FCC Relaunches Tech Advisory Council to Guide Spectrum, AI and 6G Policy
The relaunch of the Technological Advisory Council is to strengthen engineering leadership on emerging communications technologies
WASHINGTON, Sept. 16, 2026 - The Federal Communications Commission is relaunching its Technological Advisory Council (TAC) on October 1, 2026, with a renewed commitment to “embedding world‑class engineering expertise directly into the policymaking process.” Agency leaders say the move is designed to keep the FCC ahead of emerging challenges and opportunities shaping the future of connectivity in the United States, as the communications landscape evolves at an unprecedented pace.
The TAC brings together specialists from industry, academia and the public sector to produce guidance on core connectivity technologies. Under the revamped remit, the council will focus on spectrum sharing, cellular and wireless systems, and the use of machine learning and artificial intelligence in communications networks.
Andrew Hendrickson, Chief, Office of Engineering and Technology, has framed the relaunch as part of pushing the agency’s engineering and technical work “forward into the next decade,” aligning the TAC with priorities such as 6G, expanded satellite services and AI-enabled communications. The move signals that upcoming rulemakings will be heavily informed by structured technical advice rather than ad‑hoc input.
For the new term, the TAC will organize its work around three key areas. The Emerging Wireless and Broadband working group will examine foundational technologies for future systems, including 6G and other next‑generation architectures, with a focus on coverage, latency, reliability, resilience, security and long‑term U.S. leadership. That work also supports broader priorities such as 5G/6G evolution, satellites and space, quantum communications, drones and sensing.
The AI/ML and Computing working group will evaluate how artificial intelligence and machine learning can enhance communication systems and network operations, including interference mitigation, dynamic resource allocation, advanced sensing and secure decision automation across terrestrial and satellite environments.
The Spectrum Management Reform working group will explore new approaches to spectrum efficiency, coexistence and interference protection as demand grows across federal, commercial, satellite and emerging technology sectors, including advanced sharing frameworks and propagation modeling.
The first meeting of the relaunched TAC is scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 1, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. ET.
FCC officials say the council’s contributions will help protect consumers, sustain U.S. technological leadership and encourage the development of secure, reliable and cutting‑edge communication systems.
