Federal Executive Branch
Here's a look at documents from the U.S. Executive Branch
Featured Stories
USTR: Ambassador Greer Highlights Trump Administration's Work to Onshore Jobs and Production Lines While Touring California's Advanced Manufacturing Plants
WASHINGTON, June 16 -- The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative issued the following news release on June 15, 2026:
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Ambassador Greer Highlights the Trump Administration's Work to Onshore Jobs and Production Lines While Touring California's Advanced Manufacturing Plants
Last week, Ambassador Greer toured advanced manufacturing plants in California, ranging from a semiconductor research and development facility to the largest U.S. drone manufacturer by volume. Walking the factory floor, Ambassador Greer talked with blue-collar workers and industry leaders about how President Trump's trade
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WASHINGTON, June 16 -- The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative issued the following news release on June 15, 2026:
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Ambassador Greer Highlights the Trump Administration's Work to Onshore Jobs and Production Lines While Touring California's Advanced Manufacturing Plants
Last week, Ambassador Greer toured advanced manufacturing plants in California, ranging from a semiconductor research and development facility to the largest U.S. drone manufacturer by volume. Walking the factory floor, Ambassador Greer talked with blue-collar workers and industry leaders about how President Trump's tradeagenda is strengthening our global competitiveness by lowering trade barriers for American workers and producers.
"America's economic and national security hinges on our ability to manufacture next-generation technologies at scale on U.S. soil," said Ambassador Greer. "Thanks to the Made in America agenda, companies are expanding their domestic operations, driving job growth and fueling local economies across the country. President Trump will continue to use tariffs and trade deals to open markets abroad and create new opportunities for workers and businesses at home."
Here are the highlights:
* Semafor: Greer heads to Silicon Valley to promote onshoring
* Kern Radio: The Ralph Bailey Show w/ Ambassador Jamieson Greer
* Hoover Institution: US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer Discusses Trade Policy with Hoover Scholars
* Yahoo Finance: Greer heads to Silicon Valley to promote onshoring
* Inside U.S. Trade: Greer heading west to tour manufacturing plants, tout onshoring efforts
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Original text here: https://ustr.gov/about/policy-offices/press-office/press-releases/2026/june/ambassador-greer-highlights-trump-administrations-work-onshore-jobs-and-production-lines-while
SEC Files Settled Action as to Ex-Investment Advisory Firm Employee Charged With Insider Trading
WASHINGTON, June 16 -- The Securities and Exchange Commission issued the following litigation release (No. 1:26-civ-0312; S.D.N.Y. filed June 3, 2026) involving an ex-investment advisory firm employee charged with insider trading:
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On June 3, 2026, the Securities and Exchange Commission filed a settled action as to Rakesh Ahuja, a former employee of an investment advisory firm, for allegedly insider trading based on confidential information he obtained during his employment.
According to the SEC's complaint, filed in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York,
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WASHINGTON, June 16 -- The Securities and Exchange Commission issued the following litigation release (No. 1:26-civ-0312; S.D.N.Y. filed June 3, 2026) involving an ex-investment advisory firm employee charged with insider trading:
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On June 3, 2026, the Securities and Exchange Commission filed a settled action as to Rakesh Ahuja, a former employee of an investment advisory firm, for allegedly insider trading based on confidential information he obtained during his employment.
According to the SEC's complaint, filed in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York,Ahuja worked for an investment advisory firm that provided investment advisory services to two pooled investment funds that specialized in making investments in biopharmaceutical and biotechnology companies. The SEC alleges that the advisory firm provided Ahuja with material nonpublic information, including confidential clinical trial data, from these companies as part of its due diligence process. The SEC further alleges that on multiple occasions, Ahuja breached his duty to the advisory firm by causing a brokerage account in the name of one of his close relatives to trade based on material nonpublic information in advance of announcements by companies he was researching for the advisory firm. Ahuja allegedly engaged in this conduct in connection with three publicly traded companies on a total of four occasions. According to the complaint, Ahuja's unlawful trades resulted in profits of approximately $65,000.
