The FCC asks how its satellite rules should treat drones, with comments due November 25
A notice published in the Federal Register on October 26 confirms that a drone may qualify as an earth station in motion under the FCC's satellite rules. It asks whether drones should get their own category, and it sets a goal of access without individual licenses.
By Joel Kelly
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Read the Federal Register notice by Nov 25
Decision brief
This is a request for comment. If you build drones that talk to satellites, or fly them for work, this is where to say how they should be classed and licensed. Comments are due November 25 and reply comments December 28, in SB Docket No. 25-306.
- Comments due
- Nov. 25, 2026
- Docket
- SB 25-306
- Already true
- Drones can be ESIMs
Reply comments due Dec. 28, 2026
FCC 26-47, adopted July 22, 2026; 91 FR 67225
When they link to an authorized Fixed-Satellite Service system
The notice
One paragraph of a space rewrite is about drones.
The FCC published a further notice of proposed rulemaking in the Federal Register on October 26. It is part of the agency's rewrite of its space licensing rules, titled Space Modernization for the 21st Century. One paragraph asks how those rules should treat drones. Comments are due November 25, 2026, and reply comments December 28, 2026, in SB Docket No. 25-306. The Commission adopted the notice, FCC 26-47, on July 22 and released it July 23. It came with an order that adopts a new part 100 of the FCC's rules.
What the FCC confirms
A drone may already qualify as an earth station in motion.
The FCC confirms that a drone may qualify as an earth station in motion, or ESIM. That lets it use eligible spectrum under the part 25 and part 100 rules when it sends or receives signals to or from an authorized satellite system in the Fixed-Satellite Service. The notice says the agency's past decisions have not treated drones as their own kind of ESIM, given the nascency of the drone industry. A footnote adds that a drone that only receives needs no registration or license to begin operations. The exception is a drone that plans to receive from a space station that is not authorized or licensed in the U.S.
What it asks
Aircraft, vehicle, or consumer gear, and how much licensing.
The questions come next. The FCC asks whether the rules written for earth stations aboard aircraft, largely designed for commercial and private aviation, fit drones. It asks whether drones, which fly lower and closer to the ground, are better classed as vehicle-mounted earth stations. It asks whether drones raise different or fewer interference concerns. It also asks whether drones are closer to consumer equipment such as user terminals and handsets, and what licensing, if any, should apply beyond the rules for user terminals.
The Commission states its goal plainly: spectrum access for a diverse array of drone operators on all eligible frequencies, without individualized licensing or a heavyweight technical envelope. It says that would foster a competitive drone connectivity market with multiple providers. The notice also asks whether the FCC should clarify how part 100 treats drones without formal rule changes. To the extent necessary, it delegates that authority to the Space Bureau.
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