The Federal Communications Commission on Wednesday approved the elimination of 18 more outdated regulatory provisions, continuing its aggressive deregulatory push under Chair Brendan Carr’s flagship initiative that has now reshaped hundreds of pages of federal telecommunications law since its launch last summer.
The Direct Final Rule removes 18 rules, including 17 rule provisions impacting the Office of Economics and Analytics’ Auction Division that are no longer in use by the Commission or govern expired events, and one rule relating to the Office of International Affairs that imposed carrier burdens under a deleted requirement.
The targeted provisions total 6,413 words and span more than 10 pages of the Code of Federal Regulations. Among the rules set for elimination are provisions connected to installment payment programs for designated entities that the FCC stopped using in the late 1990s, reporting requirements tied to rules that were eliminated years ago, and procedures related to the broadcast television incentive auction that concluded in 2017.
The vote marks the seventh time the Commission has taken formal action under the “Delete, Delete, Delete” proceeding, which Carr launched in the spring of 2025 following an executive order from President Trump directing federal agencies to pursue broad deregulatory reform. Since that time, the initiative has grown into one of the most consequential regulatory cleanup efforts in the agency’s history.
The effort has already resulted in the removal of just over 1,000 regulations, with more than 130,000 words and roughly 300 pages cut from the Code of Federal Regulations. The FCC has also closed approximately 2,000 separate inactive proceedings that had been left open, creating what Carr has described as a regulatory overhang for the industry.
The proceeding has drawn widespread participation from the public and industry stakeholders, with the Commission inviting comment on virtually every rule, regulation, and guidance document it oversees. Officials say that feedback has been constructive and will inform action both within the “Delete, Delete, Delete” docket and in related proceedings going forward.
Wednesday’s vote was not without dissent. Commissioner Gomez approved the order in part but dissented in part, and both Carr and Gomez issued separate statements reflecting differing views on aspects of the action.
Under the direct final rule process that the Commission has adopted for this series of actions, rule changes take effect unless significant adverse comments are received within a specified window following publication in the Federal Register. If significant adverse feedback is submitted, the Commission publishes a withdrawal notice and the relevant provisions are not eliminated.
The move is part of a broader alignment with the Trump administration’s deregulatory priorities. The FCC has framed the effort as following President Trump’s leadership and the administration’s decision to pursue prosperity through deregulation, citing executive orders including one titled “Unleashing Prosperity Through Deregulation” and another aimed at implementing the administration’s deregulatory initiative through the Department of Government Efficiency.
Earlier in the proceeding, last August, the Commission voted to abolish 71 broadcast rule provisions covering 98 regulatory burdens and removing about 12 pages of language related to outdated technical requirements and references to long-superseded policies. In December, the Commission approved deletion of 36 rules governing long-forgotten technologies, including regulations for analog cable receivers and obsolete cordless phone equipment.
Carr has noted that the FCC is ahead of schedule on the administration’s 10-to-1 deregulation requirement, which calls for agencies to eliminate 10 existing regulations for every new one adopted. Among the more striking discoveries during the review were regulations governing telegraph services and telephone booths — provisions that had remained on the books for decades despite the disappearance of the technologies they were meant to govern.
The Commission has signaled the effort is far from over. Carr said the next phase of the initiative will focus on simplifying licensing and permitting and modernizing FCC rules for a new era of competition. With the regulatory rulebook now substantially leaner than it was a year ago, the agency’s stated goal remains reducing barriers for licensees seeking to deploy modern network infrastructure and bring new technologies to market more quickly.
Please add Cord Cutters News as a source for your Google News feed HERE. Please follow us on Facebook and X for more news, tips, and reviews. Need cord cutting tech support? Join our Cord Cutting Tech Support Facebook Group for help.