Quick answer: The biggest October 29, 2026 story is spectrum, not satellites: the FCC voted to advance a 25 MHz spectrum auction and to modernise its direct-to-device rules, with a further 482 MHz proposed for supplemental coverage from space — while AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile asked the regulator to strip 290 MHz from that expansion. Around that vote, Taiwan's Far EasTone partnered with Elveo Mobile on satellite-to-phone services, the Equatys shared-infrastructure venture set a first deployment target of end-2029, Huawei launched its first commercial U6 GHz device plus a telecom-agent ecosystem, and SpaceX lined up Starlink 15-18 from Vandenberg. All 18 items carry honest status labels, with FAQ and 20 linked sources.
📑 In this article
A communications satellite beaming AI-managed signals to phones and telecom towers — the direct-to-device race dominating October 2026.
📡 Direct-to-device & satellite connectivity
1. FCC votes to advance 25 MHz auction and modernised D2D rules VOTED
The US Federal Communications Commission voted on October 29, 2026 to advance a new auction of wireless spectrum to boost direct-to-device services and to begin modernising its rules for satellite telecommunications services. The auction proposal covers 25 MHz of mid-band spectrum — 20 MHz in the 1675–1695 MHz band and 5 MHz in the 2020–2025 MHz band — for terrestrial wireless, satellite, or combined services. A separate proposal would make an additional 482 MHz available for supplemental coverage from space and revisit the licensed D2D framework. The FCC also voted to finalise rules allowing drone operations in the 800 MHz cellular band. Read the vote correctly: it advances proposals and opens the path to comment and final rules. It does not hand any operator new spectrum today, and no existing phone gains satellite broadband from a vote alone.
2. Carriers ask FCC to strip 290 MHz from the D2D expansion REQUESTED
Ahead of the October 29 vote, AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile filed a last-minute request to strip 290 MHz from the proposed 482 MHz direct-to-device expansion — specifically the 2.5 GHz and 3.45 GHz bands — a move that would directly limit Starlink Mobile's path to a full US carrier service. The carriers' argument is the mirror image of SpaceX's: SpaceX is moving toward a terrestrial-style network that would turn its D2D service into a full carrier offer, while the incumbent carriers want those bands kept out of the satellite framework. The request was filed, not granted, as of the vote: the final shape of the 482 MHz proposal, including which bands survive, will be decided in the rulemaking that follows.
3. Far EasTone and Elveo team on D2D satellite for Taiwan PARTNERSHIP
Taiwanese operator Far EasTone (FET) partnered with Elveo Mobile, announced October 27, 2026, to expand direct-to-device satellite connectivity in Taiwan, complementing FET's existing satellite broadband capabilities. FET president Chee Ching said the next generation of communications will be driven by the integration of terrestrial and satellite networks, and that the partnership marks a milestone toward always-on, seamless connectivity. Elveo brings satellite assets, global spectrum resources and an ecosystem of more than 50 mobile network partners. The deal is a development partnership, not a commercial launch: no satellite capacity, spectrum allocation, gateway count or service activation date was disclosed, and the companies frame it as part of FET's multi-layer architecture combining cellular, satellite broadband and D2D for consumers, enterprises and mission-critical public services.
4. Equatys aims for first deployment by end of 2029 TARGET
Follow-up reporting on October 29, 2026 puts a date on the Equatys project announced the day before by Terrestar Solutions, Space42 and Viasat: the joint venture's shared infrastructure for direct-to-device and mobile-satellite services aims for deployment of a first system by the end of 2029. The plan, announced during a diplomatic visit to Ottawa, is to build an open standard for satellite networks so operators can interwork instead of each building a closed system, with each country keeping control of its own assets — the sovereignty point that distinguishes it from a single-operator constellation. A 2029 deployment target is a plan, not a network: satellites, spectrum, ground gateways and handset support all still have to be built, and the honest test will be a working interworked service, not the framework document.
5. Globalstar C-3 scale in detail: 48 satellites, 6 spares, about 90 ground antennas AUTHORISED
Fresh analysis of Globalstar's October 2026 FCC authorisation details the scale of its third-generation C-3 system: 48 operational satellites plus 6 in-orbit spares and about 90 global ground antennas, with ground stations in multiple US states and Puerto Rico supporting direct-to-device smartphone connectivity. The same analysis notes the spectrum economics now in play — Amazon is paying roughly 460 million US dollars per MHz for Globalstar, against about 300 million for the full EchoStar package — and that Amazon will take over Apple's roughly 20 percent equity stake, with Apple having invested about 1.5 billion US dollars in Globalstar in 2024. The deal is scheduled to close in 2027, most likely early in the year. Authorisation plus a priced acquisition is still not a deployed constellation: the 48 C-3 satellites have to be built and launched.
