FCC to vote on auctioning 25MHz of 'prime spectrum' in move that could benefit Amazon, SpaceX

The Federal Communications Commission said Wednesday it will vote on a proposal to auction 25 megahertz of "prime spectrum" to support "direct-to-device" services from satellites to smart phones.

The FCC, in a press release, also said it would vote Oct. 29 on taking public comment on a proposal to make an additional 482MHz of spectrum available for supplemental coverage from space and to modernize FCC rules for D2D services in the licensed spectrum.

The two proposals could benefit companies such as SpaceX and Amazon , which have moved to expand D2D services with satellite networks.

A third proposal to be voted on "would eliminate an outdated restriction that prevents drone operations in the 800 MHz Cellular band," the FCC said.

Amazon in July asked the FCC to approve the company launching up to 5,105 internet satellites as part of a constellation to provide direct-to-device connectivity. Amazon, in a filing that month, said it was targeting users who are "unserved or underserved" by existing wireless providers.

In August, Amazon said it would acquire Globalstar in a deal worth more than $11.5 billion to boost Amazon's Leo satellite internet business.

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On Tuesday, the FCC's Space Bureau granted an application for SpaceX's new direct-to-cell system of 15,000 satellites.

"This constellation will use the spectrum SpaceX purchased from EchoStar earlier this year, which the FCC approved in a major win for the American space economy," the FCC said in the Wednesday press release.

"The 'direct-to-device' 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," FCC Chairman Brendan Carr, said in a statement Wednesday. "And our final rules on drones further President Trump's call for drone dominance, providing the emerging American drone economy with usable spectrum to support the next generation of commercial and defense innovations."