US FCC to Vote on Advancing New Spectrum Auction to Boost ‘Direct to Device’ Services
- On Wednesday, the Federal Communications Commission announced it will vote October 29 on auctioning 25MHz of "prime spectrum" to support "direct-to-device" services from satellites to smartphones.
- SpaceX, Amazon, and AST SpaceMobile are competing to offer satellite-to-phone services, driving demand for radio airwaves to end cell phone dead zones through next-generation satellite constellations.
- The FCC also plans to open 482MHz of spectrum for supplemental satellite coverage and modernize rules to allow drone operations within the 800MHz cellular band.
- Fierce competition for spectrum could trigger significant bidding wars; AST, backed by AT&T and Verizon, argued these bands are essential to "strengthen US wireless leadership."
- FCC Chairman Brendan Carr said these rule changes support President Trump's "drone dominance" call and are critical to securing long-term competitiveness in the emerging American space economy.
19 Articles
19 Articles
FCC Agenda Targets Better Wireless Coverage, Stronger Equipment Checks, and Rural Broadband Oversight
The Federal Communications Commission has set out a busy agenda for its open meeting on October 29, 2026, with proposals that would free up more airwaves for phones and other devices, ease rules for satellite connections to ordinary cell phones, open spectrum for drones, tighten security checks on equipment testing, and update programs that fund […]
FCC spectrum boost for satellite D2D
Continuing the FCC’s work to unleash next-gen wireless connectivity, Chairman Brendan Carr has announced three new proposals as part of the FCC’s spectrum abundance agenda. The proposals, which will be voted on at the Commission’s October 29th Open Meeting, include a new auction of 25 megahertz of prime spectrum in the 1675-1695 MHz and 2020-2025 […]
FCC to Auction Spectrum That SpaceX, Amazon, and AST All Want
The proposed radio spectrum auction is expected to attract competitive bids as the major satellite players race to build direct-to-device services. As SpaceX, Amazon, and AST SpaceMobile compete to offer satellite-to-phone services, they could face a bidding war over radio spectrum that promises to bolster their coverage. On Wednesday, the Federal Communications Commission announced it plans to auction 25MHz of "prime spectrum" in …
FCC Eyes Spectrum Sale To Boost 5G, Satellite D2D
The Federal Communications Commission's staff has teed up a proposal that would pave the way for a new auction of 25 megahertz worth of spectrum that could be used for advanced Earth-based wireless service and satellite connectivity to smart devices.
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