A Starlink satellite is deployed from SpaceX Starship on September 28, 2026.
Source: SpaceX
The Federal Communications Commission announced Wednesday that it will vote on a proposal to auction 25 megahertz of “preferred spectrum” to support “direct-to-device” services from satellites to smartphones.
The FCC, in a press release, also said it would vote on October 29 to take public comment on a proposal to make an additional 482 MHz of spectrum available for additional coverage from space and to modernize the FCC’s rules for D2D services in licensed spectrum.
Both proposals could benefit companies such as EspaceX And Amazonwho decided to extend D2D services with satellite networks.
A third proposal up for a vote “would eliminate an outdated restriction that prevents drone operations in the 800 MHz cellular band,” the FCC said.
Amazon in July asked the FCC to approve the company’s launch of up to 5,105 internet satellites as part of a constellation aimed at providing direct connectivity to devices. Amazon, in a filing that month, said it was targeting users “not or underserved” by existing wireless providers.
In August, Amazon announced it would acquire Globalstar in a deal worth more than $11.5 billion aimed at boosting Amazon Leo’s satellite internet business.
Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Brendan Carr speaks during a press conference following an FCC meeting at the Federal Communications Commission headquarters February 18, 2026 in Washington, DC.
Kevin Dietsch | Getty Images
On Tuesday, the FCC Space Office granted an application for SpaceX’s new direct-to-cell transmission system of 15,000 satellites.
“This constellation will use spectrum purchased by SpaceX from EchoStar earlier this year, which the FCC approved, representing a major victory for the U.S. space economy,” the FCC said in a press release Wednesday.
“The ‘direct-to-device’ proposals aim to continue leveraging this cutting-edge technology to end cellphone dead zones and provide service directly from next-generation satellite constellations to your smartphone,” FCC Chairman Brendan Carr said in a statement Wednesday. “And our final drone rules reinforce President Trump’s call for drone dominance, providing America’s emerging drone economy with usable spectrum to support the next generation of commercial and defense innovations.”
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