FCC Seeks Comment on Accelerating American Drone Industry

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On April 1, 2026, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) issued a Public Notice seeking comment on how the agency can foster the development and use of domestic drone technologies (also known as unmanned aircraft systems). Entitled “Unleashing American Drone Dominance”, the Public Notice and accompanying news release furthers President Trump’s executive orders that directed federal agencies like the FCC to take action to secure the domestic drone supply chain while expanding the export of U.S.-made drones. The Public Notice also follows the FCC’s recent actions to prohibit the authorization, importation, and sale of most foreign-produced drones in the United States going forward, after finding that such equipment endangers national security. Comments on the Public Notice are due May 1st, with reply comments due May 18th. 

The reforms proposed in the Public Notice could impact nearly every aspect of domestic drone production, from initial equipment design to final deployment. The drone industry faced an explosion in demand for military, commercial, and research applications, and the Public Notice is expected to draw comments from equipment manufacturers, government organizations, researchers, and other stakeholders. 

The FCC seeks comment in nine key areas: 

• Freeing Up More Drone Spectrum. Most domestic drones currently use unlicensed wireless frequencies shared with consumer devices such as Wi-Fi routers. This poses interference concerns, especially when such spectrum is used for beyond visual line-of-sight links, command and control systems, and other communications necessary for safe and secure drone operations. The FCC requests input not only on ways to increase utilization of existing drone spectrum but also asks whether it should open up spectrum where drone operations currently are prohibited, including but not limited to the Cellular Radiotelephone Service and Citizens Broadband Radio Service bands. These proposals likely would require new guardrails to protect incumbent operations. 

• Streamlining FCC Drone Licensing. The Public Notice states that FCC drone licensing is failing to keep pace with industry demands and can be unnecessarily time-consuming. The Public Notice seeks comment on how to streamline the FCC’s existing authorization procedures, particularly for drone-related testing, including whether the agency should establish a dedicated drone experimental license category, implement pre-cleared test ranges/corridors, or even provide blanket experimental authorization for certain qualified developers. 

• Developing New Drone Testbeds/Innovations Zones. The FCC can establish testbeds and innovation zones for the evaluation of advanced technologies and prototypes outside of traditional research settings. The Public Notice solicits feedback on whether existing drone development programs are sufficient and, if not, whether the FCC should create new initiatives, including opportunities exclusively designed for defense companies or non-academics who work on commercial or military drone development as well as testbeds located in sparsely populated areas with reduced interference risks. 

• Clarifying Permissible Counter-Drone Operations. Current FCC rules limit counter-drone operations to research and development purposes and not for defensive use. In addition, federal law generally bans jamming or interfering with authorized communications. The Public Notice asks whether such laws pose significant barriers to counter-drone development and whether regulatory reforms are necessary to address such barriers. 

• Simplifying Notification and Coordination Requirements. The FCC often requires drone operators to follow coordination and notification procedures designed to protect other spectrum users from harmful interference. The Public Notice requests input on how the agency can restructure such procedures to enable more intensive drone use while avoiding disruption to higher-priority operations.  

• Creating Market-Based Drone Spectrum Incentives. The FCC can encourage wireless license holders to share underutilized spectrum with others in exchange for payments, longer authorization terms, or other incentives. The Public Notice seeks comment on whether the FCC should establish similar inducements for licensees to share spectrum with drone operators through spectrum partitioning, disaggregation, or leasing arrangements. 

• Encouraging Law Enforcement Domestic Drone Use. The Public Notice highlights that many U.S. law enforcement entities currently rely on foreign-produced drones, potentially undermining operational safety and security. The Public Notice solicits feedback on whether the FCC should publish trusted drone lists or drone best practices to educate law enforcement entities and persuade them to use U.S.-made equipment. 

• Establishing Central Drone Information Source. The Public Notice asks whether the FCC should create a webpage or other centralized data source that would consolidate relevant information about drones and assist drone operators with equipment authorizations, spectrum leasing, waiver requests, and other agency actions. 

• Supporting Domestic Drone Workforce. The Public Notice seeks input on ways the FCC can partner with industry and other federal agencies to promote domestic training programs in engineering, telecommunications, and other fields critical to the drone industry.