SpaceX announced an agreement to acquire a nationwide spectrum portfolio from Grain Management, covering up to 14 megahertz of paired spectrum in the 800 MHz band, to expand Starlink into mobile service. Verizon shares fell about 7%, heading for their worst day since 2002, while T-Mobile dropped 12% and AT&T fell roughly 10%; SpaceX stock rose about 1%. FCC Chair Brendan Carr said the deal is part of over $100 billion in spectrum expected to enter the market over the next two years.
cnbc.com
· 2026-10-09
FCC Chairman Brendan Carr said in a CNBC interview that he would leave it to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to decide whether networks can air the planned firing-squad execution of convicted Fort Hood shooter Nidal Hasan. The Pentagon has said the execution will be livestreamed, which Carr noted likely places it outside FCC jurisdiction over broadcast TV. Major platforms including YouTube, Twitch, Meta, and X have not yet responded to questions about whether they would carry the livestream.
theverge.com
· 2026-10-09
SpaceX said the FCC has approved deployment of 15,000 next-generation Starlink Mobile satellites optimized for 2 GHz spectrum, offering over 100 times the bandwidth of the current fleet. The company also applied for a nationwide low-band spectrum license intended to improve signal penetration through walls and buildings, though that approval is still pending.
9to5mac.com
· 2026-10-09
SpaceX announced a deal to acquire a nationwide spectrum license portfolio, covering up to 14 megahertz of paired low-band spectrum in the 800 MHz range, from digital infrastructure firm Grain Management. The agreement still requires approval from the Federal Communications Commission. Elon Musk called it a 'very big deal' on X, while SpaceX said the spectrum fills a key technical gap for its Starlink Mobile service.
cnbc.com
· 2026-10-08
Sen. Maggie Hassan sent a letter to Trump Mobile CEO Patrick O'Brien alleging the company has not obtained FCC authorization under Section 214 to provide international calling despite advertising service to over 230 countries. She also said Trump Mobile and partner Liberty Mobile Wireless failed to file a complete robocall-mitigation plan, and raised concerns tied to a reported breach exposing data on 3,615 customers.
arstechnica.com
· 2026-10-08
SpaceX has acquired low-band spectrum licenses, including up to 14 megahertz of paired spectrum in the 800 MHz band, to support Starlink Mobile's growth into a full-fledged US wireless carrier. The company says this spectrum will improve signal penetration through walls and buildings, building on its earlier acquisition of 2GHz spectrum from EchoStar. The FCC has also approved SpaceX's plan to deploy 15,000 next-generation Starlink satellites offering more bandwidth than current models.
theverge.com
· 2026-10-08
The US Federal Communications Commission announced plans to auction 25 MHz of mid-band spectrum, revise rules for direct-to-device communications, and permit drones to operate on the 800MHz band. These proposals aim to enhance wireless connectivity options and expand drone capabilities, pending a vote later this month. The agency also approved SpaceX's satellite system at 330 km altitude, adding to its existing Starlink constellation.
engadget.com
· 2026-10-07
The Federal Communications Commission announced it will hold a vote on October 29 to auction 25 megahertz of spectrum aimed at supporting satellite-to-smartphone connectivity. Additionally, the FCC will consider proposals to free up 482MHz for satellite coverage and update rules for direct-to-device services, potentially benefiting companies like SpaceX and Amazon. A third measure seeks to remove restrictions on drone operations within the 800 MHz cellular band.
cnbc.com
· 2026-10-07
Florida and three other states have filed lawsuits against TP-Link, accusing the company of misleading consumers about the safety of its routers and its connections to China. The legal actions come six months after the FCC implemented a ban on certain foreign-made consumer routers, which currently prevents TP-Link from selling its latest Wi-Fi 8 models in the US. The lawsuits allege that TP-Link's routers have been exploited by Chinese state hackers and that the company falsely claimed its products were secure.
arstechnica.com
· 2026-10-07
The Federal Communications Commission is reviewing a proposal from a conservative organization to relax regulations on political robocalls, including those utilizing artificial intelligence voices, prior to the upcoming midterm elections. Currently, laws prohibit most robocalls to cellphones without prior consent from the recipient.
fastcompany.com
· 2026-10-07
The FCC approved SpaceX's application, filed in September 2025, to launch up to 15,000 satellites for a new Starlink Mobile system orbiting at 326-335 km. Regulators also waived the requirement that SpaceX lease spectrum from a terrestrial carrier, letting it use its own spectrum plus frequencies acquired from EchoStar and T-Mobile. This is separate from the 15,000-satellite Gen2 Starlink broadband constellation approved in January, bringing SpaceX's combined authorized satellites to 30,000.
techspot.com
· 2026-10-07
Cable industry trade groups representing Comcast, Charter and other providers have filed notice they will sue the FCC to block its repeal of the National Television Ownership Rule, which has capped any broadcaster's reach at 39% of US TV households since 2004. The groups also petitioned the FCC to keep the cap in place while litigation over the agency's authority to repeal it plays out, arguing the repeal conflicts with a specific numerical threshold Congress set by statute.
yro.slashdot.org
· 2026-10-06
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