A court ruling put the company that runs USF in question, and a vendor’s collapse handed thousands of rural radios to new owners. Neither changes your network today. Both need a plan before Thanksgiving.

On Oct. 15, a three-judge panel in Consumers’ Research v. FCC held that the FCC broke the Government Corporation Control Act by creating USAC without specific permission from Congress. The FCC sets each quarter’s contribution factor from USAC’s projections, so the court vacated the 38.1% factor for the fourth quarter of 2025 and sent it back.

The order is narrow: one quarter, no refunds, and Section 254 stays standing. The reasoning reaches further. The same petitioners are challenging later quarters, and lawyers say the opinion raises doubt about the FCC using USAC to run the fund at all (secondary). Today’s factor is 42.0%, and the court didn’t rule on it.

If you receive support (A-CAM, CAF BLS, RDOF, Lifeline), USAC also sends your payments. Nothing stops today. If the ruling stands, the FCC needs a lawful way to pay out, and the realistic worst case is delays (our inference). If you contribute, keep paying as billed. Unsubsidized WISPs and fiber ISPs with no telecom revenue have little direct exposure (our inference).

The clock (our estimates from the appellate rules): rehearing petitions are due Monday, Nov. 30, since day 45 is a Sunday (FRAP 40 and 26). With no petition, the mandate issues Dec. 7 (FRAP 41(b)). A Supreme Court petition is due Jan. 13, 2027, or later if rehearing is sought (Rule 13).

Airspan bought PMP 450, PTP 670, PTP 700, cnWave and cnReach on Sept. 22, along with LINKPlanner, cnHeat and cnMaestro. On Oct. 14, Univastu UK, a subsidiary of Univastu India, bought the rest from Cambium’s UK administrators for about $5.1 million: ePMP, PTP 550, PON fiber, Wi-Fi and switching, plus its own access to cnMaestro. Cambium’s parent expects to wind down with nothing for unsecured creditors (secondary).

Airspan says it will keep cnMaestro Cloud running for the lines it bought (attributed). Enterprise gear is shakier. Cambium’s Sept. 18 guidance warned that cnMaestro Cloud may stop supporting Wi-Fi and switches after Oct. 1, a date that has passed, and pointed customers to cnMaestro On-Premises (secondary).

The Public Utilities Commission proposes replacing its multi-part test with a single formula recommended by the state Department of Energy. The hearing is Oct. 29 at 10 a.m., 21 S. Fruit Street, Concord. Attachers in past state cases have argued the cable formula yields lower rates than some owners charge (attributed).

The Rural Broadband Protection Act, signed May 11, gave the FCC 180 days to begin a rulemaking on vetting applicants. A draft proposal is tentatively set for the Oct. 29 open meeting (WC Docket Nos. 10-90, 26-96 and 26-288). If adopted, comments open after Federal Register publication. If you plan to apply for future high-cost money, read the draft now.

Contractor Stimulus told lawmakers it couldn’t complete some Pahrump-area connections before the Dec. 31 spending deadline, citing pole supply delays and a new franchise-agreement requirement. The money, more than a quarter of the roughly $200 million Nevada set aside for rural broadband, is going to non-broadband programs (secondary). If your builds run on relief funds, check every pole and permit dependency against Dec. 31 this week, and warn your state office early if you’re at risk.

The state’s BEAD program puts in $916 million federal, and subgrantees add $531 million in match, to reach nearly 200,000 locations. That’s about $7,235 per location, $4,580 of it federal (our estimate). Signers include Great Lakes Energy, Midwest Energy & Communications, Presque Isle Electric & Gas, Thumb Electric, and the Baraga, Pigeon, Upper Peninsula and Waldron telephone companies. Five more are expected soon, and each has four years from signing to finish.

A federal judge in New York issued a temporary restraining order on Oct. 9 blocking Cable One from buying the 55% of Mega Broadband Investments, owner of Vyve Broadband, that it doesn’t own. CoBank, one of its lenders, argues the payment would be a fraudulent transfer because Cable One is insolvent. Cable One disputes that and has asked the court to lift the order (secondary). If you’re buying or selling, learn early what your lenders’ credit agreements let them block.

Corrections: none this issue.

The Rural Operator is independent. No agency, company or association named here sponsored or reviewed this issue.

“Our estimate” is our calculation. “Our inference” is our judgment. “Attributed” is a party’s own claim. “Secondary” is reporting we haven’t checked against a primary source. This is information, not legal, financial or engineering advice.

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