Delete, Delete, Delete; Removal of Obsolete Regulations

<RULE> FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION <CFR>47 CFR Parts 1, 13, 17, 20, 22, 24, 26, 27, 30, 54, 74, 80, 87, 88, 90, 95, 96, 97, and 101</CFR> <DEPDOC>[GN Docket No. 25-133; FCC 25-77; FR ID 318984]</DEPDOC> <SUBJECT>Delete, Delete, Delete; Removal of Obsolete Regulations</SUBJECT> <HD SOURCE="HED">AGENCY:</HD> Federal Communications Commission. <HD SOURCE="HED">ACTION:</HD> Direct final rule; request for comments. <SUM> <HD SOURCE="HED">SUMMARY:</HD> In this document, Commission acts to eliminate certain outdated, obsolete, and unnecessary rules. </SUM> <EFFDATE> <HD SOURCE="HED">DATES:</HD> Effective February 10, 2026, unless significant adverse comments are received by January 2, 2026. In the event the Commission receives significant adverse comments, the Commission will publish a timely withdrawal in the <E T="04">Federal Register</E> informing the public the provisions of the rule(s) for which significant adverse comments were received and elimination will not take effect. </EFFDATE> <HD SOURCE="HED">ADDRESSES:</HD> You may submit comments, identified by GN Docket No. 25-133, electronically or on paper. See <E T="02">SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION</E> for specific information and addresses for electronic or paper filings. <FURINF> <HD SOURCE="HED">FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:</HD> Amy Brett, Federal Communications Commission, Wireless Telecommunications Bureau, <E T="03">Amy.Brett@fcc.gov,</E> (202) 418-2703. </FURINF> <SUPLINF> <HD SOURCE="HED">SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:</HD> This is a summary of the Commission's Direct Final Rule, GN Docket No. 25-133, FCC 25-77, adopted on October 28, 2025 and released on October 29, 2025. The full text of this document is available for public inspection and can be downloaded at <E T="03">https://www.fcc.gov/document/deleting-obsolete-and-duplicative-wireless-rules-0</E> . Alternative formats are available for people with disabilities (Braille, large print, electronic files, audio format) by sending an email to <E T="03">fcc504@fcc.gov</E> or calling the Commission's Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau at (202) 418-0530 (voice), (202) 418-0432 (TTY). <E T="03">Comment Period and Filing Procedures.</E> Interested parties may file comments on or before the dates provided in the <E T="02">DATES</E> section of this document. Comments must be filed in GN Docket No. 25-133. Comments may be filed using the Commission's Electronic Comment Filing System (ECFS). See Electronic Filing of Documents in Rulemaking Proceedings, 63 FR 24121 (1998). • All filings must be addressed to the Commission's Secretary, Office of the Secretary, Federal Communications Commission. • <E T="03">Electronic Filers:</E> Comments may be filed electronically using the internet by accessing the ECFS: <E T="03">https://www.fcc.gov/ecfs/</E> . • <E T="03">Paper Filers:</E> Parties who choose to file by paper must file an original and one copy of each filing. If more than one docket or rulemaking number appears in the caption of this proceeding, filers must submit two additional copies for each additional docket or rulemaking number. • Commercial overnight mail (other than U.S. Postal Service Express Mail and Priority Mail) must be sent to 9050 Junction Drive, Annapolis Junction, MD 20701. • U.S. Postal Service first-class, Express, and Priority mail must be addressed to 45 L Street NE, Washington, DC 20554. <HD SOURCE="HD1">Procedural Matters</HD> <E T="03">Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 Analysis:</E> This document does not contain new or modified information collections subject to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), 44 U.S.C. 3501-3521. In addition, therefore, it does not contain any new or modified information collection burden for small business concerns with fewer than 25 employees, pursuant to the Small Business Paperwork Relief Act of 2002, 44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(4). <E T="03">Congressional Review Act:</E> The Commission has determined, and the Administrator of the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and Budget concurs, that this rule is “non-major” under the Congressional Review Act, 5 U.S.C. 804(2). The Commission will send a copy of this Direct Final Rule to Congress and the Government Accountability Office pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A). <HD SOURCE="HD1">Synopsis</HD> 1. This Direct Final Rule continues our efforts to modernize our regulatory framework by rescinding certain wireless rules and requirements in parts 1, 13, 17, 20, 22, 24, 26, 27, 30, 54, 74, 80, 87, 88, 90, 95, 96, 97, and 101. In this proceeding, we have undertaken a sweeping review eventually aimed at eliminating outdated rules, reducing unnecessary regulatory burdens, accelerating infrastructure deployment, promoting network modernization, and spurring innovation. Our objective is to streamline, simplify, and smartly deregulate across multiple fronts simultaneously to better serve the public and support technological progress. 