On October 8, 2026, the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) announced that it would vote on a proposal to auction 25 megahertz of 'gold spectrum' to support direct-to-device (D2D) services from satellites to smartphones. Additionally, the FCC will vote on October 29 to decide whether to open up an additional 482 megahertz of spectrum for space-based supplementary coverage and to solicit public comments on updating rules for D2D services in licensed spectrum. Both proposals could benefit companies like SpaceX and Amazon, which are expanding D2D services through satellite networks.
