SpaceX Wants More Spectrum for Direct-to-Device

It named NextNav’s proposal, which the security industry reiterated opposition to.

SpaceX Wants More Spectrum for Direct-to-Device
Photo of SpaceX CEO Elon Musk during a state dinner in Beijing with with President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping on May 14, 2026 by Mark Schiefelbein/AP

Aug. 11, 2026 – SpaceX is looking for more spectrum to be available for satellite use, it told federal regulators Tuesday.

The company is buying $19.6 billion worth of licenses from EchoStar, and when the Federal Communications Commission approved that deal, it set buildout deadlines that could be satisfied by either terrestrial deployments or satellite direct-to-device performance. 

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