2. In initiating this proceeding, we generally sought to identify rules that are outdated, obsolete, unlawful, anticompetitive, or otherwise no longer in the public interest. In this item, we specifically focus on the repeal of certain wireless rules in various parts for which prior notice and comment are unnecessary, but for which we elect to provide an opportunity for input on that assessment. Absent any significant adverse comments in response to this Direct Final Rule, these rules will be repealed. 3. <E T="03">Good Cause to Forgo Notice and Comment.</E> Under the Administrative Procedure Act (APA), when an agency for good cause finds that notice and public comment “are impracticable, unnecessary, or contrary to the public interest,” it need not follow notice and comment procedures before modifying or repealing rules. Prior notice and comment are “unnecessary” when “ ‘the administrative rule is a routine determination, insignificant in nature and impact, and inconsequential to the industry and to the public.’ ” 4. We have identified approximately 396 rule provisions and rule parts, totaling 58,218 words and covering approximately 137 pages in the Code of Federal Regulations, that plainly no longer serve the public interest because they have sunset by operation of law;  <SU>1</SU> <FTREF/> govern an expired event;  regulate virtually a null set of FCC licensees;  <SU>4</SU> <FTREF/> regulate an outdated market structure;  <SU>5</SU> <FTREF/> are no longer used in practice by the FCC or licensees;  <SU>6</SU> <FTREF/> or are otherwise duplicative, <FTNT> <SU>1</SU>  § 20.6 (providing rule that ceased to be effective January 1, 2003); § 20.12(b) (providing rule that sunset on November 24, 2002); §§ 27.1021-27.1041 (governing H Block auction and reimbursement processes, which are complete and therefore rules have sunset by operation of law ten years after the issuance of the first license in the Lower H Block and Upper H Block in 2014. <E T="03">See</E> 47 CFR 27.1041(a)); §§ 27.1160-27.1190 (governing cost sharing and reimbursement process for BRS relocation which is now complete therefore these rules have sunset by operation of law); § 54.317 (c) (governing Alaska Plan support for competitive eligible telecommunications carriers during the period from January 1, 2012, until December 31, 2016), (g) (governing a phasedown period Alaska Plan support for certain competitive eligible communications carriers; phasedown period has elapsed); § 54.321(a) (providing for the filing of certifications Alaska Plan participants no later than 60 days after the end of each participating carrier's first five-year term of support, which all ended in 2022); § 95.1933(b) (providing reporting requirements that sunset on January 1, 2023). </FTNT> <FTNT> <SU>2</SU>  § 1.9030(d)(4)(iv) (governing unjust enrichment obligations related to leases from a licensee that participates in the installment payment program, which the Commission paused in 1997); § 1.9045 (governing requirements for spectrum leasing arrangements entered into by licensees participating in the installment payment program, which the Commission paused); §§ 13.7(b)(1)-(3), 13.8(a), (c), 13.11(a)(1)-(3) (referring to First, Second, and Third Class Radiotelegraph Operator Certifications, which no longer exist because any such certificates were renewed as Radiotelegraph Operator Licenses or as Marine Radio Operator Permits. <E T="03">See</E> 47 CFR 13.13(a)); § 13.17 (stating the requirements for commercial radio operators to acquire a replacement paper license, which are no longer applicable because licenses are now available on the Commission's website); § 24.321(c) (providing that certain Narrowband PCS winners of licenses in auctions prior to 2000 will be eligible to pay in installments); § 24.711 (providing the option for Broadband PCS C Block license winners to pay for auctioned licenses through the installment payment program, which the Commission paused in 1997, and the Commission has not auctioned new Broadband PCS C Block licenses since Auction 71 in 2007); § 24.712(c) (providing that certain part 1 unjust enrichment provisions shall not apply to Broadband PCS C Block licenses acquired in auctions in 1995 and 1996; such provisions already do not apply to these licenses because the unjust enrichment period has passed); § 24.714(c) (governing rules for Broadband PCS auction winners to pay for licenses through the installment payment program, which the Commission paused in 1997); § 24.716 (providing the option for Broadband PCS F Block license winners to pay for auctioned licenses through the installment payment program, which the Commission paused in 1997, and the Commission has not auctioned new Broadband PCS F Block licenses since Auction 71 in 2007); § 27.5(i)(5) (governing the involuntary relocation of grandfathered EBS point-to-point statio ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ Preview showing 10k of 136k characters. 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