Federal Communications Commission	"FCC  XX-XXX"


STATEMENT OF
COMMISSIONER ANNA M. GOMEZ

Re:	Unleashing Unlicensed Spectrum for Direct-to-Device; ET Docket No. 26-169; Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (Aug. 6, 2026).


	In law school, I took an evening class taught by a very animated part-time adjunct professor, full-time practicing attorney.  I remember being amazed at how, after a full day of legal work, he showed up to my Communications 101 class energized and excited to teach us.  I thought, “I want to do what that attorney is doing!”   
	Items like the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) before us today remind me of the continuous innovation that is core to technology and telecommunications law – innovation that is energizing and makes us global leaders.  Today we begin to ask questions about if and how satellites might be able to use unlicensed spectrum for Direct to Device service.  Is the technology in place to make this a possibility? What are the benefits for consumers? What are the costs for industry? How do we continue to support the ecosystem of unlicensed users that have advanced connectivity and innovation while expanding new uses of limited spectrum?  
	I am glad to see that the Federal Communications Commission is continuously thinking about ways to support technological innovation and to improve spectrum utilization.  At the same time, I am concerned about the effect this new use could have on existing permitted unlicensed uses in already congested bands.  As we explore allowing innovative uses of spectrum, it is critical that we ask thorough questions and ground our proposals in technological studies to strike the right balance between allowing new uses without undoing previous technological advances.  That is why I am pleased to see that the Office of Engineering and Technology included critical questions in this NPRM.  I look forward to seeing the record develop. 


 

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