier's approximately $11 billion in unsecured bonds agreed to support the plan that's expected to reduce the company’s debt by more than $10 billion, said an email we received at around 11 p.m. EDT Tuesday. The company said it and subsidiaries filed for Chapter 11 protection in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.
The Technology Policy Institute is the latest organization in media, technology and telecom to reschedule an event due to COVID-19. TPI moved its annual conference from Aug. 16-18 in Aspen, Colorado, across the country to Boar's Head Resort in Charlottesville on Oct. 16-18, we were told this week. It's one of the farthest out on the calendar events to be rescheduled due to COVID-19.
COVID-19 effects continue to be felt in media, telecom and technology. NAB won't move when planned, we were told Tuesday afternoon.
The FCC’s move to new headquarters near Union Station has been delayed at least two months due to COVID-19, a spokesperson told us Monday afternoon. The move had been slated to happen in late June.
The FCC Office of General Counsel and Media Bureau won't investigate any allegedly inaccurate statements by President Donald Trump on COVID-19 that broadcasters carried. FCC staff "today wholly rejected a petition by Free Press demanding a government investigation into broadcasters that have aired" such statements during White House Coronavirus Task Force briefings and related commentary "regarding the coronavirus pandemic by other on-air personalities." That's per a letter/order the commission announced Monday.
Lacking California OK, T-Mobile completed the purchase of Sprint. The deal completion was announced Wednesday morning by T-Mobile, which earlier this week and as we previously reported signaled its intention to complete the multibillion-dollar deal without California Public Utilities Commission approval.
T-Mobile told California regulators Tuesday night it's completing the multibillion-dollar takeover of Sprint before getting their approval because of concerns over COVID-19 and financing. Wednesday morning, it completed that deal.
In court documents emailed to stakeholders a few hours after deal completion was announced, T-Mobile got the final federal nod for buying Sprint. The final judgment on the deal and divestiture to Dish Network was in U.S. District Court in Washington, which had been reviewing the transaction on antitrust grounds.
FCC commissioners OK'd rules for a $200 million COVID-19 telehealth program late Tuesday, after remaining members voted, agency officials told us. It directs the funds appropriated in the Cares Act. Also OK'd, but without unanimous support, was a three-year, $100 Connected Care pilot funded by USF, agency officials said.