6. Philippine telcos move beyond connectivity: AI, satellites and lasers REPORTED
A Manila Times supplement published Thursday, October 29, 2026 describes the Philippines' major operators repositioning as more than network providers. PLDT and Smart are combining 5G, artificial intelligence, fibre, data centres and satellite connectivity; Globe is moving from 5G-Advanced toward an AI-ready network architecture and outlining a path to 6G; and Converge ICT Solutions is assembling a stack from nationwide fibre through subsea cables and satellite links to data centres and sovereign cloud services. The supplement describes tests of Google's Taara laser communication technology, direct-to-device connectivity through Lynk Global, and a plan to deploy more than 400 wireless laser links nationwide over three years using Transcelestial technology for last-mile and backhaul links where laying fibre across islands is difficult. Globe engineering executive Joel Agustin is quoted as saying no single technology will define future national networks. Treat this as operator strategy reporting, not a service launch: the laser links and D2D elements are tests and plans, and a July report cited in the same coverage said Philippine 5G quality struggled to meet some minimum requirements for heavier AI use.
AI-managed ground segment: a telecom tower exchanging data streams with an orbiting satellite over rural coverage gaps.
🤖 AI-native telecom, 6G & industry events
7. Huawei unveils U6 GHz device, green series and telecom-agent ecosystem LAUNCHED
At Huawei Decoding China 2026, Huawei Wireless president Fang Xiang unveiled a series of innovation breakthroughs on October 29, 2026, including the world's first commercial U6 GHz device, the VitaAAU, plus the GigaGreen Plus series and the UBBPi series. Huawei also promoted A2A-T standards for telecom agents and drove the commercial open-source OpenAN project through partnerships to build an open telecom-agent ecosystem. The framing is a shift in what networks must do: connections are expanding from people to things and agents, increasing connection counts by up to 100 times, and device-cloud synergy for intelligent services demands stronger uplink capacity for training and inference — shifting network focus from downlink dominance to both uplink and downlink, with ubiquitous steady ultra-low latency at high reliability. These are product and ecosystem announcements, not a deployed network: the test will be commercial shipments and operator adoption of the U6 GHz and agent platforms.
8. ABI Research: China to lead telco AI-grid capacity at about 5,400 MW FORECAST
ABI Research reported October 29, 2026 that China is projected to account for about 5,400 MW of modelled potential AI-grid capacity, compared with 789 MW in the United States, as telcos seek to turn existing network infrastructure into new AI revenue streams. The model shows early deployments concentrated in sites that already have power, cooling and connectivity: core data centres account for approximately 5,000 MW and central offices and exchanges about 1,500 MW, together roughly 98 percent of activatable capacity across the operators studied. ABI analyst Michael Moreno said the near-term opportunity is not about putting GPUs everywhere in the network, but about identifying workloads where lower latency, data sovereignty and tighter network integration create measurable business value, then building outward from centralised and regional sites. A modelled potential is not installed capacity: cost-per-token and GPU utilisation will decide whether distributed AI can compete with centralised cloud infrastructure.
9. Federated Wireless Physical AI lifts Element8 installs from 79% to over 90% FIELD RESULTS
Federated Wireless and Element8 released October 29, 2026 the first customer-reported field results for Adaptive Network Planner, Federated Wireless' AI-powered network planning platform. In its first five weeks using the platform, Element8 raised its fixed-wireless installation success rate across Texas and Oklahoma from 79 percent to more than 90 percent, cutting its RF-related installation failure rate by more than half. The comparison measures completed installations against failures caused by signal obstructions, excluding reschedules and customer restrictions. With the planner, operators assess each installation before committing a crew, adjust equipment and placement, and prepare technicians for the conditions they will encounter. Element8 is also using the platform to evaluate potential expansion sites in Oklahoma and Texas. These are vendor-and-customer reported field results from one deployment, not an independent benchmark — but they are the kind of measured operational gain, rather than a keynote claim, that AI-in-telecom reporting should be judged by.
