Federal Communications Commission DA 26-337 DA 26-337 Released: April 7, 2026 OFFICE OF ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY AND WIRELESS TELECOMMUNICATIONS BUREAU SEEK COMMENT ON QUALCOMM’S PETITION FOR RULEMAKING TO ALLOCATE SPECTRUM AND ESTABLISH SERVICE RULES FOR A NEW COMMUNICATIONS SERVICE IN PORTIONS OF THE 1675-1695 MHZ AND 5350-5470 MHZ BANDS RM-12020 WT Docket No. 19-116 Comments Due: May 7, 2026 Reply Comments Due: May 22, 2026 On February 20, 2026, Qualcomm Incorporated (Qualcomm) filed a petition asking the Commission to initiate a rulemaking to allocate spectrum and establish service rules for a new communication service known as “sidelink.” Qualcomm Incorporated Petition for Rulemaking, WT Docket No. 19-116 (filed February 20, 2026), https://www.fcc.gov/ecfs/document/10220146431094/1 (Qualcomm Petition). Sidelink is a technology that allows 5G device-to-device connectivity. Qualcomm Petition at i. By this public notice, the Office of Engineering and Technology and Wireless Telecommunications Bureau seek comment on the petition. Qualcomm states that sidelink has the potential to enhance and modernize public safety communications by delivering voice, video, and text without relying on network infrastructure and by allowing first responders to coordinate critical emergency response efforts across agencies and jurisdictions. Id. Qualcomm asks that the Commission allocate a 5-megahertz block of spectrum within a portion of the 1675-1695 MHz band, and a contiguous 40-megahertz block of spectrum within the 5350-5470 MHz band, for the purpose of permitting sidelink operations. Id. at 1. It does not suggest which specific blocks of spectrum it believes should be allocated in either of those bands. Id. at 14-18. It recommends an in-band power limit of 36 dBm EIRP for sidelink devices as well as specific out-of-band emission limits based on the band where sidelink is operating. Id. at 21. Qualcomm suggests that operation of sidelink could be under a license-by-rule framework, with public safety entities operating on a primary basis. Id. at 22. It also suggests that access to the sidelink bands be available to non-public safety operations on a secondary basis to public safety users. Id. We seek comment on the Qualcomm Petition, including its request that the Commission (1) identify specific frequencies where sidelink would be permitted to operate; (2) modify the Table of Frequency Allocations to accommodate such use; and (3) establish new service rules to support sidelink operation. Qualcomm proposes specific rule language for sidelink operations. Id. at appx. A. In particular, we seek comment on Qualcomm’s suggestion to allocate spectrum in portions of the 1675-1695 MHz and 5350-5470 MHz bands. We note that the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) recently announced the 1675-1680 MHz band as the first part of 500 megahertz of spectrum required to be identified for reallocation under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. Letter from Arielle Roth, Assistant Secretary for Communications and Information, National Telecommunications and Information Administration, to the Honorable Brendan Carr, Chairman, Federal Communications Commission, at 1 (Feb. 26, 2026), https://www.ntia.gov/sites/default/files/2026-03/1675-mhz-identification-letter.pdf. NTIA also indicated that it is continuing feasibility studies on repurposing the 1680-1695 MHz band, including the potential for identifying the full 1675-1695 MHz band for auction. Id. at 3. Further, the entire 5350-5470 MHz band is currently classified as a restricted band of operation under Part 15 of the rules, 47 CFR § 15.205. and the Commission has expressed concerns in the past about new operations potentially impacting incumbent operations in the band. Qualcomm notes this fact, characterizing its request as seeking “an allocation of a limited portion of the band for critical public safety communications.” See Qualcomm Petition at 17. Procedural Matters    To develop a complete record on the issues presented by the Petition, the proceeding will be treated, for ex parte purposes, as a “permit-but-disclose” proceeding in accordance with section 1.1200(a) of the Commission’s rules, 47 CFR § 1.1200(a). subject to the requirements under section 1.1206(b). 47 CFR § 1.1206(b).   