This is what you see when you visit FCC.gov. It redirects to the shutdown landing page.
You are aware that US lawmakers could not reach an agreement on the US government’s spending thus not authorizing any money to be available for day-to-day running of the government hence a fiscal cliff emerged resulting in a “government shutdown”. You may have seen NASA’s hilarious tweet about the shutdown but after checking out the FCC’s website you realize that indeed things are serious. Services are crippled and the shutdown is very visible, literally.
The Federal Communications Commission is an agency of the United States government that has a constitutional mandate to regulate most of what goes on in the telecommunications industry from the spectrum to the smartphone or computer you are using to read this. This is why we are concerned. Remember those Nexus 5 leaked photos that have been making rounds? Or the 6 Nokia devices we expect to be announced on October 22nd? The only credibility rumours about devices get is when they eventually show up on the FCC’s website since all devices that have to go on sale in the American market have to get FCC approval and certification after going through tests in its labs. You have most likely seen the FCC logo inscribed at the back of your device or on the battery. Now with the US government shutdown, that is no more. We’re all left in the dark since the FCC website is also not operational.