FCC proposes initial satellite-direct-to-phone regulatory framework

FCC commissioners yesterday approved a proposal that would provide an initial regulatory framework for the agency to support supplemental-coverage-from-space (SCS)—or satellite-direct-to-cell-phone—services being explored by numerous satellite operators and terrestrial wireless carriers, including on FirstNet Authority spectrum.

Under the notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) that was passed by a 4-0 vote, the FCC “seeks to establish clear and transparent process to support supplemental coverage from space,” according to a agency news release on the matter. Such a process is lacking today as the FCC has been asked to consider waivers that would allow SCS services, which could effectively act as roaming cell sites for commercial phones.

FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel said the NPRM is designed to enable the vision of a “Single Network Future” that she spoke about during an address last month at Mobile World Congress

“Our approach is designed to make it easier for satellite operators collaborating with terrestrial providers to obtain authorization for converged services,” Rosenworcel said during yesterday’s FCC meeting. “By providing clear rules, I think we can kick start more innovation in the space economy while also expanding wireless coverage in remote, unserved, and underserved areas. We can make mobile dead zones a thing of the past.

“But even better, we have an opportunity to bring our spectrum policies into the future and move past the binary choices between mobile spectrum on the one hand and satellite spectrum on the other. That means we can reshape the airwave-access debates of old and develop new ways to get more out of our spectrum resources.”

FCC Commissioner Nathan Simington echoed this sentiment, citing the separate regulatory environments for terrestrial and satellite services that currently exist.

“I think that is precisely the situation that this item proposes to resolve—to wed two regulatory frameworks for a combination that, is at least intended to flexibly address the needs of all providers in this space,” Simington said during the FCC meeting. “To the extent it [the NPRM] doesn’t do that, it seeks comment on what else the FCC should and can do to facilitate these innovative services.

“In that sense, this item is the beginning of the discussion about a new regulatory model, and the FCC needs industry and others to tell us how to get it right.”

Under the NPRM, terrestrial wireless carriers with nationwide licenses would be allowed to augment their coverage by allowing signals from satellites to be transmitted across spectrum used by terrestrial wireless carriers. Initial drafts of the NPRM did not include language addressing the 700 MHz Band 14 spectrum licensed to the FirstNet Authority, but the FCC now is seeking comment about SCS service on these frequencies, according to an FCC official.

Multiple FCC commissioners said that the fact the NPRM does not propose allowing other operators—notably, regional carriers—to offer SCS should not be interpretated as an unwillingness to include such language in the future.

“If adopted, the rules would allow satellites to step in and provide connectivity where terrestrial coverage is unavailable using terrestrial spectrum, as if they were a seamless component of the terrestrial network itself,” FCC Commissioner Geoffrey Starks said during Thursday’s meeting.

“But building a framework that works for every conceivable commercial arrangement and every technology is no easy feat and risks bogging down progress as we work toward new rules. To address this concern, the NPRM smartly proposes a narrow set of initial entry criteria so that we can move full-speed ahead on proposals that raise the fewest technical challenges, while seeking comment on how one day we might broaden the scope. “

In addition, multiple commissioners said this new NPRM proceeding should not delay the commission’s consideration of existing SCS items pending before the agency.

AT&T, which is conducting SCS tests with AST SpaceMobile on the FirstNet Authority’s Band 14 spectrum, applauded the FCC commissioner’s approval of the NPRM.

“We support the FCC’s efforts to allow mobile networks to integrate supplemental satellite coverage,” according to an AT&T statement provided to IWCE’s Urgent Communications. “We look forward to participating in the development of rules that facilitate increased coverage and foster competition.”

AST SpaceMobile and Lynk Global plan to partner with commercial terrestrial wireless carriers, using sub-1 GHz spectrum licensed to the carrier to make the connection to unmodified cellular devices—effectively acting as a roaming partner with cell sites located on low-earth-orbit (LEO) satellites. Both of these companies eventually plan to offer broadband services, although Lynk is scheduled to launch its commercial offering next month as a text-only service initially.

But the Lynk and ASTSpaceMobile business model is not the only one in the SCS sector. T-Mobile and Starlink last year announced plans to offer SCS capability via T-Mobile’s 1.9 GHz spectrum. In January, Qualcomm announced a partnership with Iridium to enable satellite communications on Android phones that feature the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip.

Meanwhile, the two main commercial handset vendors—Apple and Samsung—have announced SCS plans. Apple already is offering a commercial service that allows iPhone 14 users to send emergency text messages via the Globalstar satellite network when the phone is outside the coverage footprint of the cellular network.

Samsung last month announced its SCS technology that will be incorporated into chips that will be embedded in the company’s phones in the future.