FCC to vote on auctioning 25MHz of 'prime spectrum' in move that could benefit Amazon, SpaceX

The Federal Communications Commission said Wednesday it will vote on a proposal to auction 25 megahertz of "prime spectrum" to support "direct-to-device" services from satellites to smart phones. The FCC, in a press release, also said it would vote Oct. 29 on taking public comment on a proposal to make an additional 482MHz of spectrum available for supplemental coverage from space and to modernize FCC rules for D2D services in the licensed spectrum. The two proposals could benefit companies such as SpaceX and Amazon , which have moved to expand D2D services with satellite networks. A third proposal to be voted on "would eliminate an outdated restriction that prevents drone operations in the 800 MHz Cellular band," the FCC said.