FCC Unlocking More Spectrum

Two Items on September Open Meeting Expand Connectivity and Economic Growth

On September 8th, FCC Chairman Brendan Carr announced that the FCC will vote later this month on two items that would open up massive troves of additional spectrum for the next-generation connectivity.  First, in a satellite spectrum abundance order, the Commission will vote on unlocking more than 1,000 MHz of spectrum in the 12 GHz and 42 GHz bands for a range of connectivity services, including even faster satellite broadband.  Second, the Commission will seek comment on a proposal to modernize the FCC’s rules for ultra-wideband technology (UWB)—unlicensed offerings that power a range of IoT, consumer, and other cutting-edge devices.

Chairman Carr issued the following statement:

“The FCC’s work to free up more spectrum continues apace this month.  Today, I shared two items with my colleagues that will push more commercial spectrum into the marketplace than ever before.  By unlocking these bands, the FCC will give a big boost to American innovation and promote economic growth across a wide range of industries.”

“In the spectrum abundance decision, we will ensure that consumers continue to benefit from competitive, high-speed Internet delivered from next-gen satellites.  And in our UWB proposal, the Commission will propose to modernize our existing rules to unlock even more opportunities for unlicensed devices across a wide swath of spectrum.  This spectrum is so seamlessly woven into our everyday lives, from keeping us safe in our cars to tracking our package deliveries that most people don’t even realize its critical role.  The proposal circulated today represents the Commission’s first comprehensive modernization of these rules since their adoption in 2002 and works to further refine and reshape our rules to meet today’s needs.”

Ultra-wideband Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM):

• UWB technology powers many of the consumer, industrial, automotive, and public safety applications Americans rely on every day.  It plays a vital role across a wide range of products from automobile collision avoidance radars, to door locks and key fobs, systems for tracking everything from packages to NFL players, and the ground- and wall-penetrating imaging systems that support critical public safety and rescue operations.
  
  
• Unlicensed device manufacturers are increasingly finding that UWB’s high data rates, precise location capabilities, and ability to coexist with other services across multiple spectrum bands make it the right technology for today’s needs.  Today’s NPRM addresses the technology advancements and explosion in innovative use cases since the Commission’s landmark 2002 decision to authorize the first unlicensed UWB operations.  The NPRM undertakes a comprehensive look at our UWB rules and proposes forward-looking changes that will support the next wave of UWB innovation.  The proposal includes a new UWB device category aimed at enabling emerging applications—from AI‑enabled sensing, to advanced ranging systems, and modern access‑control systems.  The NPRM also addresses long-standing matters that have been raised through repeated waiver petitions and seeks comment on requests from the UWB manufacturing community to update specific elements of the existing UWB rules.
  
  
• The proposed updates to the UWB rules will reduce compliance burdens and provide new opportunities for innovation while preserving the strong protection of incumbent radio services that has been the hallmark of nearly a quarter century of innovation.  In short, the NPRM represents the start of the next chapter in a great American success story.

Spectrum Abundance Report and Order:

• These final rules, if adopted, will take a series of actions that, together, could bring many thousands of megahertz of spectrum into the marketplace for new and untapped uses.  Bountiful downlink spectrum for consumer terminals provides more bandwidth for in-home satellite broadband and with more spectrum for fixed earth stations, these rules can improve how traffic is routed on the ground.  Additional capacity for inter-satellite links strengthens the backbone in orbit and makes it more resilient.  Bolstering spectrum access for earth stations in motion brings better connectivity to ships, planes, and vehicles.  New spectrum for telemetry, tracking, and control opens the door to a wide range of industrial and commercial innovations in space that we are only beginning to imagine. 
  
  
• More specifically, the Commission would unlock more than 1,000 megahertz of spectrum in the 12.7 and 42 GHz bands.  This decision will bring more capacity for satellite broadband to the home, for in-flight and on-ship connectivity, and for core traffic-routing functions in satellite ground networks.
  
  
• In addition to these final rules, in a Spectrum Abundance Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, the Commission explores freeing up 1,450 megahertz of spectrum in the Ku- and Ka- bands, along with 138.25 gigahertz in the D-band, for more intensive satellite communications.  And lastly, in the WSS FNPRM, the Commission adds to the list of spectrum bands under consideration for “weird space stuff.”  This follows the Commission’s first-of-its-kind proceeding to bring spectrum abundance for missions like in-orbit servicing, refueling, manufacturing, or operations on or around the Moon—that is, next-generation space missions that do not provide connectivity to the public.
  
  
• The actions shared today are part of the Commission’s leadership in efficient spectrum management to provide the spectrum resources that American free enterprise can use to build a vibrant commercial economy.  The Commission looks forward to witnessing how spectrum abundance and further growth in UWB will expand high-speed connectivity to underserved areas and unlock the next generation of space-based communications.

The public drafts of these items will be available on FCC.gov tomorrow on the Open Meeting webpage: https://www.fcc.gov/September2026