SpaceX asks FCC to add 900 MHz band to satellite-to-phone rules
SpaceX · NextNav
SpaceX's Oct. 23 FCC filing urges adding the lower 900 MHz band to its draft satellite-to-phone rules, backing NextNav's spectrum bid.
what happened
SpaceX, in an Oct. 23 filing on the FCC's draft Supplemental Coverage from Space (SCS) rules, asked the agency to add the 902-928 MHz band to the spectrum eligible for expanded satellite-to-mobile coverage, citing NextNav's pending petition for a nationwide 5G positioning, navigation and timing license in that band, per Yahoo Finance. SpaceX said adding the band now "saves time later: if the Commission grants the NextNav petition, authorizing direct-to-device service in the band requires no further rulemaking."
why it matters
It is SpaceX positioning its own direct-to-device ambitions to benefit from low-band spectrum's longer range before the FCC rules on NextNav's separate petition, rather than waiting for a second rulemaking round. Existing 900 MHz users such as RFID and alarm-system operators oppose reconfiguring the band, so the filing adds SpaceX's weight to a spectrum fight that will shape how much low-band capacity any direct-to-device operator can eventually use.
signal-to-noise
quick facts
- Companies
- SpaceX, NextNav
- Category
- regulatory
- Impact
- notable
- SNR
- 2 / 5
- Event date
- 2026-10-26
- Published
- 2026-10-26 23:05 UTC