Agency decision · DA 26-1129 · Memorandum Opinion and Order

FCC DA 26-1129: Transfer of three AWS-3 spectrum licenses to a SpaceX subsidiary

Granted, with conditions. The Wireless Telecommunications Bureau of the Federal Communications Commission issued the decision on October 21, 2026.

WT Docket No. 26-187.

What was decided

The order's rulings, with paragraph references.

  1. Transfer of control of TLG and its three licenses to Starlink Spectrum Holdings

    Granted, subject to the conditions in the order

    Paragraph 21

  2. Waiver of the AWS-3 terrestrial construction requirements (47 CFR § 27.14(s))

    Granted, subject to conditions

    Paragraph 22

  3. Waiver of the automatic license termination rules (47 CFR §§ 1.946(c), 1.955(a)(2))

    Dismissed as moot, because new buildout obligations replace them

    Paragraph 23

Show all 6 rulings

  1. Waiver of the license renewal requirements (47 CFR § 1.949(d)–(f))

    Granted, to the extent described in the order

    Paragraph 24

  2. Waiver and extension of the permanent discontinuance rule (47 CFR § 1.953(a), (b))

    Granted, to the extent described in the order

    Paragraph 25

  3. Pre-consummation extension requests

    Dismissed as moot, because the buildout waivers were granted

    Note 4

Source: official order.

Conditions on the licenses

Summaries of the conditions; the order has the exact wording.

  • Uplink user throughput, measured from November 30, 2027: at least 100 kbps/MHz over 90 percent of the license area, available 70 percent of the time, after two years; 200 kbps/MHz at 80 percent after four years; 300 kbps/MHz at 90 percent after nine years (5th percentile user throughput).
  • Spectral efficiency: 100 kbps/MHz per beam after two years and 200 kbps/MHz per beam after nine years.
  • Within 30 days of each milestone, a construction notification certifying whether the requirements were met, with a technical narrative, link budget, and maps of where service meets them.
Show all 7 conditions
  • At least 9 months before the first milestone, a plan for Bureau approval describing the measurements or data that will verify compliance; the data itself is due within 6 months of each milestone.
  • Missing the first interim requirement for a license moves its final deadline one year earlier; missing the second moves it two more years earlier.
  • Missing the final requirements for a license ends that license automatically, and SpaceX would be ineligible to regain it if the FCC later makes it available.
  • If the transaction is not completed, the waivers end for Tristar and TLG.

Source: official order.

Key facts

Document
Memorandum Opinion and Order, DA 26-1129
Docket
WT Docket No. 26-187 (lead application: ULS File No. 0012060998, filed June 11, 2026, amended July 13, 2026)
Adopted and released
October 21, 2026
Issued by
The Chief of the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau, under authority delegated by the Commission (47 CFR §§ 0.131 and 0.331)
Show all 9 facts
Spectrum
Three unpaired AWS-3 licenses, 1695–1710 MHz, used for uplink only (device to network)
Area covered
Three Economic Areas: 62 counties in eight states, about 4 percent of the U.S. population, according to the order
Public comment
No petitions to deny, oppositions, or replies were filed. One general comment was filed; the order says it did not address the merits of the transaction.
Spectrum screen
SpaceX would hold at most 75 megahertz in these markets. The order finds this does not trigger the Commission's spectrum screen (385 megahertz) in any local market.
Legal authority
Sections 4(i), 4(j), 5(c), 303(r), 309, and 310(d) of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended

Source: official order.

Effective date and history

The order took effect when it was adopted on October 21, 2026. Petitions for reconsideration may be filed within thirty days of the date of adoption (47 CFR § 1.106).

Show background and related actions

The applicants state that Tristar had not built out the licenses due to circumstances beyond its control and could not meet the renewal standard. Under FCC rules, unbuilt licenses that are not renewed ordinarily return to the FCC's inventory for a future auction.

The applicants state that Tristar planned to use the licenses with EchoStar's 5G network, and that this plan became untenable after EchoStar assigned its unpaired AWS-3 and other spectrum licenses to SpaceX.

The licenses were set to expire on July 5, 2026, and remain in effect while the timely filed renewal applications are pending (47 CFR § 1.62(a)).

Parties named in the order

  • Starlink Spectrum Holdings, LLC: Acquiring company; a wholly owned subsidiary of SpaceX
  • Space Exploration Technologies Corp. (SpaceX): Parent company of Starlink Spectrum Holdings
  • Tristar License Group, LLC: Current parent of the licensee
  • TLG Unpaired Holdings, LLC: Holder of the three licenses

Related FCC actions cited in the order

  • SpaceX-EchoStar Order, DA 26-471 (May 12, 2026), GN Docket No. 25-302: the earlier order whose conditions this one adopts.
  • Authorization Order, DA 26-1078 (October 6, 2026), GN Docket No. 25-340: the FCC's grant of SpaceX's application to deploy its direct-to-device satellite system.
  • Public Notice, DA 26-747 (July 17, 2026): accepted this application for filing and opened public comment.

Source: official order.

Topics

Telecommunications & BroadbandSpace Policy

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Sources

Show1 official source; summaries above come from the official document.

GovGalaxy summarizes the official document; it does not add analysis or predictions.

Memorandum Opinion and Order, DA 26-1129 (WT Docket No. 26-187)

Federal Communications Commission

official

Supports: Federal Communications Commission, Wireless Telecommunications Bureau, acting under delegated authority, DA 26-1129 decision, its conditions, and its ordering clauses

Recently reviewedReviewed Oct 23, 2026
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