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FCC Enforcement Monitor — March 2026
Pillsbury’s communications lawyers have published the FCC Enforcement Monitor monthly since 1999 to inform our clients of notable FCC enforcement actions against FCC license holders and others. This month’s issue includes:
- Airport Transmissions Lead to FCC Notice of Unlicensed Operation
- FCC Issues Notice of Violation for Prolonged Tower Lighting Outage
- FCC Cuts Off Voice Provider Linked to Illegal Robocalls
FCC Issues Notice of Unlicensed Operation for Unauthorized Aviation Frequency Use
Following a complaint of harmful interference at a Billings, Montana airport, the Denver office of the FCC’s Enforcement Bureau issued a Notice of Unlicensed Operation (NOUO) to an aviation services provider operating at the airport.
According to the NOUO, the FCC’s Denver field office received a complaint regarding unauthorized transmissions on 128.825 MHz at the Billings-Logan International Airport. The complaint alleged that the transmissions were causing interference to a licensed operator at the airport. During the investigation, an FCC agent located the source of the interference, and ultimately spoke with a provider of airport services, including charters, aircraft sales, and hanger space rentals. The provider confirmed it was operating radios on 128.825 MHz as part of its fixed-base operator support services at the airport. The FCC determined that no license had been issued authorizing the services provider to operate on that frequency.
Such unlicensed operations are prohibited by Section 301 of the Communications Act. In the NOUO, the FCC warned the services provider that operating without a valid authorization violates federal law and could result in “substantial monetary fines, in rem seizure of the offending radio equipment, and criminal sanctions including imprisonment.”
The NOUO directed the company to immediately cease the transmissions and to not resume them unless it obtained the necessary FCC authorization. It gave the company 10 days to provide any evidence of authority to operate on that frequency, at which point the FCC will “determine what, if any, enforcement action is required to ensure your compliance with the Commission’s rules.”
Michigan Tower Owner Cited for Failing to Maintain Required Obstruction Lighting
The FCC’s Enforcement Bureau issued a Notice of Violation (NOV) to a Michigan tower owner for failing to maintain required obstruction lighting.
According to the NOV, an agent from the FCC’s Chicago field office inspected the tower in November 2025 and found that its obstruction lighting was not operating as specified in the Antenna Structure Registration (ASR) database. Section 17.23 of the FCC’s Rules requires that antenna structures be painted and lighted in accordance with their registration. The ASR for the tower required medium intensity white obstruction lighting at night, including a top-level strobe and two mid-level strobes. At the time of the inspection, however, all of the required lighting was dark except for a single low-intensity, non-strobing white light that did not comply with Federal Aviation Administration specifications. Continue reading →
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