Daily briefing

The FCC opens a nationwide test path for cellular-connected aircraft

An FCC waiver effective 11 September allows the U.S. Department of Transportation's Mobile Network Aviation Assessment Program to measure commercial wireless-network performance on aircraft across the contiguous United States. The waiver runs until 1 October 2029.

Cellular links are attractive for BVLOS telemetry and command paths, but airborne devices interact with terrestrial networks differently from phones on the ground. The program is designed to produce measurements rather than assume equivalence.

Do not read the waiver as general permission to use cellular as primary drone C2. For developers, the useful output will be data on coverage, handovers, interference and altitude-dependent performance.