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Among items up for vote, the FCC wants to unlock spectrum in the 12GHz and 42GHz bands for satellite connectivity and to 'modernize' unlicensed ultra-wideband spectrum for AI-based sensing and other emerging applications.
The FCC has teed up plans to open up more spectrum for satellite broadband connectivity and to "modernize" unlicensed ultra-wideband (UWB) spectrum for new and emerging applications such as AI-enabled sensing.
Tied into a satellite spectrum abundance order, the FCC said it will vote on unlocking more than 1,000MHz of spectrum in the 12GHz and 42GHz bands for home satellite broadband connectivity, in-flight connectivity and on-ship connectivity. More broadly, the plan is to support even faster satellite broadband, said the Commission, which intends to vote on it at its September 30 open meeting.
In a Spectrum Abundance Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, the FCC also looks to free up to 1,459MHz of spectrum in the Ku- and Ka-bands, along with 138.25GHz in the D-band "for more intensive satellite communications" and to control spacecraft.
The FCC has had its eye on 12GHz spectrum for some time. In 2025, FCC Chairman Brendan Carr said he intended to give the 12GHz band a "fresh look" for satellites, calling it "underused due to restrictions on satellite services." He also noted at the time that the FCC studied the band for terrestrial wireless a couple of years prior, "but there was no consensus on the best path forward."
As for 42GHz, a millimeter wave band, operators such as T-Mobile and Charter Communications have viewed it as a possible spot for spectrum sharing.
"By unlocking these bands, the FCC will give a big boost to American innovation and promote economic growth across a wide range of industries," Carr said in a statement.
If approved, the UWB-related vote would modernize rules for spectrum that today is used for IoT device connectivity for things such as door locks and key fobs, and for auto collision avoidance systems. The aim is to open unlicensed UWB spectrum to more types of devices, including those that use AI-enabled sensing, which is also a focus of the emerging 6G standard. "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," the FCC explained.
The Commission noted that the UWB vote represents its first comprehensive moderation of those rules since their adoption in 2002.
The vote comes as the FCC pushes ahead with a multi-faceted plan to auction more spectrum, including for 5G and 6G. First up, the Commission is to complete an auction of upper C-band spectrum by July 2027 and create a 440MHz "Super Band" when combined with the lower C-band spectrum auctioned in 2021.
The FCC also plans to vote on a series of permitting reforms aimed at updating its approach to National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) regulations, including clarifying which FCC actions are major federal actions, or MFAs. According to the proposal, modernizing the FCC's approach will accelerate broadband infrastructure buildouts and cut billions of dollars in red tape. It cited a NERA study for the CTIA estimating that legacy NEPA and National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) rules would result in more than $2.2 billion in direct regulatory compliance costs between 2025 and 2035.
The FCC estimates that the rules it is pursuing would eliminate evaluations under the Commission's current NEPA checklist for more than 14,800 wireless deployments and thus would accelerate buildouts.
"The decision will also clarify that bureaucratic NEPA reviews have no place across a range of innovative space-based activities regulated by the FCC," Carr said in a blog post.
Notably, the FCC proposal has no bearing on the BEAD program, which is administered by NTIA, a senior FCC official clarified on a press call. The official added that the proposed order is focused solely on the FCC's responsibilities with NEPA and not other agencies.
The FCC plans to conduct additional auctions in 2028, including one that will focus on 2.7GHz midband spectrum (used today for government radar), and two other bands that have not been formally identified.
Public drafts of the September meeting items will be posted tomorrow.