The US Federal Communications Commission voted 3-0 on 29 October to let drones use the 800 MHz cellular band, ending a restriction on airborne use that dates back to 1991. The order (FCC 26-72) covers about 50 MHz of licensed spectrum and lets drones use mobile networks for command and control, communications and payload data such as video.
The 1991 rule was written to stop mobile phones on aircraft interfering with networks on the ground. The FCC said the restriction “is no longer necessary as applied to unmanned aircraft systems”, because modern networks can manage that risk. Mobile carriers, Amazon and several drone makers filed statements in support.
What it does not do is let anyone fly further. Routine flights beyond the pilot’s line of sight still wait on the Federal Aviation Administration’s Part 108 rule, which has been under White House review since July and has not yet been published. Under the draft order, the new rules take effect 30 days after they appear in the Federal Register; the adopted text was not yet public on the day of the vote.
The FCC plans another drone spectrum vote on 19 November, covering control links at 450 MHz and drone-detection radar at 24 GHz.