10. UAE advances 6G roadmap: AI-native networks, satellite links and WRC-27 prep CONFERENCE
A regional conference examining the future of AI-powered networks has put the UAE's 6G roadmap in focus, with AI-native networks, future spectrum requirements, satellite connectivity and preparations for the World Radiocommunication Conference 2027 (WRC-27) on the programme. AI-native networks are designed to integrate artificial intelligence into network planning, operation and management, potentially helping operators improve resource allocation, automate routine tasks and respond more effectively to changing traffic demands. Discussions also addressed integrating terrestrial and non-terrestrial networks, including satellite systems and direct-to-device connectivity, to expand options where conventional infrastructure is limited. The regulator's emphasis, per the coverage, is that next-generation connectivity will involve more than faster data speeds, with intelligence, security, flexibility and network performance becoming equally important considerations. A roadmap conference sets direction, not standards: WRC-27 decisions and 3GPP specifications will decide what actually ships.
11. 3GPP Release 20 studies a dedicated AI domain inside the 6G core IN STUDY
Standards analysis published in October 2026 describes work underway in 3GPP Release 20 on 6G system design, including a study item focused heavily on agentic AI. The proposal under discussion would introduce a dedicated AI domain within the core network, separate from traditional packet-switched functions, to interpret and process intents from user equipment, network AI agents and external third-party agents — while a deterministic packet-switched domain alongside it keeps mobility management, session management and other connectivity services on standardised protocols. The argument is that agent capabilities evolve faster than standard release cycles, so the AI domain must be able to evolve at internet speed while connectivity services stay deterministic. This is a study item, not a frozen standard: the panel discussion it comes from stresses that 6G architecture starts with 5G standalone, and AI in 5G today is mostly autonomous networking, intent-based configuration and management optimisation — the difference with 6G is designing AI in from the start rather than layering it on top.
12. Yeastar Yeahs Awards 2026: AI automates up to 70% of first-level inquiries AWARDED
Yeastar announced the winners of the Yeahs Awards 2026 on October 29, 2026, recognising partners using its AI-powered unified-communications platforms. Italy's Telex combined voice, messaging, workflows and AI in Konversa, using Gemini and OpenAI models to automate up to 70 percent of first-level inquiries. In the United States, Dialerportal reported 91 percent less quality-assurance effort and problem-call detection rising from 63 percent to 98 percent at Prime BPO & Telecommunications in a 15-user pilot. France's Rezzo Telecom expanded its cloud footprint eightfold after migrating to Yeastar, and the UK's Vela Networks built tools cutting unified-communications migrations from days to minutes. These are partner-reported results attached to an awards announcement, not independent audits — the pilot sizes are small — but they show AI's current telecom payoff landing in operations and customer service, not only in radio networks.
🛰️ Orbital AI, broadcast & satellite broadband
13. Starlink count on October 29: 13,069 launched, 11,190 in orbit, 11,176 working TRACKED
Independent tracking as of October 29, 2026 puts SpaceX's Starlink totals at 13,069 satellites launched, with 11,190 still in orbit and 11,176 of those working; 1,879 have decayed. The same tracking notes the United States has now gone 10 months without a space tourism flight, and that orbital launches this year stand at 254, with 247 successful. The count matters for the D2D debate in item 1: Starlink enters the FCC's spectrum rulemaking with the largest working constellation by an order of magnitude, which is why both its expansion plans and the carriers' attempt to limit them carry so much weight. Counts move daily with launches and decays, so treat these as the October 29 snapshot, not a permanent total.
14. Starlink 15-18 lined up for Thursday night from Vandenberg SCHEDULED
Starlink 15-18, a Falcon 9 mission from Space Launch Complex 4-East at Vandenberg Space Force Base, is scheduled for Thursday, October 29, 2026 at 9:02 p.m. Pacific Time — Friday morning Pakistan time — carrying 27 Starlink satellites to low Earth orbit, with first-stage booster B1093 on its 18th flight planned to land on the droneship Of Course I Still Love You in the Pacific. It follows Starlink 15-16 on October 26, which carried 27 V2 Mini optimised satellites on booster B1082's 26th flight and made California's 72nd launch of 2026, a state record. Two launches from one pad inside three days is the operational point: the pad, recovery fleet and satellite production line are running at a pace unusual for any launch provider only a few years ago. Launch times can shift for weather or technical checks, so the scheduled time is not a completed launch.
