SpaceX doesn’t always get what it wants at the FCC

The Federal Communications Commission denied requests by multiple satellite companies—including SpaceX—for access to spectrum, saying it’s all about enabling the direct-to-device market to flourish. Our first reaction was: Huh? How does denying satellite companies access to spectrum encourage them to compete in the D2D space?  Turns out, it’s actually providing regulatory certainty in a very uncertain but highly hyped industry. Billions of dollars are being invested in D2D when it’s not entirely clear how much consumers or enterprises are going to spend on getting satellite connectivity direct to their smartphones. In other words, by dismissing multiple filings that were submitted to the commission, it’s reaffirming existing licensees’ exclusive rights to use certain D2D spectrum bands by rejecting several companies’ requests to enter those same bands. “By preserving the regulatory certainty necessary for long-term investment in D2D, the FCC is setting the stage for ubiquitous connectivity, the end of coverage gaps and more robust IoT,” the FCC stated.