SpaceX has asked the Federal Communications Commission to add the 902–928 MHz band to a pending satellite-to-phone rulemaking and revise related interference and deployment requirements. Its October 23, 2026, letter records meetings with FCC officials on October 21 and 22, ahead of the commission’s scheduled October 29 consideration of several spectrum proposals.
The SpaceX filing contains four requests covering additional frequencies, interference protection, performance milestones, and adjacent-band drone operations. Satellite Policy Director Alison Minea signed the letter for Space Exploration Technologies Corp. The principal satellite-to-phone proceedings are GN Docket 26-281 and GN Docket 23-65.
Adding the Lower 900 MHz Band
SpaceX’s spectrum request depends on a separate petition from NextNav. That petition, identified in the letter as WT Docket 24-240 and RM-11989, proposes a nationwide 5G flexible-use license in the 902–928 MHz band. SpaceX wants the FCC to include that proposed license in the frequencies considered for Supplemental Coverage from Space.
Supplemental Coverage from Space allows satellite operators to extend service using spectrum licensed for terrestrial wireless networks. New Space Economy’s explanation of the proposed spectrum expansion describes how this regulatory arrangement differs from the broader direct-to-device category, which describes a satellite connecting directly to an end-user device.
SpaceX argues that considering the NextNav frequencies now could avoid a subsequent rulemaking if the commission grants NextNav’s petition. The request is conditional: adding a band to a notice would place it under consideration, rather than immediately authorize commercial satellite transmissions. The letter contains no announced agreement between SpaceX and NextNav.
Interference Rules and Deployment Requirements
SpaceX also asks the FCC to account for differences between frequency bands when setting interference protections. The company argues that a single set of power limits does not fit every band because operating parameters differ with frequency.
Its letter points to previous FCC waivers involving the PCS G Block and AWS H Block. Those examples support SpaceX’s request that the new notice explicitly recognize frequency as a factor in determining protection criteria. The company is requesting a change in how the commission frames its review, rather than presenting a new general exemption from interference requirements.
A third request addresses deployment milestones. Satellite and terrestrial services may share both spectrum and geographic coverage, with satellites serving places beyond the terrestrial network. SpaceX asks the FCC to align proposed satellite performance requirements with terrestrial-license milestones and the combined network’s coverage objectives.
This would make the relationship between the two network components part of the regulatory assessment. SpaceX’s stated position is that service availability should matter regardless of whether a connection comes from a satellite or a terrestrial network.
Adjacent Frequencies and Drone Operations
The fourth request concerns a separate draft order addressing drone operations in portions of the 800 MHz band. SpaceX wants that order to recognize its proposed spectrum transaction with Grain Management in an adjacent band.
The company also asks the FCC to acknowledge that the Grain frequencies became a candidate for direct-to-device service after the drone proceeding’s comment cycle closed. That sequence places the potential satellite use alongside the commission’s consideration of neighboring drone frequencies.
The filing seeks changes to several items scheduled for the FCC’s October meeting. The next substantive step is the commission’s consideration of the proposed texts on October 29, including which frequencies and regulatory questions enter the satellite-to-phone rulemaking.
