The FCC has decided to let old foreign-made Wi-Fi routers and drones continue receiving important security updates until January 1, 2029. Without these updates, millions of devices already owned by people could become easy targets for hackers and other online threats, and the FCC says stopping the updates would create more problems than it would solve. Old devices already approved by the FCC can still receive software fixes and improvements. However, new foreign-made routers and drones face strict limits and cannot receive normal approval for sale in the United States due to national security concerns. This change gives people and companies time to switch safely

The FCC has unanimously voted to advance a proposal banning all laboratories in China, including Hong Kong, from certifying electronic devices sold in the United States. Citing national security risks in the testing and certification process, this rule would affect roughly 75% of electronics bound for the U.S. market. Manufacturers would need to use testing facilities in the U.S. or approved countries instead. The proposal is now open for public comments before a final decision.

NEWS: FCC modernizes satellite spectrum sharing rules in major boost for Starlink. The FCC voted today to replace the decades-old Equivalent Power Flux Density (EPFD) framework. It was designed for theoretical 1990s tech. They switched to modern performance-based GSO protection criteria. The new rules take full advantage of current satellite technology like adaptive coding and modulation. This change is expected to deliver: - Faster speeds and lower latency - Up to 7x more capacity for space-based broadband - Over $2 billion in new economic benefits - Much better high-speed internet in rural and remote areas The old EPFD limits had been holding back Starlink and other NGSO systems. Regulations have finally caught up to today’s satellite realities.

NEWS: The FCC upheld exclusive rights for established satellite companies in key radio frequencies and rejected applications from SpaceX, Kepler, Sateliot, and AST SpaceMobile. The bands in question (Big LEO at 1.6/2.4 GHz, 2 GHz, and L-band) have long been reserved for traditional satellite phones. Companies like Globalstar and Iridium have invested about 28 billion dollars building systems there. The FCC ruled these lanes stay exclusive to the current owners for now, citing interference risks as satellite-to-phone technology grows. The decision blocks part of SpaceX’s plans to use those same frequencies for independent Starlink direct-to-cell service. SpaceX’s main U.S. partnership with T-Mobile uses entirely different spectrum and remains fully on track.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

NEWS: SpaceX has secured FCC approval to lower the minimum elevation angles for all current Starlink dishes, expanding their field of view beyond the prior 25 degree limit and allowing satellites to maintain connections with earth stations for longer while flying overhead. - Applies immediately to every current dish model, including Gen 3, Starlink Mini, Gen 2, and the original Gen 1, with no hardware changes required - Lowers the minimum elevation angle to 10 degrees for satellites below 400 km altitude - Sets the minimum at 20 degrees for satellites between 400 and 500 km altitude - Allows angles as low as 5 degrees for users at or above 62 degrees north latitude, a notable benefit for Alaska and northern Canada SpaceX told the FCC the change should improve latency and performance by letting satellites connect to more earth stations directly and maintain those links for longer, especially as more of the constellation moves toward roughly 480 km orbits.

PSA: SpaceX has filed seven FCC waiver requests to add the 13.75-14.0GHz and 14.5-14.8GHz frequency bands to its Starlink dish lineup, a move aimed at significantly improving upload speeds across all dish models. Current FCC rules require a minimum 4.5-meter antenna to operate in the 13.75-14.0GHz band, far larger than Starlink's consumer dishes, so SpaceX is seeking waivers for each model, including the Standard, Mini, and second-gen dishes. SpaceX says the additional spectrum will resolve the "4:1 imbalance between downlink and uplink" in Ku-band, enabling more symmetrical broadband speeds and support for real-time applications like videoconferencing.