Longer FCC Shutdown Standstill May Slow 5G Launches

The partial government shutdown has left Federal Communications Commission operations mostly at a standstill and reviews of transactions, including the proposed merger of T-Mobile US Inc. and Sprint Corp., suspended.

So far, the shutdown has not been debilitating for the nation’s wireless carriers, cable providers, broadcast stations, and satellite operators, telecom attorneys told Bloomberg Law.

They are contending mostly with a stoppage in agency reviews of transactions and in licensing services for phone companies, satellite operators, and TV stations. FCC employees tasked with approving new technologies and devices are furloughed. Meetings are canceled, and no new products, such as internet ...