"Chestertown, Maryland - January 29, 2026 - Talkie Communications, Inc. (Talkie) announces that it filed a petition with the FCC seeking preemption of actions by Queen Anne's County, Maryland (the County), and the Maryland Department of Information Technology (MD DoIT) that unlawfully obliterate the deployment of advanced and critical broadband networks using fixed wireless technology in Maryland. The petition requests that the FCC enforce Section 253 of the Communications Act, which limits state and local requirements that prohibit or effectively prohibit the provision of telecommunications services."
"The dispute centers on Talkie's installation of a utility pole along a Maryland state highway. In March 2025, Talkie received a permit from the Maryland State Highway Administration (MD SHA) authorizing the installation. Because Talkie is a certificated telecommunications provider in Maryland and has the ability to offer telephone service using the pole, the installation fell squarely within MD SHA's exclusive authority. Accordingly, no County permit was required."
"Despite this, Queen Anne's County and MD DoIT attempted to interfere with the installation by asserting their regulatory authority over Talkie's facilities when services such as broadband and wireless are offered alongside telephone services. While both entities acknowledge that telephone services are not subject to their regulation, they contend that certain services provided in combination over the same facilities are subject to their requirements and fees."
Talkie Communications filed a petition with the FCC seeking preemption of Queen Anne's County and the Maryland Department of Information Technology actions that obstruct fixed wireless broadband deployments. The petition invokes Section 253 of the Communications Act to limit state and local requirements that prohibit or effectively prohibit telecommunications services. The dispute arises from Talkie's installation of a utility pole along a Maryland state highway after receiving a March 2025 permit from the Maryland State Highway Administration, which asserted exclusive authority because Talkie is a certificated telecommunications provider. Queen Anne's County and MD DoIT asserted regulatory authority over commingled services including broadband and wireless, seeking additional permitting and fees despite acknowledging telephone services are outside their regulation.
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