Qualcomm filed its petition in WT Docket No. 19-116 and we also assigned rulemaking number RM-12020 to this petition.  Interested parties may file comments on or before the dates indicated on the first page of this document.  Filing Requirements. Pursuant to sections 1.415 and 1.419 of the Commission’s rules, 47 CFR §§ 1.415, 1.149, 47 CFR §§ 1.403, 1.405. interested parties may file comments and reply comments on or before the dates indicated above and must reference WT Docket No. 19-116 and RM-12020. Comments may be filed using the Commission’s Electronic Comment Filing System (ECFS) or by filing paper copies. See Electronic Filing of Documents in Rulemaking Proceedings, GC Docket No. 97-113, Report and Order, 13 FCC Rcd 11322 (1998); 63 FR 24121 (1998). § Electronic Filers: Comments may be filed electronically using the Internet by accessing the ECFS: https://www.fcc.gov/ecfs. § Paper Filers: Parties who choose to file by paper must file an original and one copy of each filing. § Filings can be sent by hand or messenger delivery, by commercial courier, or by the U.S. Postal Service. All filings must be addressed to the Secretary, Federal Communications Commission. § Hand-delivered or messenger-delivered paper filings for the Commission’s Secretary are accepted between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. by the FCC’s mailing contractor at 9050 Junction Drive, Annapolis Junction, MD 20701. All hand deliveries must be held together with rubber bands or fasteners. Any envelopes and boxes must be disposed of before entering the building. § Commercial courier deliveries (any deliveries not by the U.S. Postal Service) must be sent to 9050 Junction Drive, Annapolis Junction, MD 20701. § Filings sent by U.S. Postal Service First-Class Mail, Priority Mail, and Priority Mail Express must be sent to 45 L Street NE, Washington, DC 20554. · People with Disabilities: To request materials in accessible formats for people with disabilities (braille, large print, electronic files, audio format), send an e-mail to fcc504@fcc.gov or call the Consumer & Governmental Affairs Bureau at 202-418-0530. Ex Parte Rules. As stated above, the proceeding this Notice initiates shall be treated as a “permit-but-disclose” proceeding in accordance with the Commission’s ex parte rules. 47 CFR §§ 1.1200 et seq. Persons making ex parte presentations must file a copy of any written presentation or a memorandum summarizing any oral presentation within two business days after the presentation (unless a different deadline applicable to the Sunshine period applies). Persons making oral ex parte presentations are reminded that memoranda summarizing the presentation must (1) list all persons attending or otherwise participating in the meeting at which the ex parte presentation was made, and (2) summarize all data presented and arguments made during the presentation. If the presentation consisted in whole or in part of the presentation of data or arguments already reflected in the presenter’s written comments, memoranda or other filings in the proceeding, the presenter may provide citations to such data or arguments in his or her prior comments, memoranda, or other filings (specifying the relevant page and/or paragraph numbers where such data or arguments can be found) in lieu of summarizing them in the memorandum. Documents shown or given to Commission staff during ex parte meetings are deemed to be written ex parte presentations and must be filed consistent with rule 1.1206(b). In proceedings governed by rule 1.49(f) or for which the Commission has made available a method of electronic filing, written ex parte presentations and memoranda summarizing oral ex parte presentations, and all attachments thereto, must be filed through the electronic comment filing system available for that proceeding, and must be filed in their native format (e.g., .doc, .xml, .ppt, searchable .pdf). Participants in this proceeding should familiarize themselves with the Commission’s ex parte rules. Availability of Documents. Comments, reply comments, and ex parte submissions will be available via ECFS. Documents will be available electronically in ASCII, Microsoft Word, and/or Adobe Acrobat. Additional Information. For further information regarding this Public Notice, please contact Hugh L. Van Tuyl, Policy and Rules Division, Office of Engineering and Technology, at Hugh.VanTuyl@fcc.gov. -FCC- 2