Here’s a quick rundown of what’s happening at the FCC, why it matters for Colorado’s wireless industry, and how these federal actions could affect our members at the carriers, tower owners, contractors, and local governments working every day to expand and improve connectivity across the state.
Federal efforts reshaping wireless deployment
- “Build America” siting reform. In December 2025, the FCC opened a rulemaking — Build America: Eliminating Barriers to Wireless Deployments — aimed at freeing towers and other wireless infrastructure from what it calls unreasonable state and local barriers. The proposal would tighten “shot clock” deadlines for permit review, consider a “deemed granted” remedy when jurisdictions exceed deadlines, rein in permitting fees the FCC views as excessive, and potentially extend small-cell-style protections to larger macro facilities. The FCC’s own agenda targets finalizing these rules around November 2026, so this is worth watching closely over the next few months.
- New spectrum for terrestrial wireless. The Commission approved 160 MHz of Upper C-band spectrum for flexible-use, next-generation wireless service, with a transition process to relocate incumbent satellite operations before that spectrum becomes available for terrestrial buildout. It’s a longer runway than a lot of industry watchers wanted, but it’s real capacity that will eventually feed 5G and 6G densification.
- A path for direct-to-device. The FCC issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking exploring over 200 MHz of unlicensed spectrum under Part 15 rules to let ordinary devices communicate directly with satellites. This is the regulatory groundwork underneath the direct-to-device and satellite-to-phone services that carriers and satellite operators alike are racing to commercialize.
- Streamlined satellite and ground-station licensing. New Part 100 rules replace the older Part 25 framework with a faster “licensing assembly line” and more flexible “operational envelope” authorizations — relevant as more hybrid satellite-terrestrial projects come through the pipeline.
- Supply chain and equipment security. The FCC tightened equipment authorization rules, barring certain covered components and requiring fuller certification for changes by covered entities — a reminder that national security review is now a standing part of the equipment approval process, not a side issue.
The view from Colorado
We saw this coming in Colorado and our industry backed HB25-1056 which was signed into law this year. Thanks to industry voices from ATT, WIA, Crown Castle, T-Mobile, and Verizon, It puts expedited “shot clock” style permitting timelines into state statute for wireless facility applications. It moves Colorado in the same direction as the FCC’s pending Build America proposal, and in some respects getting there first. Local governments, through the Colorado Municipal League, raised concerns about one-size-fits-all timelines straining smaller jurisdictions’ staff and resources; it’s a debate that mirrors exactly what’s now playing out at the federal level. For our members working with municipalities across the Front Range and mountain communities, that means two sets of rules to track at once.
Small cells: still needed for network densification
Underneath all of this activity is a simple fact: small cells remain a primary way carriers add capacity in dense corridors, ski towns during peak season, and anywhere macro towers can’t be sited fast enough. The FCC’s shot-clock and fee proposals promise faster, more predictable approvals and will directly translate into faster densification, which is essential for 5G performance and eventual 6G rollout. It feels like there’s been a bit of slowdown in deploying them, but now that Crown Castle’s infrastructure deal is closed and new budgets are being released, I’m guessing we’ll see a build uptick in 2026 and 2027.
Musk’s in the small cell business?
That context makes SpaceX’s latest murmurings worth watching. In August, SpaceX COO Gwynne Shotwell described a plan to combine Starlink’s satellite capacity with ground-based small cells by mounting “a cellular base station on the gear that holds a Starlink broadband dish” — effectively creating a femtocell network on existing Starlink hardware. Paired with the 65 MHz of AWS spectrum SpaceX acquired from EchoStar, which the FCC approved in May 2026, and next-generation direct-to-device satellites expected in 2027, the company says it is aiming to launch a true hybrid satellite-terrestrial mobile service by the end of 2027, positioning itself to compete directly with AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon. For those of us who have spent decades developing wireless networks, that timeline may seem highly ambitious. But given SpaceX’s capital, political influence, and appetite for disruption, it may not be as far-fetched as it first appears. Some critics think this announcement is nothing more the Musk Inc’s way of telling potential partners if an agreement to use existing infrastructure isn’t reached, they’ll just build it themselves.
Whether SpaceX can meet that timeline remains uncertain, and many industry analysts doubt it can scale as quickly as Musk suggests. For COWA members, however, the bigger question is not whether Starlink becomes a fourth national carrier, but what a nationwide femtocell buildout could mean for site leasing, colocation demand, tower and rooftop capacity, and installation and construction work in Colorado. They can’t put all of them on people’s rooftops, right? Regardless, a new entrant with fresh capital for small cell hardware could create opportunities for site owners, developers, and contractors in our network, even as it raises new siting and permitting questions for the jurisdictions we work with.
Get involved
We’ll keep tracking the FCC docket, translating it for our members, and making sure Colorado’s voice is part of the conversation as these rules get finalized. If you want to weigh in on the Build America proceeding, help shape our comments, or just stay ahead of what’s coming, join us at the next COWA meeting or reach out to me. We’ll keep this space updated as the FCC’s November timeline gets closer.
