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Technology Briefing · The Hill Report
A New Phone Needs a Federal Grant Before It Can Be Sold
Every cellular handset marketed in the United States passes through federal
certification for its radio emissions and body exposure, and a satellite-ready
one also depends on spectrum its network is licensed to use. Connor Hill ·
InsightfulWord · October 09
Key points

A cell phone must hold a grant of certification, issued by the Federal
Communications Commission or a private Telecommunication Certification Body,
before it is marketed; the testing must be done by an accredited,
commission-recognized laboratory.

The exposure limit for the general public is 1.6 watts per kilogram, averaged
over a one-gram cube of tissue, with4 W/kg for hands, wrists, feet, ankles and
ears.

On October 6, the commission approved SpaceX's system of 15,000
direct-to-device satellites; half must be in orbit by October 7, 2032.

On October 8, SpaceX agreed to acquire 14 MHz of paired 800 MHz spectrum,
subject to commission approval. AnOctober 29 meeting will weigh 482 MHz more
for satellite-to-phone service.
A handset is a radio transmitter held against the head. That fact, more than
any design choice, decides the order of events for any new phone headed to the
American market: test, certify, label, and only then sell.

A phone that talks to satellites adds a second track. The network it reaches
needs its own licenses, for the spacecraft and for the frequencies. Both tracks
moved this week, and both leave dated, numbered records.

On the tape
Oct 6 The Federal Communications Commission approved SpaceX's request for
15,000 non-geostationary satellites for direct-to-device service in nine shells
between 326 and 335 kilometers, Via Satellite and TechSpot reported. Why it
matters: the grant sets dated milestones, half the satellites by October 7,
2032 and the rest by October 7, 2035, and a 15-year license term.
Oct 7 Chairman Brendan Carr outlined the October 29 open meeting, including a
proposal to make an additional 482 MHz available for supplemental coverage from
space. Why it matters: the item is a notice of proposed rulemaking, so it opens
a comment round before any band is assigned.
Oct 7 The same agenda proposes auctioning 25 MHz in the 1675 to 1695 MHz and
2020 to 2025 MHz bands, which could support satellite, terrestrial or hybrid
service. Why it matters: "Our proposal to auction 25 MHz of prime spectrum will
continue to create tremendous economic value for the American people," Carr
said.
Oct 7 A companion item would require device testing and certification to take
place in the United States or in countries with reciprocal agreements, with a
transition to December 1, 2028. Why it matters: Carr said "less than 4% of all
electronic devices are tested in labs located inside the U.S."
Oct 8 SpaceX agreed to acquire 14 MHz of paired 800 MHz spectrum from Grain
Management, subject to commission approval, Via Satellite reported. Why it
matters: the company described the band as "a coverage layer that ensures
Starlink Mobile's signal penetrates through obstacles, such as walls."

What Certification Requires
Federal rules define certification as "an equipment authorization approved by
the Commission or issued by a Telecommunication Certification Body." The
private certification bodies review an applicant's test reports and technical
exhibits on the commission's behalf.

The testing itself has its own gate. Since July 13, 2016, all equipment
approved under certification must be tested by an accredited laboratory that
the commission recognizes. Before filing, the applicant needs a registration
number and a grantee code.

That code becomes half of the device's FCC ID. Under the labeling rule, the
identifier pairs the permanent grantee code with an equipment product code
chosen by the company, no longer than 14 characters. The ID printed on a phone,
or shown in its settings, is the key to the public grant record, including test
reports.

The labs have become a policy lever. A 2025 order barred the commission from
recognizing any certification body, test lab or accreditation body "owned by,
controlled by, or subject to the direction of a prohibited entity," with
control triggered at a 10% equity or voting stake. According to TV Technology,
29 labs lost recognition under those rules. The October 29 proposal would go
further and tie recognition to reciprocal trade arrangements. A companion
notice would seek comment on further steps to protect the integrity of the
authorization process. Like every agenda item, both remain proposals until the
commission votes and, where required, completes a comment round.


How Exposure Is Measured
The second test a handset must pass is specific absorption rate, the rate at
which the body absorbs radio energy, in watts per kilogram. The commission's
rules apply it to portable devices, defined as transmitters used away from
fixed locations whose antennas are generally within 20 centimeters of the
user's body.

The limits for the general public are set out in one table. Whole-body
exposure is capped at 0.08 W/kg. The localized peak, the figure printed in
phone manuals, is 1.6 W/kg averaged over any one gram of tissue in the shape of
a cube. Hands, wrists, feet, ankles and the outer ear may absorb up to 4 W/kg,
averaged over ten grams.

A satellite-capable phone faces the same rules. Its radio must reach
spacecraft hundreds of kilometers away, but the exposure ceiling at the body
does not change with the destination of the signal.

