# 2025-03602: FCC Boosts Airwaves for Drones and Flying Cars 2025-03602, Facilitating Opportunities for Advanced Air Mobility, is a Federal Register proposed rule from Federal Communications Commission published 2025-03-17; PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-09-30). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2025-03602 - As of: 2026-09-30 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Document number: 2025-03602 - Title: Facilitating Opportunities for Advanced Air Mobility - Type: Proposed Rule - Agencies: Federal Communications Commission - Citation: 90 FR 12243 - Published: 2025-03-17 - Effective: unknown - Comments close: not stated - Significant: no - Touches household money: yes - Regulation identifier numbers: none - Last updated: 2026-09-30 ## In one line FCC Boosts Airwaves for Drones and Flying Cars ## Summary The FCC wants to update rules to help new flying tech like drones and advanced air vehicles use certain radio frequencies better. They’re opening up a special 450 MHz band for nationwide drone control, expanding radar use to spot drones, and modernizing power rules for in-flight Wi-Fi. If you’re involved in aviation or drone tech, get ready to share your thoughts by April 16, 2025, as these changes could speed up innovation and improve air travel connectivity. ## Abstract In this document, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC or Commission) proposes and seeks comment on changes to the rules that govern the operations of three distinct bands of spectrum, modernizing rules to facilitate opportunities for Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) and Uncrewed Aerial Systems (UAS). First, the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) proposes and seeks comment on opening up the 450 MHz band to aeronautical command and control operations; allowing for a single, nationwide license in the band; and adopting flexible licensing, operating, and technical rules that will facilitate robust use of the band at a range of altitudes while minimizing interference to neighboring operations. It also proposes expanding radiolocation operations in the 24.45-24.65 GHz band for uncrewed aircraft system detection operations. Finally, the NPRM proposes to modernize the Commission's legacy power rules for Commercial Aviation Air-Ground Systems in the 849-851 and 894-896 MHz band, which is used for in-flight connectivity. ## Effects PRIA read - 450 MHz opened for drone command-and-control: benefit, medium. The FCC proposes to allow command-and-control (UAS CNPC) data communications in the 650 kilohertz 450 MHz band (454.6625-454.9875 MHz and 459.6625-459.9875 MHz) by adding a non-federal primary Aeronautical Mobile (Route) Service allocation and defining UAS CNPC and UAS/UA use. This would permit use… - Voluntary nationwide license conversion: mixed, medium. The FCC proposes a voluntary transition from existing site-based licenses in the 450 MHz band to a single exclusive nationwide geographic license covering CONUS, Alaska, Hawaii, and U.S. territories. An applicant would modify one site-based license into the nationwide license and surrender its othe… - New performance buildout requirements (altitude-based): cost, high. The FCC proposes performance benchmarks for the nationwide 450 MHz license tied to altitude: define high-altitude service at 25,000 feet and low-altitude service at 400 feet. Under Option 1 the interim requirement is service at 25,000 feet plus 400-foot coverage of 17.5% of each REAG area and the f… - Potential windfall payment or holding period for nationwide license: mixed, medium. The FCC tentatively concludes a windfall payment may not be warranted but seeks comment on whether granting a nationwide license and new flexibilities would create an undue windfall requiring a payment to the U.S. Treasury; it also seeks comment on imposing a holding period (i.e., a period during w… - Allow UAS detection in 24.45–24.65 GHz band: benefit, low. The FCC proposes to permit radiolocation operations (detection of uncrewed aircraft systems) in the 24.45-24.65 GHz band to facilitate UAS detection at sensitive sites such as stadiums, prisons, the U.S. border, and critical infrastructure. Radiolocation use would be allowed without using the infor… - Modernize in‑flight connectivity power measurement: benefit, medium. The FCC proposes to modernize legacy power rules for Commercial Aviation Air-Ground Systems in the 849-851 MHz and 894-896 MHz bands by switching from regulating peak power to regulating effective radiated power measured as average power. The change is intended to align these rules with similar ban… ## Related documents - [2026-20591](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-20591): Information Collection Being Reviewed by the Federal Communications Commission Under Delegated Authority, 2026-10-08 - [2026-20590](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-20590): Information Collection Being Reviewed by the Federal Communications Commission, 2026-10-08 - [2026-20676](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-20676): Information Collection Being Reviewed by the Federal Communications Commission Under Delegated Authority, 2026-10-08 - [2026-20607](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-20607): Information Collections Being Submitted for Review and Approval to Office of Management and Budget, 2026-10-08 - [2026-20681](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-20681): Information Collection Being Submitted for Review and Approval to Office of Management and Budget, 2026-10-08 - [2026-20486](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-20486): Information Collections Being Reviewed by the Federal Communications Commission, 2026-10-06 ## Sources - [2025-03602 on federalregister.gov](https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/03/17/2025-03602/facilitating-opportunities-for-advanced-air-mobility) - [2025-03602 as published (PDF)](https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2025-03-17/pdf/2025-03602.pdf) ## Related - [Previous: 2025-04096, Security Zones; Tampa Bay: Big Bend, Boca Grande, Crystal River, East Bay, Hill…](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2025-04096) - [Next: 2025-04008, Review of the Commission's Rules Governing the 896-901/935-940 MHz Band](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2025-04008) - [All Federal Register documents](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register) Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2025-03602 (as of 2026-09-30).