The FCC will vote on October 29 on a plan to auction 25 megahertz of spectrum in the 1675-1695 MHz and 2020-2025 MHz bands, alongside new rules for satellite direct-to-device services and final rules permitting drone operations in the 800 MHz cellular band. Chairman Brendan Carr announced the three proposals on October 8 as part of what the Commission calls its spectrum abundance agenda.

The auction piece restores a licensing pipeline that Congress reopened. President Trump and Congress revived the FCC's spectrum auction authority through the One Big Beautiful Bill, and the proposed 25 MHz sale in the 1675-1695 MHz and 2020-2025 MHz bands would be the first auction to follow. Carr said the sale "will continue to create tremendous economic value for the American people."

What does the direct-to-device proposal cover?

The second item builds on the Commission's existing framework for direct-to-device (D2D) services, which let satellite operators deliver connectivity to ordinary smartphones. According to Carr, the proposals "work to continue leveraging this cutting-edge tech to end cell phone dead zones and provide service directly from next-gen satellite constellations to your smartphone."

The regulatory context matters here. The FCC has already authorized supplemental coverage from space operations, and the commercial market has moved quickly: SpaceX has purchased key spectrum bands for a 15,000-satellite direct-to-cell system, which Carr said the FCC has just acted to "light up." The new rules would extend that framework rather than start from scratch — a signal to operators and satellite players that D2D approvals will continue on a predictable track.

For terrestrial operators, D2D rules change the economics of coverage. Rather than building rural towers to close dead zones, carriers can partner with satellite operators using licensed spectrum. Whether the new rules resolve open questions around spectrum sharing and terrestrial license-holder consent will determine how quickly those partnerships scale.

What changes for drones?

The third item finalizes rules allowing drone operations within the 800 MHz cellular band — spectrum already used by commercial cellular networks. The move gives drone operators access to licensed mobile spectrum for command-and-control links, a prerequisite for beyond-visual-line-of-sight flights at scale.

Carr framed the drone rules in both commercial and defense terms, saying they provide "the emerging American drone economy with usable spectrum to support the next generation of commercial and defense innovations." He tied the item to what he called President Trump's call for "drone dominance."

How does this fit the broader agenda?

Carr presented the three proposals as part of a wider record on wireless. "Thanks to President Trump, America's wireless leadership is back," he said. "Across the board, speeds are up, prices are down, and competition is increasing."

He described the package as "transformational proposals" that utilize next-gen technologies to streamline connectivity for terrestrial wireless services, direct-to-device links, and consumer drones. As always with pre-meeting announcements, the claims are the Chairman's; the substantive text of each item will only become public when circulated ahead of the October 29 vote.

The sequencing is notable. The FCC's most recent spectrum action approved the use of bands SpaceX purchased for its 15,000-satellite direct-to-cell constellation, and the new D2D item follows directly from that work. The auction proposal, meanwhile, tests whether the restored auction authority translates into licensed spectrum reaching bidders quickly — a question the industry has asked since the authority lapsed in 2023.

If the Commission adopts all three items on October 29, the next milestones will be the auction's bidding procedures and schedule for the 25 MHz, the effective date of the drone rules in the 800 MHz band, and any further D2D authorizations tied to SpaceX's constellation rollout.