15. Airbus Space Systems: revenue up 5.3% plus 229 OneWeb and 66 IRIS2 orders REPORTED
Airbus Space Systems reported October 29, 2026 a 5.3 percent increase in revenue for the nine months ending September 30, to 2.15 billion euros (2.4 billion US dollars). New business booked during the third quarter included an additional 229 OneWeb broadband satellites for fleet operator Eutelsat and a 66-satellite order for IRIS2 military broadband satellites from the European Commission and the SpaceRISE consortium of SES, Eutelsat and Hispasat. The two orders in one quarter show the two tracks of European satellite manufacturing running together: replenishing a commercial LEO broadband fleet and building a sovereign secure-communications constellation. Orders booked are not satellites in orbit: both fleets still face manufacturing, launch and commissioning timelines.
16. FOX Sports Mexico signs multi-year deal on EUTELSAT 117 West A SIGNED
FOX Sports Mexico signed a multi-year agreement, reported October 29, 2026, with Eutelsat to distribute its content across Mexico via the EUTELSAT 117 West A satellite. Eutelsat Americas video executive vice president José Ignacio González-Núñez said incorporating one of the world's most important pay-television sports channels into the fleet was the result of hard work and customer orientation, noting the station distributes 250 channels to 110 million pay-TV households across the continent. For dish viewers this is distribution continuity with a prestige addition, not a frequency change to retune for: the value is in the channel staying on a major neighbourhood, and the detail to watch is any transponder move that follows the agreement, which was not announced with it.
17. Satellogic and HEO sign three-year imaging agreement SIGNED
Satellogic and HEO signed a three-year imaging agreement, formally announced October 29, 2026 at the Space Economy Summit, under which HEO software automates the tasking, capture and analysis of orbital objects using Satellogic's existing fleet. NewSat 46, a specific unit within the fleet, was used to image the BlueWalker 3 satellite on October 24, 2026. The companies began working together in September 2020, completed 30 captures in their first full year of service in 2021, and the new agreement runs to 2029. The agreement marks a shift toward using commercial Earth-observation infrastructure for continuous space monitoring, bridging ground-based tracking and the need for high-resolution visual data in orbit — improved orbital imaging that supports safer satellite operations and more accurate debris tracking, which in turn supports more reliable communications and navigation services.
18. Planet Pelican-12 tests onboard AI and satellite relays IN COMMISSIONING
Planet Labs successfully launched its Pelican-12 Earth-observation satellite aboard SpaceX's Bandwagon-5 rideshare mission on October 20, 2026 from Cape Canaveral, and ground controllers established initial contact and began orbital commissioning. The spacecraft carries an NVIDIA Jetson module enabling autonomous on-orbit artificial intelligence inferencing to identify objects and process data before transmission to Earth, and it will test advanced AI and satellite relay technologies designed to improve how Earth-observation data is processed and transmitted. It is Planet's 25th satellite deployed to orbit in 2026 across four missions and the fifth next-generation Pelican spacecraft launched this year, flying about three months after the Pelican-11 engineering pathfinder. Second-generation Pelican satellites are engineered to capture up to 30-centimetre-class imagery, an improvement over the 50-centimetre capability of first-generation spacecraft. Commissioning is not full operations: the AI and relay tests still have to prove themselves in orbit.
AI-driven Earth observation: satellites now analyse imagery in orbit instead of sending every raw frame to Earth.
📺 What it means for satellite TV viewers
Most of today's news is about phones and networks, not TV channels — but two items touch viewers directly. The FOX Sports Mexico deal keeps a major sports channel on EUTELSAT 117 West A, and the Airbus order book shows the OneWeb and IRIS2 fleets that will carry tomorrow's broadband being built now. Nothing in today's 18 items changes a BISS key, a frequency, or a channel list by itself, and the D2D race is about phones connecting to low-orbit satellites, not about the geostationary TV satellites your dish points at. For channel and key updates, check the daily BISS, frequency, global and sports posts linked below.
❓ FAQ
What did the FCC actually decide on October 29?
It voted to advance a 25 MHz spectrum auction proposal and to modernise its direct-to-device rules, including a proposal for 482 MHz of supplemental coverage from space, plus final drone rules in the 800 MHz band. Advancing a proposal starts rulemaking and public comment; it does not allocate spectrum to any operator or switch on a service.
