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On Thursday, Oct. 29, the FCC voted at its open meeting to move ahead with proposed rules that would open more spectrum to direct-to-device (D2D) service, the technology that connects ordinary smartphones to satellites. AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon spent the days before the vote asking regulators to pull a big slice of that spectrum out. SpaceX, Amazon and others are building toward it. If you carry a satellite phone, or you're wondering whether you still need one, here's what happened and what it means for you.
What the FCC voted on
The meeting agenda included two D2D items.
- A Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) that would make an additional 482 MHz of spectrum available for Supplemental Coverage from Space (SCS) and update the SCS rules. SCS is the framework the FCC adopted in 2024 that lets satellite operators use carriers' licensed spectrum to reach ordinary phones. The proposal would grow the list of eligible bands from 5 to 13.
- A Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (FNPRM) proposing to auction 25 MHz of spectrum in the 1675 to 1695 MHz and 2020 to 2025 MHz bands for terrestrial service, D2D or a hybrid of both.
The key word is proposed. Today's vote opens the 482 MHz plan to public comment. It doesn't set final rules. SatNews reports that once the notice is published in the Federal Register, the public comment window will run 60 days. The FCC will hold another vote to adopt final rules later, and no date has been set for that vote yet.
Nothing switched on today.
Why the carriers pushed back
Through their trade group CTIA, the three national carriers asked the FCC to remove the 2.5 GHz and 3.45 GHz bands from the proposal. Those two bands make up 290 MHz of the 482 MHz on the table, or about 60 percent. According to Capacity, CTIA and executives from all three carriers met with senior FCC staff on Oct. 20, and T-Mobile's CEO met separately with FCC Chairman Brendan Carr.
Their argument is technical. Both bands use time-division duplexing (TDD), where a phone and a tower take turns sending on the same frequency in tightly timed slots. The carriers say satellite signals in those bands would interfere with their networks, and Capacity reports they say about 300 million users depend on the two bands.
As of this writing, the FCC's announcement doesn't say whether the 2.5 GHz and 3.45 GHz bands stayed in the version the commissioners approved. Either way, the carriers get a full comment cycle to make their case. Before the vote, Tech Times reported that industry analysts expect the carriers to seek reconsideration if the full 482 MHz moves forward, which could stretch the fight into 2027.
Who's on the other side
SpaceX has spent the month building out its own satellite-to-phone business:
- Satellites: On Oct. 6, the FCC's Space and Wireless Telecommunications Bureaus conditionally authorized SpaceX to deploy up to 15,000 non-geostationary satellites for D2D and related services.
- Spectrum: Capacity reports that SpaceX also agreed to buy 14 MHz of 800 MHz low-band spectrum from Grain Management.
Amazon is building too. According to Capacity, the FCC approved Amazon's $11.6 billion acquisition of Globalstar on Oct. 27.
Whoever turns out to be right about interference, the practical point is the same: this will take comment cycles, possibly legal challenges, and time.
For a deeper look at what Starlink's phone plans mean off-grid, see Starlink Phone vs. Real Satellite Phone: What the 2026 Industry Shake-Up Means When You're Off-Grid.
What today's vote doesn't change
Your phone still has to carry a real conversation. Direct-to-cell service has grown past texting. In the US, T-Mobile's T-Satellite with Starlink supports texting, text-to-911 and data for a list of approved apps. Starlink says voice works through apps. But native phone calls aren't there yet. T-Mobile says it has "a roadmap to deliver voice calling in the future." More spectrum gives that service more room. It doesn't by itself solve the engineering problem of carrying voice through a smartphone's small antenna.
Eric, a Satellite Phone Store specialist with 18 years in the industry, puts it this way: "Taking a smartphone and tricking it to talk to satellites, it'll probably get done. But right now and in the near foreseeable future, next couple years, we don't see anybody coming on the scene with reliable voice... voice is still paramount."
Spectrum fights are about everyday coverage, not your worst day. Whatever the FCC decides, a smartphone service built on carrier networks and carrier spectrum is designed for the average day. Disasters are different. After Hurricane Maria in 2017, a GAO analysis of FCC data found that by October, 79 percent of the out-of-service cell sites in Puerto Rico were down because of the power outage, not damage to the sites. More broadly, FCC analysis found that more than half of cell site outages during major 2020 earthquakes, hurricanes and storms were caused by power failures.
A coverage gap and a regional blackout are different problems. A dedicated satellite phone runs on its own battery and doesn't need a tower to stay up.
A fair read
More spectrum and more competition could be good news for hikers, drivers and rural communities, and we're not dismissing it. Better texting, and eventually better service on ordinary phones, is a real win.
But as our team puts it, "Starlink provides phenomenal internet, absolutely, but a dedicated satellite phone is built for one core purpose, voice communication when literally nothing else works." The tools are layers, not rivals. For more on why, read Starlink Isn't a Redundancy Plan: What Field Teams Get Wrong About Backup Comms.
What to do now
If you already own a satellite phone, a proposed rulemaking doesn't change your coverage. Make sure it's charged, your plan is active, and everyone who might need it knows where it's kept.
If you're shopping, choose from networks that are working today rather than waiting on rules still being written:
- For long, steady calls, consider a geostationary handset like the Inmarsat IsatPhone 2. It covers all but the most polar latitudes and holds one satellite link for the whole call, so calls are less likely to drop.
- For truly global reach, Iridium's 66 cross-linked satellites cover the planet pole to pole. The Iridium Extreme 9575 adds a programmable SOS button and GPS.
Not sure which network covers where you're going? See Iridium vs. Inmarsat vs. Thuraya: Which Network Actually Covers Where You Are Going.
If you run a business or a crew, keep a voice lifeline that doesn't depend on towers, add broadband where you need data, and revisit your plan once the FCC adopts final rules and providers publish real coverage maps and pricing.
Not sure which fits? A Satellite Phone Store specialist can walk you through coverage, call length and timing in a few minutes. Call 1-877-943-6383 (24/7/365) or use our contact form.
Preparation isn't paranoia. It's having a plan for the day the towers go dark.
Sources: FCC October 2026 Open Commission Meeting; FCC tentative agenda, Oct. 8, 2026; SatNews, Oct. 29, 2026; Tesla North, Oct. 29, 2026; Capacity, Oct. 28, 2026; Tech Times, Oct. 27, 2026; Keller and Heckman, Oct. 13, 2026; CNBC, Oct. 7, 2026; T-Mobile T-Satellite support; Starlink Direct to Cell; GAO-21-297; FCC 21-99, Federal Register.