FCC to Vote Oct. 29 on Spectrum Auction to Expand Direct-to-Device Satellite Phone Service
The FCC plans an Oct. 29 vote on advancing a spectrum auction meant to help smartphones connect directly to satellites, alongside steps to update direct-to-device rules and allow drone operations in the 800 MHz band.
The Federal Communications Commission plans to vote on Oct. 29 on whether to move forward with a new wireless spectrum auction designed to support direct-to-device service, according to Reuters.
The technology allows ordinary smartphones and other devices to link straight to satellites, rather than relying only on ground-based cell towers. The agency told Reuters it will also take an initial vote on updating its direct-to-device rules and will finalize rules allowing drone operations within the 800 MHz cellular band.
What the proposal includes
Under the plan described by Reuters, the FCC is proposing to auction 25 megahertz of spectrum for direct-to-device operations and to make an additional 482 megahertz available for supplemental coverage from space. The agency is also considering other regulatory changes aimed at making terrestrial, satellite and hybrid business arrangements more flexible.
FCC Chair Brendan Carr said the proposals are intended to help end cell phone dead zones by delivering service from next-generation satellite constellations directly to smartphones, according to Reuters. Carr said last month that a series of spectrum auctions planned over the next couple of years could generate more than $100 billion in proceeds.
Satellite operators and carriers are already moving
Direct-to-device service is being developed by SpaceX and Amazon’s Leo, among others, according to Reuters. The FCC said in January it was approving SpaceX’s request to deploy another 7,500 second-generation Starlink satellites, bringing the total to 15,000.
SpaceX previously acquired 65 megahertz of wireless spectrum from EchoStar for $19.6 billion through two deals announced last year, according to Reuters, giving Starlink airwaves to expand into mobile services. The commission late Tuesday approved SpaceX’s plan to use the newly acquired spectrum to expand its direct-to-device plans.
The prospect of a full mobile service from SpaceX has unsettled investors in the U.S. wireless sector after the company in August outlined plans that could eventually place Starlink in competition with the three major U.S. telecoms, according to Reuters. Last week, AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon named wireless industry veteran Paul Roth as interim chief executive of their new joint venture aimed at expanding satellite-enabled mobile coverage.
The FCC last week also moved to release more spectrum to boost in-home satellite broadband, according to Reuters.
Reporting based on coverage by Reuters.