Without admitting the allegations, Ahuja consented to the entry of a final judgment, subject to court approval, in which he agreed to be permanently enjoined from violating the antifraud provisions of Section 10(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and Rule 10b-5 thereunder; enjoined from acting as or being associated with an investment adviser, broker, or dealer for a period of two years; and to pay disgorgement of $65,404.25, prejudgment interest of $12,289.01, and a civil penalty of $65,404.25.
The SEC's investigation was conducted by Frank Goldman, Patrick McCluskey, and Danielle R. Voorhees of the Division of Enforcement's Market Abuse Unit, under the supervision of Joseph G. Sansone, Chief of the Market Abuse Unit, with the assistance of senior trial counsel Sharan Lieberman under the supervision of Gregory A. Kasper of the SEC's Denver Regional Office. The SEC appreciates the assistance of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority.
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Resources
* SEC Complaint (https://www.sec.gov/files/litigation/complaints/2026/comp26567.pdf)
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Original text here: https://www.sec.gov/enforcement-litigation/litigation-releases/lr-26567
National Air and Space Museum Accepts Air Racer Into National Collection at "Innovations in Flight" Event
WASHINGTON, June 16 -- The Smithsonian Institution National Air and Space Museum issued the following news release:
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National Air and Space Museum Accepts Air Racer Into National Collection at "Innovations in Flight" Event
The Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum has accepted the Aero L-39C Albatros "American Spirit" jet racer into its national collection. The aircraft was donated by owner Ed Noel of the Noel Air Race Team (NART). Between 2002 and 2024, "American Spirit" achieved eight first-place finishes, nine top-five finishes and three closed-course speed records.
The aircraft
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WASHINGTON, June 16 -- The Smithsonian Institution National Air and Space Museum issued the following news release:
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National Air and Space Museum Accepts Air Racer Into National Collection at "Innovations in Flight" Event
The Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum has accepted the Aero L-39C Albatros "American Spirit" jet racer into its national collection. The aircraft was donated by owner Ed Noel of the Noel Air Race Team (NART). Between 2002 and 2024, "American Spirit" achieved eight first-place finishes, nine top-five finishes and three closed-course speed records.
The aircraftflew in to the museum's Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center during its popular "Innovations in Flight" event Saturday, June 13, where it was formally transferred to the museum. It will be displayed at the Udvar-Hazy Center later this summer.
"Acquiring 'American Spirit' will allow the museum to tell significant stories," said Jeremy Kinney, associate director for research and curatorial affairs at the museum. "It is a surplus Warsaw Pact trainer and foreign-built warbird enjoyed by many Americans in the late 20th and early 21st centuries. It is also the most common example of a jet used for air racing competition, which has not been represented in the National Collection. Additionally, this specific L-39 has an exceptional and unsurpassed competition history."
The Aero L-39 Albatros, a high-performance jet trainer, was manufactured in Czechoslovakia by Aero Vodochody from 1971 to 1996. In the 1990s, many surplus L-39s were sold to private owners, especially in the United States, where they became popular for recreational flying and air racing. The L-39 became the primary aircraft used in the Jet Class of the National Championship Air Races following its introduction in 2002.
Ed Noel purchased "American Spirit" in 2007 and established NART, undertaking extensive modifications to optimize the aircraft for racing. These enhancements included aerodynamically refinements to the tail and wingtips, removal or replacement of heavy components with lightweight materials, and the addition of a water injection system. Altogether, these changes reduced the aircraft's weight by approximately 1,100 pounds. NART and "American Spirit" came to represent a benchmark for performance in air racing.
"It is the greatest recognition of an aircraft's contribution to flight, pilot's skills and the race team's efforts for 'American Spirit' to join the collection with the Wright brothers' Flyer," Noel said. "I view this event with the same wonderment and excitement of my first visit to the Smithsonian at the age of 9 in 1962."
The Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center is located in Chantilly, Virginia, near Washington Dulles International Airport and is open every day except Dec. 25 from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Admission is free, timed-entry passes are not required for regular indoor visitation and parking is $15. The National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C., is located at Jefferson Drive between Fourth and Seventh streets S.W. and is open every day except Dec. 25 from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Admission is free, but timed-entry passes are required to visit.
