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By the SpaceNexus Desk
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Two separate developments this week point at the same resource: radio spectrum for connecting ordinary phones to satellites.
In the United States, the Federal Communications Commission is scheduled to consider a proposal on October 29, 2026 that would expand the spectrum eligible for Supplemental Coverage from Space (SCS). According to the October proposal summary reported by New Space Economy, the plan identifies an additional 482 MHz and changes the rules that govern direct-to-device satellite services in licensed frequencies. SCS is the framework under which satellite operators partner with terrestrial carriers to extend coverage to handsets using the carriers' licensed bands.
In Europe, Deutsche Telekom, Orange, Telefónica, and Vodafone signed a letter of intent on October 19, 2026 to explore a joint bid for European mobile-satellite spectrum. The arrangement would combine the four operators' customer networks and ground infrastructure with a satellite system supplied by a partner that has not yet been selected. The source does not specify the spectrum band, the licensing process, or the timetable for the bid, and we do not assume them.
These are proposals and intentions, not final decisions. The FCC item is on an agenda, and a proposal can be modified or deferred. The European letter of intent is explicitly exploratory.
Building satellites that can talk to unmodified handsets is hard, but the airwaves are the gating asset. Terrestrial carriers hold licensed spectrum acquired at great cost. Satellite operators either own dedicated mobile-satellite spectrum or must lease access from carriers. The scale of the proposed U.S. addition, 482 MHz, is large relative to the bands currently used for SCS. More eligible spectrum means more potential capacity and more commercial arrangements between carriers and satellite operators. It also changes the interference calculus for neighboring services.
The four European carriers are among the largest in the region. Banding together signals a desire to avoid ceding the satellite-to-phone layer to a single outside provider that could bypass them and sell direct to consumers. By pooling customer bases and ground infrastructure, they offer a prospective satellite partner scale that no single operator could match. The unselected partner is a notable detail. It leaves open whether a European, American, or other satellite system would win the business, a question with obvious sovereignty and industrial-policy overtones.
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The U.S. approach leans on regulator-led expansion of eligible bands within a carrier-partnership framework. The European approach leans on a carrier consortium bidding for spectrum collectively. Both aim to ensure that satellite connectivity to handsets is delivered in cooperation with, and ideally to the benefit of, terrestrial network operators.
Whoever holds the spectrum shapes who may offer direct-to-device service, on what terms, and with which partners.
Companies building direct-to-device constellations gain a larger addressable set of frequencies if the FCC proposal advances. That could ease the spectrum constraint that has shaped their service designs, including data rates and the number of simultaneous users. It may also intensify competition among operators for carrier partnerships, since access to terrestrial licenses is the route to using the bands. In Europe, the pending partner selection creates a high-stakes procurement. Operators and manufacturers able to offer a compliant system and a credible delivery schedule have reason to engage.
Carriers hold the licensed spectrum and the customer relationships. Both developments reinforce their bargaining position. In the U.S., expanded eligibility could let carriers monetize bands they already hold by partnering with satellite operators. In Europe, the four-operator bloc aims to turn its collective customer base into leverage when choosing a satellite provider. The risk for carriers is coordination cost and the possibility that regulators impose conditions on how spectrum is shared or used.
The FCC action tests how far regulators will go in adapting licensing rules to satellite-to-device services without compromising terrestrial users. Changes to rules governing licensed frequencies raise interference protection questions, power limits, and out-of-band emission requirements. European authorities, for their part, will determine how any bid fits within existing licensing procedures and whether competition and industrial policy concerns, such as strategic autonomy, shape the outcome. The cross-border nature of a four-country bloc adds complexity.
More spectrum and more bands mean more variants for handset radios to support. Chipset makers and handset manufacturers will watch which frequencies are finalized, since band support drives hardware design. Standards work on non-terrestrial networks in 3GPP is the technical backdrop, and spectrum decisions determine which implementations are commercially viable.
Direct-to-device is an area where several operators have raised substantial funds and signed carrier partnerships. Regulatory decisions on spectrum can affect the commercial roadmaps of companies in the space, which is why such items draw attention in the sector. We note this as context and offer no view on any company's securities.
The outcome of the October 29 FCC meeting is the first marker. Possible results include adoption of the proposal as drafted, adoption with modifications, or deferral. If adopted, the next steps would typically involve a rulemaking process with comment periods before final rules take effect. The details of which bands are included, and what interference protections apply, will determine the practical benefit to operators.
The letter of intent is an exploratory step. The key milestones are partner selection, definition of the spectrum target and the licensing path, and any competition review of the four-operator cooperation. Because the partner has not been named, the field remains open. We would expect interest from satellite system providers and attention from governments concerned about reliance on non-European infrastructure. Whether other European carriers join or compete with the bloc is an open question.
The broader message is that satellite-to-phone service is moving from technology demonstration to a spectrum-allocation contest. The next decisions will define who can offer it and under what terms.