Key Takeaways
- • The FCC will vote on July 22, 2026 to reallocate 160 MHz of Upper C-band spectrum (3.98-4.2 GHz) for terrestrial wireless services, with mandatory clearing deadlines of December 30, 2030 for the top 75 Partial Economic Areas and June 30, 2031 for remaining areas, implementing the One Big Beautiful Bill Act directive.
- • Upper C-band auction rules will largely mirror the Lower C-band framework, establishing a reimbursement program for aircraft operators to upgrade aviation radio altimeters to FAA standards, with eligible entities limited to U.S.-registered operators; specific rebate amounts remain redacted.
- • The FCC will strengthen equipment authorization rules by prohibiting entities from receiving authorizations for equipment incorporating "logic-bearing hardware components" from Covered List entities including Huawei, ZTE, Hytera, DJI, and Autel, while requiring online marketplaces to display FCC IDs and subjecting them to enforcement action.
- • Part 25 satellite and earth station licensing rules will be replaced with streamlined Part 100 "Space and Earth Station Services" rules, including expedited processing, 20-year license extensions, removal of surety bond requirements, and new Variable Trajectory Space Station categories to accelerate commercial space operations.
- • Broadband consumer label requirements will be simplified to permit conversational phone descriptions, aggregation of passthrough fees with hyperlinks, removal of Affordable Connectivity Program references (expired June 2024), and elimination of machine-readable spreadsheet and two-year archival requirements.
Summary
The Federal Communications Commission released a tentative agenda on July 1, 2026 for its Open Meeting scheduled for July 22 at 10:30 AM ET, centered on regulatory modernization across five major areas affecting telecommunications, space, and equipment security.
The most significant item involves Upper C-band spectrum reallocation. The FCC will vote on a Report and Order to reallocate 160 MHz of the 3.98-4.2 GHz band for terrestrial wireless services across the contiguous United States, implementing directives from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. The auction framework will harmonize with the existing Lower C-band structure, creating a unified 3.7 GHz band service. Incumbent Fixed Satellite Service operators face mandatory transition deadlines: the top 75 Partial Economic Areas must clear spectrum by December 30, 2030, with wireless operations commencing December 31, 2030, while remaining areas clear by June 30, 2031, with wireless operations beginning July 1, 2031. The Order establishes a rebate program supporting U.S.-registered aircraft operators and owners in upgrading aviation radio altimeters to meet forthcoming FAA standards, though specific incentive payment amounts and rebate program estimates remain redacted. The FCC will resolve six pending petitions from stakeholders including AIA, Intelsat, Eutelsat, ITSO, Charter, and Raytheon relating to the 2020 Lower C-band order.
On equipment security, the FCC will adopt a Third Report and Order strengthening prohibitions against authorizations for equipment incorporating "logic-bearing hardware components" from Covered List entities such as Huawei, ZTE, Hytera, DJI, and Autel. New rules require online marketplaces to display FCC IDs at points of sale and authorize FCC enforcement action against non-compliant platforms. A Third Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking seeks comment on enhanced application procedures, including mandatory written lists of all component producers, full bills of materials for all devices, presumptions against authorizing Covered List components, and uniform certification frameworks replacing alternatives like Supplier's Declarations of Conformity.
The FCC will modernize space licensing by replacing Part 25 rules with streamlined Part 100 "Space and Earth Station Services" regulations. The new framework adopts presumptions that compliant applications serve the public interest, expedites processing for non-geostationary orbit satellite systems, removes surety bond requirements for most licenses, extends license terms to 20 years, introduces a Variable Trajectory Space Station category, and substitutes certifications for detailed technical showings. Detailed processing timelines provide applicants greater certainty. A Further Notice seeks comment on experimental licensing pathways, call sign consolidation, expanded hosted payload frameworks for non-U.S. hosts, and potential inter-satellite service rules.
Consumer broadband labeling requirements will be simplified to permit conversational phone descriptions and aggregation of passthrough fees displayed via hyperlinks rather than itemized disclosures. The Order removes references to the Affordable Connectivity Program, which ended in June 2024, eliminates machine-readable spreadsheet requirements, and removes the two-year archival mandate for label contents.
Finally, a Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking addresses robocall mitigation database effectiveness by seeking comment on defining "voice service" and "voice service providers," strengthening applicant screening to prevent bad actors, developing new audit and enforcement tools, and aligning robocall database obligations with know-your-customer requirements.
The most significant item involves Upper C-band spectrum reallocation. The FCC will vote on a Report and Order to reallocate 160 MHz of the 3.98-4.2 GHz band for terrestrial wireless services across the contiguous United States, implementing directives from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. The auction framework will harmonize with the existing Lower C-band structure, creating a unified 3.7 GHz band service. Incumbent Fixed Satellite Service operators face mandatory transition deadlines: the top 75 Partial Economic Areas must clear spectrum by December 30, 2030, with wireless operations commencing December 31, 2030, while remaining areas clear by June 30, 2031, with wireless operations beginning July 1, 2031. The Order establishes a rebate program supporting U.S.-registered aircraft operators and owners in upgrading aviation radio altimeters to meet forthcoming FAA standards, though specific incentive payment amounts and rebate program estimates remain redacted. The FCC will resolve six pending petitions from stakeholders including AIA, Intelsat, Eutelsat, ITSO, Charter, and Raytheon relating to the 2020 Lower C-band order.
On equipment security, the FCC will adopt a Third Report and Order strengthening prohibitions against authorizations for equipment incorporating "logic-bearing hardware components" from Covered List entities such as Huawei, ZTE, Hytera, DJI, and Autel. New rules require online marketplaces to display FCC IDs at points of sale and authorize FCC enforcement action against non-compliant platforms. A Third Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking seeks comment on enhanced application procedures, including mandatory written lists of all component producers, full bills of materials for all devices, presumptions against authorizing Covered List components, and uniform certification frameworks replacing alternatives like Supplier's Declarations of Conformity.
The FCC will modernize space licensing by replacing Part 25 rules with streamlined Part 100 "Space and Earth Station Services" regulations. The new framework adopts presumptions that compliant applications serve the public interest, expedites processing for non-geostationary orbit satellite systems, removes surety bond requirements for most licenses, extends license terms to 20 years, introduces a Variable Trajectory Space Station category, and substitutes certifications for detailed technical showings. Detailed processing timelines provide applicants greater certainty. A Further Notice seeks comment on experimental licensing pathways, call sign consolidation, expanded hosted payload frameworks for non-U.S. hosts, and potential inter-satellite service rules.
Consumer broadband labeling requirements will be simplified to permit conversational phone descriptions and aggregation of passthrough fees displayed via hyperlinks rather than itemized disclosures. The Order removes references to the Affordable Connectivity Program, which ended in June 2024, eliminates machine-readable spreadsheet requirements, and removes the two-year archival mandate for label contents.
Finally, a Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking addresses robocall mitigation database effectiveness by seeking comment on defining "voice service" and "voice service providers," strengthening applicant screening to prevent bad actors, developing new audit and enforcement tools, and aligning robocall database obligations with know-your-customer requirements.
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