By Daniel Okafor, Senior Correspondent

The ruling in numbers

The Federal Communications Commission has approved the Upper C-Band Order. The decision allocates $5.6 billion to satellite operator SES. It allocates a further $504 million to Eutelsat. Together, the two payments total $6.1 billion. The ruling closes the compensation phase of the US C-band reallocation.

What does the order authorise?

The order authorises the final disbursement of funds to both satellite operators. SES receives 91.7 percent of the combined total. Eutelsat receives 8.3 percent. The split follows the formula the FCC established in earlier proceedings. Both companies can now draw down their full awards.

The C-band is a block of radio frequencies that has carried satellite television and data traffic for decades. The FCC initiated a multi-year process to clear a portion of the band for terrestrial 5G. The Upper C-Band Order completes that process. The lower portion of the band has moved to mobile use. The upper portion remains available for satellite services under new technical rules.

Who receives the money?

SES is a Luxembourg-based satellite operator with a global geostationary fleet. The company has long served broadcasters, governments and telcos across the Americas. Eutelsat is a Paris-based operator with a competing fleet. Both companies earned material revenue from C-band services in the United States.

The compensation formula reflects each operator's share of cleared spectrum. It also reflects the number of earth stations migrated to alternative frequencies. SES held the larger share of cleared capacity. Eutelsat held the smaller share. The order translates those shares into final dollar amounts.

Why does the ruling matter now?

The order removes the residual regulatory uncertainty that hung over both companies. SES and Eutelsat can now recognise the full payment as firm revenue. Investors had priced in a partial recovery pending FCC action. The decision converts that expected revenue into confirmed cash.

Both operators will record the final awards in upcoming financial statements. The funds arrive at a moment of structural pressure across the satellite industry. Demand for satellite video distribution has declined as streaming services grow. The C-band windfall provides a one-time capital injection to both balance sheets.

What changes for terrestrial operators?

The order has limited direct effect on US mobile carriers. The 5G operators that acquired C-band licences did so in earlier auctions. The new ruling confirms the regulatory boundary between the lower and upper portions of the band. Mobile operators retain the spectrum they already hold.

The FCC continues to oversee coexistence between satellite and terrestrial users. The new order does not change protection criteria for adjacent bands. Further technical work on out-of-band emissions may follow in separate proceedings.

What comes next?

The FCC has formally closed the existing C-band proceeding. Both operators can complete the final accounting and transfer the funds. The commission is expected to turn to other mid-band policy items in the coming year. The upper C-band will remain available for satellite services under the new framework.