The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has said it's exploring whether to make an additional 482 megahertz of spectrum available for Supplemental Coverage From Space (SCS) for direct-to-device (D2D) services.

In a proposal announced yesterday, the FCC said it was seeking comment on the utilization of the spectrum as it looks to keep up with the demand for D2D services.

According to the FCC, the proposed regulatory changes aim to "promote more flexible terrestrial, satellite, and hybrid business arrangements and incentivize high-quality D2D service for the benefit of consumers."

The FCC wants to bolster the capacity available for D2D services, which will be used to fill coverage gaps in the US where terrestrial coverage can't reach.

One of the proposed actions the FCC is looking at is increasing the number of bands in which SCS is authorized from five to 13, making an additional 482 megahertz of spectrum available for SCS.

"This proposal seeks comment on eliminating burdensome SCS requirements that have created the need for routine waivers. Among other changes, the Notice proposes to eliminate the SCS geographically independent area and lease requirements. The Commission seeks comment on ways to replace the existing, rigid requirements with adaptable geographic license areas and coexistence agreement requirements that accommodate SCS operators’ particular circumstances," said the FCC in its proposal.

The spectrum chatter comes days after the CTIA and the Big 3 US mobile carriers warned that the use of certain spectrum for D2D could hamper their core 5G networks.

The CTIA and executives from AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile met with the FCC last week to argue that 2.5GHz and 3.45GHz should be removed from the rules being drafted for Supplemental Coverage from Space (SCS) and D2D connectivity.

Those two bands have been heavily used for 5G connectivity and are part of the Time-Division Duplex (TDD) bands that the CTIA and US carriers want removed from the draft.

The FCC also yesterday (October 29) outlined its intention to auction 25MHz of mid-band spectrum in the 1,655MHz to 1,695MHz and 2,020MHz to 2,025MHz bands for use by terrestrial 5G and D2D networks, or even a hybrid.

Next year is set to be a big year for spectrum auctions in the US, with the planned C-Band auction due to be held by July, with up to 160MHz of spectrum up for grabs.