The FCC proposes new mid-band spectrum auction and unlocking 800MHz for drones

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The US Federal Communications Commission laid out a trio of proposals for several rule changes around wireless connectivity. The plans will be put to a vote later this month and largely center on direct-to-device communications.

First, the agency suggested overhauling its rules for direct-to-device, or D2D, service. The stated goal is to "promote more flexible terrestrial, satellite, and hybrid business arrangements." Related, the second proposal is to auction 25 megahertz of mid-band spectrum. Bids would be targeting use cases such as "flexible-use terrestrial networks, innovative direct-to-device (D2D) operations, or a hybrid of both" according to the FCC. This could prove enticing to companies like Amazon, which are hoping to join the growing field of satellite-based cellular service.

One such company is SpaceX, which already has spectrum licenses it bought from EchoStar. Yesterday the FCC granted approval to SpaceX for a system of 15,000 satellites to operate at 330km. This push into D2D systems from SpaceX is a separate affair than the company's attempts to launch a network of orbital data centers aimed to provide compute power for artificial intelligence activity and would add to its existing network of more than 11,000 Starlink satellites. Suffice to say, SpaceX has a whole lot of gear overhead.

The final FCC proposal recommends allowing drones to operate on the 800MHz cellular band. Those devices are currently prohibited from using that frequency, and if passed, the change would open up about 50 megahertz for UAVs to use. Over the past year, the agency has been placing more restrictions on the drones that it deemed to be security risks, whether for containing foreign-made parts or for being equipped with tech such as LiDAR.