Does the FCC vote give my phone satellite broadband?
No. Spectrum policy changes alone do not mean every existing smartphone immediately gains satellite broadband or that service is available everywhere. Compatible handsets, satellites, gateways, operator deals and final rules all still have to come together, and the carriers' request to remove 290 MHz from the expansion shows the final rules are still contested.
What is Equatys, and why does its 2029 target matter?
Equatys is a planned global shared infrastructure platform for direct-to-device and advanced mobile-satellite services, co-founded by Space42 and Viasat, now interworking with Terrestar's planned Canadian CaStar constellation. A first deployment by end-2029 matters because it is the first date attached to the open-standard alternative to single-operator constellations — but it remains a target, not a network.
How does onboard AI change Earth observation?
Satellites like Planet's Pelican-12 and Satellogic's imaging fleet process imagery in orbit — identifying objects, detecting change and cueing higher-resolution follow-up — instead of sending every raw frame to Earth for analysis. That cuts latency from hours to minutes and reduces downlink load, which is why the Satellogic-HEO deal and the Pelican-12 relay tests matter beyond pretty pictures.
Does any of this affect my dish setup?
No immediate change. The D2D and orbital-AI stories concern low-orbit data constellations and ground networks, not the geostationary TV satellites your dish points at, and the FOX Sports Mexico deal secures distribution rather than moving it. Your dish, LNB and receiver settings stay the same; use the C-band vs Ku-band and LNB skew guides linked below for reception improvements.
📚 Related Posts
- AI in Satellite & Telecom October 27, 2026: 18 Fresh Moves
- BISS Key Daily Update October 29, 2026: 19 Verified Records
- Satellite Frequency Update October 29, 2026: 53 Verified Changes
- Global Satellite Channels October 29, 2026: World Digest
- Sports Satellite Channels October 29, 2026: Starzplay & beIN
- PowerVu Status October 29, 2026: Quiet Day, 58 Intact
- C-Band vs Ku-Band Guide 2026: Dish, LNB & Feedhorn
- LNB Skew Guide 2026: Polarization & Signal Peaking
🔗 Sources
- FCC Votes to Advance New Spectrum Auction to Boost Direct-to-Device Services (Reuters)
- FCC Proposes 25 MHz Spectrum Auction for 5G and Satellite D2D
- Carriers Seek 290 MHz Cut Before FCC D2D Vote (KeepTrack, Oct 29)
- Far EasTone and Elveo Team on D2D Satellite
- Far EasTone Partners with Elveo Mobile to Expand Its Direct-to-Device Satellite Strategy
- Terrestar, Space42 and Viasat Announce Open Satellite Standard Plan (Equatys 2029 target)
- Did Nationwide Satellite Approval Just Shift Globalstar Stock Narrative?
- Philippine Telcos Move Beyond Connectivity Into AI, Satellites and Lasers
- Huawei Wireless Unveils Innovation Breakthroughs to Pioneer New Communications Networks
- China to Lead AI Grid Capacity as Telcos Monetize Existing Infrastructure (ABI Research)
- Federated Wireless Physical AI Raises Element8 Installation Success Rate Above 90 Percent
- UAE Advances 6G Roadmap as Regional Conference Examines Future of AI-Powered Networks
- 6G Architecture Starts with 5G Standalone (3GPP Release 20 AI domain)
- Yeastar Recognizes AI, Technical Innovation and Customer Success at Yeahs Awards 2026
- SpaceX Starlink 15-16 Launch and Starlink 15-18 Schedule
- California to Build Off Record 72nd Launch with Next SpaceX Mission
- Airbus Space Systems Reports 5.3% Increase in Revenue, to 2.4 Billion US Dollars, for 9M to Sept. 30
- FOX Sports Mexico Signs Multi-Year Agreement with EUTELSAT 117 West A
- Satellogic and HEO Sign Three-Year Imaging Agreement
- Planet Labs Deploys Pelican-12 to Advance AI and Satellite Communications in Orbit
Disclaimer: This roundup reports announcements, authorisations, votes, forecasts and launches as described by the linked sources. Votes that advance proposals, letters of intent, forecasts, targets and scheduled launches are not live consumer services. Figures such as satellite counts, speeds, megawatts and deadlines are those stated in the sources. Partner-reported field results are vendor-and-customer reported, not independently audited. No BISS keys are published in this article.
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