The U.S. Hispanic Business Council raised concerns Friday about Section 1564 of the Senate-passed FY 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (S-2296), which allows DOD and the Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman to essentially veto commercial use of the 3.1-3.45 and 7.4-8.4 GHz bands (see 2510090048). The Senate voted 77-20 earlier this month to pass S-2296 with the Section 1564 military spectrum veto language intact, despite opposition from Commerce Committee Chairman Ted Cruz, R-Texas (see 2510070037). The House-passed FY26 NDAA (HR-3838) doesn’t include similar language.

Deborah Collier, vice president of policy and government affairs for Citizens Against Government Waste, urged House lawmakers involved in reaching a conference compromise on the FY 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (HR-3838) to strongly oppose language in the Senate's alternative bill (S-2296) that gives Pentagon leaders authority to essentially veto commercial use of the 3.1-3.45 and 7.4-8.4 GHz bands (see 2510090048). HR-3838 doesn’t include similar language. The Senate voted 77-20 earlier this month to pass S-2296 with the Section 1564 military spectrum veto language intact, despite opposition from Commerce Committee Chairman Ted Cruz, R-Texas (see 2510070037).

The Senate voted 77-20 Thursday night to pass its version of the FY 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (S-2296), which retains language to authorize the DOD and Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman to essentially veto commercial use of the 3.1-3.45 and 7.4-8.4 GHz bands, as expected (see 2510090048). Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Ted Cruz, R-Texas, who tried to persuade chamber leaders to remove that language in Section 1564 (see 2510070037), was among three senators who didn’t vote on S-2296 Thursday. The House-passed FY26 NDAA (HR-3838) doesn't include similar language.

House Communications Subcommittee Chairman Richard Hudson, R-N.C., said Thursday that he opposes language in the Senate's FY 2026 National Defense Authorization Act version (S-2296) that would give the DOD and Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman authority to essentially veto commercial use of the 3.1-3.45 and 7.4-8.4 GHz bands. Hudson said during a Punchbowl News event that his next priority as Communications chair will be to enact legislation aimed at easing broadband permitting rules, despite Democrats’ recent criticism of a mostly GOP-led set of proposals during a Sept. 18 hearing (see 2509180069).

A tug-of-war is continuing in the Senate over language from the FY 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (S-2296) that Commerce Committee Chairman Ted Cruz, R-Texas, said last month would give the DOD and the Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman excessive authority to veto commercial use of the 3.1-3.45 and 7.4-8.4 GHz bands (see 2509100064). The Senate Armed Services Committee approved the spectrum language in Section 1564, but Cruz filed an amendment in September to remove the proposal. He's also negotiating to remove it as part of a manager's amendment (see 2509110073). The House-passed FY26 NDAA (HR-3838) doesn't include similar language.

Ten Senate Republicans want to mitigate parts of the GOP’s compromise on a spectrum pipeline framework, adopted in July via the budget reconciliation package, amid an ongoing push to excise language in the FY 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (S-2296) that would give the Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman authority to veto commercial use of the 3.1-3.45, 7 and 8 GHz bands (see 2509100064).

Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Ted Cruz, R-Texas, warned Wednesday that a provision in the FY 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (S-2296) would give the Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman authority to veto commercial use of the lower 3 and 7/8 GHz bands. Cruz told an NTIA spectrum symposium (see 2509100051) that he will fight that provision in Section 1564 of the bill. “To be clear, this is not consultation or collaboration on spectrum management,” Cruz said.

In a move that could shape the non-terrestrial network (NTN) market, EchoStar announced an agreement Monday to sell SpaceX its AWS-4 and H-block spectrum for about $17 billion, equally divided between cash and stock. The companies also agreed to enable EchoStar's Boost Mobile subscribers to access Starlink’s direct-to-cell service, and SpaceX will underwrite $2 billion in interest payments payable on EchoStar debt through November 2027. Industry officials acknowledged there are numerous unanswered questions about the deal and how it will be viewed by the FCC.

The wireless industry’s need for spectrum for full-power, licensed use will be reduced by the 800 MHz “pipeline” in the reconciliation package approved by Congress this summer, CTIA President Ajit Pai said Thursday, but eventually the industry will need more. He also called on the FCC to take another look at how the 6 GHz band is allocated.

Federated Wireless, a longtime proponent of the 3.55-3.7 GHz citizens broadband radio service band, urged policymakers to look instead at 4 GHz as they seek to put together a spectrum pipeline for the future. The revised budget reconciliation package, which was signed into law in July, exempts the 3.1-3.45 and 7.4-8.4 GHz bands from reallocation, but not CBRS (see 2507070045).