By the numbers
1.6 W/kg Localized exposure limit for the public, averaged over one gram of
tissue
0.08 W/kg Whole-body exposure limit for the public
14 Maximum characters in the equipment product code of an FCC ID
20 cm Antenna distance that defines a portable device in the exposure rules
15,000 Direct-to-device satellites approved for SpaceX on October 6
482 MHz Additional spectrum proposed for satellite-to-phone service

The Spectrum a Satellite-Ready Phone Depends On
The framework for linking satellites to ordinary phones dates to March 14,
2024, when the commission unanimously adopted rules for supplemental coverage
from space. They let a satellite operator lease spectrum from a mobile carrier
and serve that carrier's subscribers where towers do not reach.

SpaceX then bought its own spectrum. On September 8, 2025, EchoStar agreed to
sell its AWS-4 and H-block licenses for about $17 billion, up to $8.5 billion
in cash and up to $8.5 billion in SpaceX stock, plus about $2 billion of
interest payments on EchoStar debt through November 2027. TechSpot reported
that the October 6 grant included a waiver letting SpaceX offer service without
a terrestrial leasing partner.

The grant carries conditions. SpaceX's authority over the EchoStar spectrum
depends on a second step, the transfer of licenses held in trust, expected on
or about November 30, 2027. The commission deferred operations in the 2020 to
2025 MHz uplink band, and deferred the 20.2 to 21.2 GHz and 30.0 to 31.0 GHz
bands because of heavy federal use.

Reporting is built into the license as well. According to Light Reading, the
15-year term starts when the first new satellite reaches its authorized orbit,
and SpaceX must file semi-annual reports each January 1 and July 1 covering
deployment, removals and reentries. Those reports become part of the public
record.

Elon Musk has described the handset side. In June, Advanced Television
reported, he said that phones able to use the newly acquired spectrum "will
probably start shipping in around two years," and that satellites and phones
would be "able to handshake easily." Light Reading reported that SpaceX targets
up to 150 Mbit/s on its second-generation satellites, against 4 Mbit/s today on
more than 650 in service.

📡 Spectrum Signal 15,000
The number of direct-to-device satellites the Federal Communications
Commission approved for SpaceX on October 6, in nine shells between 326 and 335
kilometers. Half must be in orbit by October 7, 2032. The satellites are the
network side of a satellite-ready phone; the handset side still runs through
certification, an FCC ID and the 1.6 W/kg exposure limit.

Where the satellite-to-phone approvals stand
SpaceX direct-to-device system 15,000 satellites, 326 to 335 kmApproved
October 6, 2026
SpaceX and Grain Management 14 MHz paired at 800 MHzAnnounced October 8, 2026;
approval pending
Supplemental coverage proposal 482 MHz additionalVote set for October 29, 2026
SpaceX and EchoStar AWS-4 and H-block, about $17 billionSecond step expected
about November 30, 2027
One question for the desk
When a new phone is announced, does the coverage mention whether it already
holds an FCC ID, and would that detail change how the announcement reads?

Hit reply — one line is enough.

Worth stating plainly
A phone sold in the United States must first be tested in a recognized lab,
certified by the commission or a private certification body, and labeled with
an FCC ID, and it must meet a 1.6 W/kg exposure limit. A phone that reaches
satellites also relies on network licenses. SpaceX received approval for 15,000
direct-to-device satellites on October 6 and agreed to buy 800 MHz spectrum on
October 8, while the commission prepares to consider 482 MHz more.

The short checklist
1. Look up a device's FCC ID in the public grant database to see its test
reports.
2. Read the grantee code, the first part of the ID, to identify the applicant.
3. Check the stated SAR value against the 1.6 W/kg limit for the head and body.
4. Distinguish a handset's certification from the satellite network's license.
5. Watch the October 29 meeting for the 482 MHz proposal and the test-lab
rules.
6. Track the November 30, 2027 date for the EchoStar license transfer.


Replies to this briefing reach a person, not a queue.

Connor Hill reads every reply.

Sources checked Verified October 08, 2026 Code of Federal Regulations, Title
47, sections 1.1310, 2.907, 2.926 and 2.1093, and the Federal Communications
Commission equipment authorization page Via Satellite, Light Reading and
TechSpot on the commission's direct-to-device grant, October 7, 2026 TV
Technology, Telecoms Tech News and Cord Cutters News on the October 29 open
meeting agenda, October 7 and 8, 2026 Via Satellite on SpaceX's 800 MHz
spectrum agreement, October 8, 2026 EchoStar exhibit to a current report on
Form 8-K, September 8, 2025, and Advanced Television on Musk's remarks, June
29, 2026 Broadband Breakfast on the supplemental coverage from space vote,
March 14, 2024, and Wiley Rein alert on the 2025 test lab order, June 4, 2025
Connor Hill writes The Hill Report for InsightfulWord, a daily briefing on the
machinery behind the numbers.



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