FCC Aligns U.S. Radio Rules with 2015 World Conference Acts
Published Date: 1/14/2026
Rule
Summary
The FCC is updating U.S. radio frequency rules to match international agreements from the 2015 World Radiocommunication Conference. These changes help amateur radio operators, satellite services, and broadcast stations use the airwaves more efficiently starting February 13, 2026. This update affects businesses and hobbyists but won’t cause big costs or paperwork headaches.
Analyzed Economic Effects
6 provisions identified: 4 benefits, 0 costs, 2 mixed.
Satellite-Based Global Flight Tracking Allowed
The FCC allocated 1087.7–1092.3 MHz for aeronautical mobile-satellite (route) Earth-to-space use to allow space stations to receive ADS-B broadcasts from aircraft and added a new licensing paragraph to permit space stations that can receive ADS-B. These changes take effect February 13, 2026 and will allow reception of aircraft ADS-B signals beyond terrestrial line-of-sight.
Search-and-Rescue Satellites Protected
The FCC added footnote US265 and changed rules to protect search-and-rescue satellites that receive in the 406–406.1 MHz band. New fixed and mobile frequency assignments are prohibited in the adjacent 405.9–406.0 MHz and 406.1–406.2 MHz bands, and the rule also prevents new assignments at 406.1250 MHz and 406.1750 MHz after the rule's effective date of February 13, 2026; existing stations on those frequencies may continue to operate indefinitely.
410–420 MHz Opened for Space Research (Non‑Federal)
The FCC allocated 410–420 MHz to the space research service (space-to-space) on a secondary basis for non-Federal use, limited to communications links with an orbiting, manned space vehicle, and added a power flux-density (PFD) limit at Earth's surface of −153 to −148 dBw/m² in a 4 kHz bandwidth depending on angle of arrival to protect existing services. These changes are effective February 13, 2026.
Earth‑Observation Bands Expanded for Satellites
The FCC allocated the 9.2–9.3 GHz and 9.9–10.4 GHz bands to the Earth exploration‑satellite service (active) on a primary basis for Federal use and on a secondary basis for non‑Federal use, subject to specific footnotes and mitigation requirements. The Commission declined to raise the non‑Federal allocations to primary status. These rules take effect February 13, 2026.
New 60‑Meter Amateur Band Adopted
The FCC allocated 5351.5–5366.5 kHz to the amateur radio service on a secondary basis and modified footnote US23 and part 97 to implement the new band. The Commission also retained the four existing discrete amateur channels at 5332, 5348, 5373, and 5405 kHz for continued amateur use and decided not to limit those four channels to disaster-response operations. These changes are effective February 13, 2026.
Broadcast Auxiliary and Fixed Station Frequency Updates
The FCC updated service rules and frequencies for aural broadcast auxiliary stations, television broadcast auxiliary stations, cable television relay service, and fixed microwave services, including replacing certain 12 frequency pairs with 5‑megahertz channels and updating which frequencies are available to applicants. These revisions are effective February 13, 2026.
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