Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Julius Genachowski has appointed Larissa Herda, tw telecom Chairman, CEO and President, to lead the FCC's Communications, Security, Reliability and Interoperability Council (CSRIC), effective immediately. Ms. Herda will chair the Council composed of executive leaders from some of the nation's most prominent telecommunications, media and technology firms. Her term of appointment is for two years.

Gogo Inc. announced that the Federal Communications Commission has granted the company a blanket license to operate up to 1,000 Ku-band Satellite aircraft for international and domestic service. The license is granted based on Gogo's agreements with SES and Intelsat that will provide the company with extensive global Ku-band satellite coverage. Under its agreement with SES, Gogo will utilize a trio of SES satellites that will enable Gogo to expand its broadband offering in the sky to aircraft flying busy transatlantic routes. The SES-1 spacecraft will cover the continental U.S., while NSS-703 and three powerful spot beams will reach across the North Atlantic and SES-4 serves Europe. Gogo service through the NSS-703 satellite is expected to be transitioned in mid-2014 to the new SES-6 bird, slated for launch next year. Under its agreement with Intelsat, Gogo has access to the Intelsat 19, Intelsat 21 and Intelsat 22 satellites. These satellites are designed to provide high-speed connectivity for airline passengers crossing portions of the Atlantic and northern Pacific oceans, as well as routes over South America, Asia, Africa and Australia.

The federal government announced AT&T will pay $18.25 million to settle charges related to operating services that are designed for use by the deaf and hard-of-hearing who place calls by typing messages over the Internet. The settlement announced by the Federal Communications Commission closes an investigation over compliance with rules on registering and verifying callers. AT&T isn't admitting any wrongdoing. The case is separate from a pending lawsuit in Pittsburgh by the Justice Department that alleges AT&T improperly billed the government for calls made by overseas callers who were ineligible. AT&T Inc. is paying $7 million to reimburse the fund for the Telecommunications Relay Service. That amount includes interest. AT&T also is paying $11.25 million to the U.S. Treasury and is agreeing to new procedures.