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Original text here: https://www.si.edu/newsdesk/releases/national-air-and-space-museum-accepts-air-racer-national-collection-innovations
NIH Launches New Office to Advance Human-Based Research and Reduce Animal Use
WASHINGTON, June 16 -- The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services National Institutes of Health issued the following news release on June 15, 2026:
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NIH launches new office to advance human-based research and reduce animal use
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) today announced the creation of the Office of Research Innovation, Validation, and Application, or ORIVA, to speed the development and use of human-based research technologies across NIH.
ORIVA will coordinate NIH-wide efforts to develop, validate and scale New Approach Methodologies, or NAMs, including 3D human tissue
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WASHINGTON, June 16 -- The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services National Institutes of Health issued the following news release on June 15, 2026:
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NIH launches new office to advance human-based research and reduce animal use
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) today announced the creation of the Office of Research Innovation, Validation, and Application, or ORIVA, to speed the development and use of human-based research technologies across NIH.
ORIVA will coordinate NIH-wide efforts to develop, validate and scale New Approach Methodologies, or NAMs, including 3D human tissuemodels, computational tools and other animal-free methods that can better reflect human biology. The office will also serve as a hub for interagency coordination and regulatory translation.
"Complex computational models, 3D human tissue models, and other emerging technologies have improved by leaps and bounds in recent years and may hold the key to a more effective research enterprise," said NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya, M.D., Ph.D. "By strategically capitalizing on these tools and encouraging further innovation, NIH aims to steer biomedical research in this direction."
Traditional animal models have helped advance scientific knowledge and supported the development of safe and effective treatments. However, differences between animals and humans can limit how well animal data translate to human biology. NAMs give researchers more tools to study human health and disease in ways that can be replicable, translatable and efficient, while reducing or replacing animal use where appropriate.
Housed in the Division of Program Coordination, Planning, and Strategic Initiatives (DPCPSI) in the NIH Office of the Director (OD), ORIVA will take a two-pronged approach. One division will support innovations in the research community by developing new funding opportunities, research infrastructure, and training resources. The other will coordinate a multi-agency effort to facilitate the evaluation and acceptance of new research methods.
"NIH is committed to accelerating innovation and transparently assessing where animal use can be reduced or eliminated by transitioning to NAMs," said Nicole Kleinstreuer, Ph.D, NIH Deputy Director for Program Coordination, Planning, and Strategic Initiatives. "The goal of ORIVA is to create systemic change, enacting a foundational shift across the scientific landscape that will translate to better human health."
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About the National Institutes of Health (NIH): NIH, the nation's medical research agency, includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIH is the primary federal agency conducting and supporting basic, clinical, and translational medical research, and is investigating the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit www.nih.gov.
NIH...Turning Discovery Into Health(R)
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Original text here: https://www.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases/nih-launches-new-office-advance-human-based-research-reduce-animal-use
Federal Reserve Bank of New York: Statement Regarding Agency Mortgage-Backed Securities Small Value Exercise
NEW YORK, June 16 -- The Federal Reserve Bank of New York issued the following statement on June 15, 2026:
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Statement Regarding Agency Mortgage-Backed Securities Small Value Exercise
The Open Market Trading Desk (the Desk) at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York undertakes small value transactions for the purpose of testing operational readiness to implement existing and potential policy directives from the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) including testing trade execution platforms.
The FOMC authorizes and directs the Desk to conduct these exercises in the Authorizations and Continuing
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NEW YORK, June 16 -- The Federal Reserve Bank of New York issued the following statement on June 15, 2026:
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Statement Regarding Agency Mortgage-Backed Securities Small Value Exercise
The Open Market Trading Desk (the Desk) at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York undertakes small value transactions for the purpose of testing operational readiness to implement existing and potential policy directives from the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) including testing trade execution platforms.
The FOMC authorizes and directs the Desk to conduct these exercises in the Authorizations and ContinuingDirectives for Open Market Operations.
Consistent with the Statement Regarding New FedTrade Platform, the Desk intends to conduct a small value agency MBS purchase operation on June 16 using the new trading platform, FedTrade Plus.
Concurrent with this announcement, the Desk has published an agency MBS operation schedule, detailing the date, time, operation type, securities, and maximum purchase amount for the operation.
