FCC replaces legacy satellite rules with modular Part 100 licensing system

The adoption of the Part 100 framework significantly reduces the regulatory lead time for deploying space-based communications infrastructure, including high-throughput broadband and direct-to-device services. For the streaming ecosystem, this facilitates the more rapid expansion of next-generation satellite constellations by companies like SpaceX and Amazon, which are critical for delivering video content to underserved or mobile markets. By replacing a prescriptive licensing model with a modular system, the FCC is aligning regulatory speed with the current 18-month hardware innovation cycles. Watch for whether the Department of Commerce challenges the FCC’s expansion into space safety and situational awareness reporting.

The FCC's move to scrap Part 25 in favor of the more flexible Part 100 framework comes as the commission increasingly prioritizes space-based supplemental coverage. Per Pipeline, in July 2026, Chairman Brendan Carr proposed expanding direct-to-device (D2D) broadband to unlicensed wireless devices utilizing 225 MHz of spectrum. This effort aims to allow standard smartphones to connect to satellite constellations without specialized hardware. Concurrently, Amazon has moved to integrate Globalstar’s spectrum licenses into its Project Kuiper constellation, while AST SpaceMobile confirmed the August 2024 deployment of its first five commercial BlueBird satellites to enable dual-way voice and video services.

While the industry largely supports the streamlining, the overhaul has faced resistance from legislative leaders. According to AIAA reporting from July 2026, the leadership of the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology requested a postponement of the FCC vote. Representatives Brian Babin and Zoe Lofgren argued in letters to the commission that the FCC exceeded its statutory authority by mandating space situational awareness and collision mitigation data sharing. They contended that such oversight belongs to the Department of Transportation or the Department of Commerce rather than the spectrum regulator.

In addition to the licensing order, the FCC’s broader 'Space Bureau' agenda includes new proceedings on orbital data centers and in-space servicing, assembly, and manufacturing (ISAM) missions. Per Communications Daily, the July 2026 order also establishes 'bright-line' criteria for public interest determinations, which is intended to make application outcomes more predictable. This regulatory shift occurs as the number of active satellites in low Earth orbit has more than doubled over the last six years, necessitating more sophisticated traffic management and swifter spectrum coordination to maintain North American space superiority.