FCC Sends Direct-to-Device NPRM to OMB

Yesterday, the OMB’s Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) announced that it had received a notice of proposed rulemaking from the FCC on “Unleashing Unlicensed Spectrum for Direct-to-Device”. 

According to the 2026 Unified Agenda entry for this rulemaking: 

“As space launches and satellite deployment continue to increase, companies with space-based operations are increasingly looking to expand capacity, reduce cost, and increase the utility of their operations.  The increase in space launches, coupled with the growing diversity of non-satellite spacecraft, has resulted in a growing need to support communication in space and between Earth and space. To meet this growing need, the Commission begins this proceeding to explore unlicensed device use in space.”