Announcements and results will be posted on the New York Fed's website (https://www.newyorkfed.org/markets/desk-operations/ambs) at the start and following the completion of the operation, respectively.
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Original text here: https://www.newyorkfed.org/markets/opolicy/operating_policy_260615
FCC Wireline Competition Bureau Issues Public Notice: No Significant Adverse Comments on Direct Final Rule
WASHINGTON, June 16 -- The Federal Communications Commission's Wireline Competition Bureau issued the following public notice (GN Docket No. 25-133):
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By this Public Notice, the Wireline Competition Bureau (Bureau) confirms that no "significant adverse" comments were filed in response to the Direct Final Rule released by the Commission on September 30, 2025./1 In the Direct Final Rule, the Commission identified and repealed rules that regulate obsolete technology, are no longer used in practice by the Commission or carriers, or are otherwise outdated or unnecessary./2 Although public notice
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WASHINGTON, June 16 -- The Federal Communications Commission's Wireline Competition Bureau issued the following public notice (GN Docket No. 25-133):
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By this Public Notice, the Wireline Competition Bureau (Bureau) confirms that no "significant adverse" comments were filed in response to the Direct Final Rule released by the Commission on September 30, 2025./1 In the Direct Final Rule, the Commission identified and repealed rules that regulate obsolete technology, are no longer used in practice by the Commission or carriers, or are otherwise outdated or unnecessary./2 Although public noticeand comment were not required under the Administrative Procedure Act (APA) to repeal such rules, the Commission elected to provide an opportunity for input./3 The Commission explained that a rule would be repealed only if no "significant adverse comments" were filed./4 The Commission further explained that "where warranted by the record," the Bureau will issue a Public Notice "briefly explain[ing] why any comments filed were not determined to be significant adverse comments."/5 For the reasons discussed below, the Bureau confirms that none of the comments filed in response to the Direct Final Rule qualify as "significant adverse" comments.
Background. Under the APA, agencies may forgo notice and public comment for good cause when such procedures "are impracticable, unnecessary, or contrary to the public interest."/6 The Commission relied on this authority in the Direct Final Rule when it repealed 386 rules--including sections 43.21(d) and (f)./7
The Direct Final Rule was published in the Federal Register with a 20-day comment period and a 60-day effective date./8 Two parties filed comments in the record of the Direct Final Rule proceeding. The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) recommends that the Commission retain sections 43.21(d) and (f) of its rules, stating that "[t]he reports enable the CPUC to evaluate the allocation of costs and revenues between a carrier's regulated and nonregulated operations."/9 One other party, the Center for Regulatory Analysis and Engagement, filed comments that "support[] the Commission's effort to remove outdated, dormant, and duplicative provisions that no longer appear to serve meaningful operational or public-interest functions."/10
Discussion. As the Commission explained in the Direct Final Rule, to qualify as a "significant adverse comment," the comment must explain why the direct final rule is "inappropriate, including challenges to the rule's underlying premise or approach" or "would be ineffective or unacceptable without a change."/11 The "touchstone for analysis is whether a comment materially calls into question the conclusion that prior notice and comment is unnecessary under the APA."/12 The Commission directed the Bureau to withdraw any part of the Direct Final Rule found to be subject to significant adverse comments./13
Section 43.21(d) of the Commission's rules required financial data reports of network plant investment from "[e]ach communications common carrier required by order to file a manual allocating its costs between regulated and nonregulated operations."/14 This rule applied only to a carrier that met a $100 million revenue threshold adjusted for inflation./15 Section 43.21(f) also required "[e]ach incumbent local exchange carrier with operating revenues . . . that equal or exceed the indexed revenue threshold" of $100 million adjusted for inflation to file an annual "report showing . . . its revenues, expenses, taxes, plant in service, other investment and depreciation reserves, and other such data as are required by the Commission."/16
These reports have not been filed with the Commission in nearly two decades. As the Direct Final Rule explained, the Commission previously granted forbearance from cost-assignment and related reporting requirements, including sections 43.21(d) and (f) for price cap carriers, and thus determined that the rules were no longer necessary to ensure reasonable rates, protect consumers, or further the public interest in 2008./17 Nothing in the CPUC's comments undermines or addresses this rationale.
