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The FCC votes November 19 on a drone control network at 450 MHz and drone-detection radar at 24 GHz

A public draft released October 29 would open a slice of the 450 MHz band to drone command-and-control links under one nationwide license. It would also let ground radars that detect drones use the 24.45 to 24.65 GHz band without a waiver. A third change updates in-flight broadband rules at 800 MHz.

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Illustration: a drone pilot at an airport perimeter, near runways and approach paths (not an FCC image)
Illustration: a drone pilot at an airport perimeter, near runways and approach paths (not an FCC image).

Decision brief

Consumer drones are not affected. They talk to their controllers on unlicensed 2.4 and 5.8 GHz radio. The 450 MHz change matters for drones that fly far beyond sight, and for the air taxis coming after them, because it creates licensed spectrum set aside for flight safety data. That network would belong to one company, AURA Network Systems, the band's only licensee. The radar change helps sites that want to see drones coming, such as prisons, stadiums, and critical infrastructure. It gives no one the legal power to take a drone down. This is a draft, and the FCC says it can change before the vote.

Vote
Nov. 19, 2026

FCC open meeting, 10:30 a.m. ET; public draft released Oct. 29

450 MHz
One nationwide license

Drone control links and flight safety data; AURA, the only licensee, converts its 54 sites

24 GHz
Drone-detection radar

24.45 to 24.65 GHz, ground-based, secondary, site-licensed

The vote

Three bands in one order, voted November 19.

The FCC will vote on November 19, 2026, at its open meeting, which starts at 10:30 a.m. Eastern. Chairman Brendan Carr put the item on the tentative agenda on October 29, and the FCC posted the 97-page public draft the same day. Its title is Unleashing American Drone Dominance; Facilitating Opportunities for Advanced Air Mobility. It is a Report and Order in GN Docket No. 26-74 and WT Docket No. 24-629, and it acts on proposals the FCC made in January 2025. Carr said in an October 28 release that the FCC will "replace outdated rules with a more flexible nationwide licensing system, expand our drone-detection capabilities and improve the in-flight connectivity experience for travelers."

450 MHz

A voice-only band opens to drone control links.

The 450 MHz piece covers 650 kilohertz at 454.6625 to 454.9875 MHz and 459.6625 to 459.9875 MHz. Today the rules limit this band to voice calls for general aviation aircraft at high altitudes, and they ban data. The draft adds a primary non-federal allocation for aeronautical safety services. It permits drone command and control links, plus other flight safety data for crewed or uncrewed aircraft. It also lifts a filing freeze in place since January 17, 2025.

AURA holds every license in the band, at 54 sites. The draft lets AURA turn those site licenses into one nationwide license, covering the lower 48 states, Alaska, Hawaii, and the U.S. territories. The switch is voluntary, and it is done as a license change rather than an auction. The FCC found no windfall, citing the $100 million it says AURA has invested since a 2021 waiver, so it charges no payment. The license runs up to 15 years. Within 4 years, AURA must cover 35% of the lower 48 states and Hawaii at 400 feet above the ground, or meet a high-altitude target instead. Within 8 years, the low-altitude target rises to 70%. If AURA misses the 8-year target, the license ends automatically.

FCC opens 800 MHz to dronesThe October 29 vote that let drones use the cellular band.Part 108 explainedThe FAA rule that would make beyond-sight flight routine.

24 GHz

Drone-detection radar without a waiver, and without new powers.

The 24 GHz piece adds a secondary allocation for federal and non-federal ground-based radiolocation at 24.45 to 24.65 GHz. Radiolocation is the radio category for radar that finds and tracks objects. The FCC says these radars can protect federal sites, stadiums, prisons, the border, and critical infrastructure. Echodyne asked for the change in an October 2018 petition. So far it and MatrixSpace have run such radars only under waivers. The draft licenses each site under the Part 90 rules and allows only fixed stations, not radars that operate while moving. Licenses for temporary locations cover trailer and vehicle setups. It turns down airborne radar in the band for now. The FCC says the license is only about spectrum. It does not give anyone the legal power to detect, track, or disable a drone.

Local police counter-drone authorityWho can legally act against a drone, and under what law.

Also on the agenda

In-flight broadband and satellite links.

The third piece updates commercial air-to-ground rules at 849 to 851 MHz and 894 to 896 MHz, where Gogo is the only nationwide licensee. It moves the power limits from peak to average power so the band can carry modern broadband to aircraft. The same agenda includes a separate order that would expand satellite earth stations in motion across 28.35 to 28.6 GHz. The FCC's description names drones among the moving devices it would serve.

FCC satellite rules for dronesComments due November 25 on how drones should be classed.

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