SpaceX Wins FCC Approval to Buy Tristar’s AWS-3 Spectrum for Direct-to-Device, and the Coverage Is Near-Nationwide

The FCC approved SpaceX’s application to acquire Tristar’s AWS-3 spectrum licenses, giving SpaceX near-nationwide coverage in the band for its next-generation direct-to-device platform. The approval rounds out spectrum holdings that SpaceX has been assembling for satellite-to-phone service.

The deal sits inside a broader SpaceX spectrum strategy. Separately, SpaceX is in talks with Crown Castle and other tower companies to gain access to 80,000 mobile sites to build a terrestrial network, according to Bloomberg reporting. The combination of satellite spectrum and terrestrial site access points to a hybrid model instead of a pure satellite play.

The direct-to-device market is getting crowded. Orange postponed its D2D testing with AST SpaceMobile and its European joint venture with Vodafone, Satellite Connect Europe, citing limited satellite coverage. That delay leaves SpaceX, AST SpaceMobile and others competing for operator partnerships while coverage gaps remain a binding constraint.

The FCC approval is a regulatory milestone; commercial launch has not happened. SpaceX still needs to integrate the spectrum into its D2D platform, secure device and network partnerships, and demonstrate service quality at scale. The near-nationwide coverage claim refers to spectrum holdings, with live service availability still unproven.

The FCC’s approval covers AWS-3 spectrum in the 1695 to 1710 MHz and 2155 to 2180 MHz ranges, and SpaceX already holds other spectrum assets for its direct-to-device platform. The approval is a regulatory step; it does not commit SpaceX to a service launch date or to any coverage obligation.

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