The CPUC's comments do not qualify as "significant adverse" because they do not explain why the direct final rule would be inappropriate, ineffective, or unacceptable, nor do they materially call into question the conclusion that prior notice and comment is unnecessary under the APA. The CPUC's assertion that it relies on sections 43.21(d) and (f) and that these rules are essential for the intrastate rate regulation of small incumbent local exchange carriers is baseless./18 First, small carriers have never been subject to these rules, and even carriers that meet the revenue threshold have not filed these reports with the FCC in nearly two decades./19 Second, the Commission has previously rejected this argument./20 In granting AT&T forbearance from the cost assignment rules in 2008, the Commission explained that the cost assignment rules, which include sections 43.21(d) and (f), could not be justified for federal ratemaking purposes and were not necessary for intrastate ratemaking because states may act under their own authority to obtain data they need./21
For these reasons, the CPUC's comments do not qualify as "significant adverse." Accordingly, the repeal of these sections as set forth in the amendments to the FCC's rules in the Appendix of the Direct Final Rule item is effective on June 15, 2026 as ordered./22
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Footnotes:
1/ Delete, Delete, Delete, GN Docket No. 25-133, Direct Final Rule, 40 FCC Rcd 8166 (2025) (Direct Final Rule). The Direct Final Rule was published in the Federal Register on April 16, 2026 and provided notice of the June 15, 2026 effective date. Deleting Obsolete and Duplicative Wireline Rules, 91 Fed. Reg. 20372 (Apr. 16, 2026) (Direct Final Rule FR Summary).
2/ Direct Final Rule, 40 FCC Rcd at 8166-67, para. 4.
3/ Id. at 8166, para. 2.
4/ Id.
5/ Id. at 8169, paras. 8-9.
6/ 5 U.S.C. Sec. 553(b)(B). 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.'" Util. Solid Waste Activities Grp. v. EPA, 236 F.3d 749, 755 (D.C. Cir. 2001) (quoting South Carolina v. Block, 558 F. Supp. 1004, 1016 (D.S.C. 1983)).
7/ Direct Final Rule, 40 FCC Rcd at 8166-68, para. 4 & n.6.
8/ Direct Final Rule FR Summary, 91 Fed. Reg. 20372.
9/ See Comments of the People of the State of California and the California Public Utilities Commission, GN Docket 25-133, at 1 (filed May 6, 2026) (collectively, CPUC Comments). 47 CFR Sec. 43.21(d), (f).
10/ Comments by the Center for Regulatory Analysis and Engagement, GN Docket No. 25-133, at 2, 5 (filed May 5, 2026) ("CRAE supports the Commission's effort to modernize and simplify obsolete portions of the wireline regulatory framework. Many of the provisions identified in this proceeding appear tied to outdated technologies, expired transition systems, legacy tariff structures, or regulatory arrangements that no longer correspond to present communications markets."). We reference these comments for the sake of completeness but do not provide further analysis because they support the actions taken in the Direct Final Rule and thus are not "significant adverse." Direct Final Rule, 40 FCC Rcd at 8169, para. 9.
11/ Direct Final Rule, 40 FCC Rcd at 8169, para. 7 (citing Administrative Conference of the United States, Recommendation 2024-6, Public Engagement in Agency Rulemaking Under the Good Cause Exemption, 89 Fed. Reg. 106406, 106409, para. 4 (Dec. 30, 2024) (ACUS Public Engagement and Good Cause Recommendation)).
12/ Direct Final Rule, 40 FCC Rcd at 8169 n.15 (explaining "our statutory determination of 'good cause' to forgo notice and comment ultimately represents the critical issue, rather than the particular language used by ACUS").
13/ Id. at 8169, paras. 8-9.
14/ 47 CFR Sec. 43.21(d).
15/ See 47 CFR Sec.Sec. 43.21(d), 64.903 (requiring that cost allocation manuals be filed by "[e]ach incumbent local exchange carrier having annual revenues from regulated telecommunications operations that are equal to or above the indexed revenue threshold (as defined in Sec. 32.9000)"). "Indexed revenue threshold for a given year means $100 million, adjusted for inflation." 47 CFR Sec. 32.9000 (italics in original).
