The US Federal Communications Commission announced it plans to auction 25 MHz of 'prime spectrum' in the 1675–1695 MHz and 2020–2025 MHz bands, pending a vote at the commission's 29 October meeting. The blocks would be usable flexibly for 5G, for direct-to-device (D2D) satellite service, or both. 'Our groundbreaking proposal would auction spectrum that could be used flexibly for 5G, D2D, or a combination of both,' FCC Chairman Brendan Carr said.
The interest is already on the record. SpaceX, AST SpaceMobile and Amazon have all told the agency they want the bands. The 1675–1695 MHz slice has supported the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and meteorological services, but in March regulators said part of the band was suitable for commercial use. The 2020–2025 MHz block was allocated for non-federal fixed and mobile use but, Amazon argued in a filing, has 'remained almost entirely unused in the United States for over two decades'.
Operators make a similar technical case. AST SpaceMobile, which counts AT&T and Verizon as major investors, says the frequencies can reach ordinary smartphones with compact antennas and complete uplinks at lower transmit power. SpaceX told the FCC that opening the blocks would let multiple satellite and hybrid systems serve the whole US population, and that these bands travel farther and hold mobile connections better than higher-frequency waves.
The spectrum could be especially valuable to SpaceX, which has framed Starlink Mobile as a potential competitor to AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon by combining satellites with ground-based femtocells. A day earlier the FCC approved SpaceX's application to launch 15,000 next-generation satellites for Starlink Mobile and gave it a regulatory path to operate as a retail wireless carrier in the US, with rollout to be completed by October 2035.
Separately, the commission plans to open a proceeding on unlocking a further 482 MHz for satellite-to-phone service, drawing on bands already licensed for cellular or flexible use. SpaceX's first-generation Starlink Mobile system currently runs exclusively on T-Mobile as T-Satellite, with next-generation satellites due to launch late next year; Amazon is moving via its acquisition of Globalstar, and AST SpaceMobile is building a rival service.