16/ See 47 CFR Sec.Sec. 43.21(f), 32.9000.
17/ Direct Final Rule, 40 FCC Rcd at 8167 n.6 (citing Service Quality Customer Satisfaction, Infrastructure and Operating Data Gathering, Petition of AT&T Inc. for Forbearance Under 47 U.S.C. Sec. 160(c) from Enforcement of Certain of the Commission's ARMIS Reporting Requirements et. al., WC Docket Nos. 08-190 et al., Memorandum Opinion and Order and Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, 23 FCC Rcd 13647, 13660-61, paras. 23, 26 (2008) (ARMIS Forbearance Order). In the ARMIS Forbearance Order, the Commission granted Qwest and Verizon the same conditional forbearance from the Cost Assignment Rules it granted to AT&T in the AT&T Cost Assignment Rules Forbearance Order. Petition of AT&T Inc. for Forbearance Under 47 U.S.C. Sec. 160 from Enforcement of Certain of the Commission's Cost Assignment Rules, WC Docket No. 07-21 et al., Memorandum Opinion and Order, 23 FCC Rcd 7302 (2008) (AT&T Cost Assignment Rules Forbearance Order)).
18/ See CPUC Comments at 2, 4.
19/ See supra note 17. All carriers that meet a $100 million revenue threshold are also price cap carriers, such that granting forbearance from this rule for "price cap carriers" means that no carrier is subject to this rule today.
20/ The Commission rejected a related argument made by the CPUC when it filed comments in the 2008 cost assignment rule forbearance proceeding. At that time, the CPUC opposed AT&T's forbearance petition, arguing "any changes to the FCC's cost assignment rules should be closely coordinated with state commissions." Reply Comments of the California Public Utilities Commission and of the People of the State of California on AT&T's Petition for Forbearance, WC Docket No. 07-21, at 2 (filed Apr. 13, 2007).
21/ AT&T Cost Assignment Rules Forbearance Order, 23 FCC Rcd at 7320-22, paras. 32-34 ("We conclude that we do not have authority . . . to maintain federal regulatory requirements that meet the three-prong forbearance test with regard to interstate services in order to maintain regulatory burdens that may produce information helpful to state commissions for intrastate regulatory purposes solely. . . . [W]e would expect that any states that may rely on the Cost Assignment Rules and resulting data for state regulatory purposes would assert their jurisdiction to obtain the needed information . . . ."); see also Petition of USTelecom for Forbearance Under 47 U.S.C. Sec. 160(c) from Enforcement of Certain Legacy Telecommunications Regulations et al., WC Docket No. 12-61 et al., Memorandum Opinion and Order and Report and Order and Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking and Second Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, 28 FCC Rcd 7627, 7654, para. 50 (2013).
22/ See Direct Final Rule, 40 FCC Rcd at 8170-71, paras. 14-16; see also Appendix, id. at 8173 (amending 47 CFR Sec. 43.21 by removing and reserving paragraphs that include (d) and (f)).
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Original text here: https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DA-26-581A1.pdf
FCC Approves High-Cost Support Waiver for Wisper ISP in Arkansas to Prevent Duplicative Funding
WASHINGTON, June 16 -- The Federal Communications Commission Wireline Competition Bureau has granted a limited waiver to Wisper ISP LLC, Mascoutah, Illinois, relieving the provider of its deployment obligations under the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund program in Arkansas. The decision arrives after federal data confirmed that alternative broadband providers have already expanded network coverage to every location within the designated service territory.
The action was finalized in an official order released by Joseph S. Calascione, Chief of the Wireline Competition Bureau. The regulatory relief
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WASHINGTON, June 16 -- The Federal Communications Commission Wireline Competition Bureau has granted a limited waiver to Wisper ISP LLC, Mascoutah, Illinois, relieving the provider of its deployment obligations under the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund program in Arkansas. The decision arrives after federal data confirmed that alternative broadband providers have already expanded network coverage to every location within the designated service territory.
The action was finalized in an official order released by Joseph S. Calascione, Chief of the Wireline Competition Bureau. The regulatory reliefdirectly impacts obligations established under Connect America Fund (WC Docket No. 10-90), The Rural Digital Opportunity Fund Auction (AU Docket No. 20-34), and the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (WC Docket No. 19-126).
Under the provisions of the agreement, the company must fully repay the federal high-cost universal service funding it has collected for the affected census blocks. By executing this clawback mechanism, the agency intends to optimize public resources and prevent the subsidization of overlapping telecommunications infrastructure, while ensuring consumer access to high-speed data networks remains secure.
The company originally secured its service commitments as part of the Wisper-CABO 904 Consortium during the multi-billion-dollar RDOF Phase I Auction. In June 2022, the federal agency authorized the company to receive $68,032.50 over a ten-year disbursement cycle. In exchange for the financial backing, the company committed to deploying voice and broadband infrastructure capable of delivering data transmission speeds of at least 100 Megabits per second downstream and 20 Megabits per second upstream to 564 model-estimated locations across Arkansas.
The company submitted a formal petition for waiver to the federal regulator on March 25, 2026, requesting total relief from its buildout mandates. To support its legal and operational justification, the provider pointed to data sets published on the National Broadband Map. The database revealed that all but two physical properties within the assigned service territory already possessed access to wireline infrastructure meeting or exceeding the federal download and upload speed requirements through alternative cable or fiber networks.
To address the final two unserved properties, the petitioner submitted documented confirmation from a neighboring fiber-to-the-home provider. The adjacent operator certified its physical capacity to extend symmetrical 300 Megabits per second broadband connectivity to those remaining locations without relying on federal subsidies. Furthermore, the Arkansas State Broadband Office, operating under the structural designation ARConnect, reviewed the coverage figures and submitted a declaration stating it would not mount a challenge against the petition.
The regulatory agency determined that the emergence of independent, privately funded networks constituted a valid change in market conditions, establishing the necessary good cause to waive standard buildout rules. Agency officials noted that enforcing rigid deployment requirements in an area that secured commercial access would run counter to the core purpose of the high-cost program.
The policy shift protects the public interest by redirecting scarce capital away from overbuilt markets. Federal guidelines require RDOF participants authorized in 2022 to demonstrate progressive buildout metrics, starting with a 40 percent location coverage threshold by December 31, 2025, and advancing by 20 percent annual increments until achieving 100 percent completion by the conclusion of 2028. Failure to hit these milestones normally triggers severe administrative penalties, including capital withholding, mandatory reporting structures, and scaled financial recovery.
Because the company proactively coordinated its market analysis with federal staff prior to experiencing any deployment defaults or operational non-compliance, the bureau waived the standard punitive penalties. The order emphasizes that this scenario represents a good-faith effort to conserve public funds rather than an intentional operational abandonment.
The bureau noted that leaving unnecessary buildout mandates active could inadvertently disrupt local funding decisions. Under the guidelines of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration Broadband Equity Access and Deployment program, geographic markets burdened with outstanding federal service commitments are automatically disqualified from receiving further infrastructure grants. Removing the company's legacy RDOF designation clarifies the regulatory landscape for state-level broadband planners.
The federal order maintains administrative consistency by applying the policy exception strictly at the census block group tier, which served as the baseline geographic unit during the auction bidding process. This comprehensive boundary requirement eliminates the administrative complexity of adjusting funding allocations on a house-by-house basis and ensures that no isolated pockets of consumers are left without operational network access.
The Universal Service Administrative Company has been instructed to immediately cease all monthly funding disbursements to the company for the state of Arkansas. The administrative body will issue a formal invoice to reclaim all previously distributed funds. The company has a strict six-month window from the invoice issuance date to return the capital.
Upon receipt of the full payment, the provider will be officially released from its RDOF deployment liabilities and permitted to terminate its outstanding letter of credit. If the company fails to return the funds within the designated timeframe, its buildout mandates will be reinstated, leaving the firm subject to standard non-compliance penalties and potential debt collection actions under federal law. The firm remains bound to all eligible telecommunications carrier requirements and cannot terminate voice service without undergoing standard regulatory reviews.
-- Vidhi Gianani, Targeted News Service
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URL: Wisper ISP LLC
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Original text here: https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DA-26-587A1.pdf
