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NextNav holds the licenses and wants them reconfigured so it can build a ground-based GPS backup network.
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Including the band would signal that low-band spectrum is useful for both satellite and terrestrial uses.
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An earlier August SpaceX letter that referenced the same proposal previously lifted the stock.
Shares of NextNav (NN) jumped 12% on Monday after SpaceX (SPCX) pushed for inclusion of its lower 900 MHz spectrum band in the Federal Communications Commission's (FCC) proposed expansion of satellite-to-mobile spectrum.
NextNav holds licenses in the lower 900 MHz band and has asked the FCC to reconfigure it so the company can build a ground-based network that delivers precise location and timing as a backup to GPS.
SpaceX, in an Oct. 23 filing on the draft SCS 2.0 rules, recommended expanding the Supplemental Coverage from Space (SCS) framework and adding more spectrum bands, including 900 MHz. SCS allows satellite operators to fill coverage gaps by using terrestrial spectrum so ordinary phones can connect via satellite where there are no cell towers.
"Doing so now saves time later: if the Commission grants the NextNav petition, authorizing direct-to-device service in the band requires no further rulemaking," SpaceX said.
The move raises the perceived value of NextNav's licenses. It signals that a major satellite operator sees low-band spectrum as useful for both satellite and ground networks. NextNav wants the band for a reliable terrestrial complement to GPS that could support public safety and critical infrastructure. The proposed rules still require an FCC vote and further review.
In August, SpaceX had already pointed to NextNav's 900 MHz proposal as an area where fast-deployment requirements should apply, a filing that previously lifted the stock. That letter stressed that scarce radio airwaves should not sit idle.
How Did NN Retail Traders React?
On Stocktwits, retail sentiment around NN stock jumped from neutral to extremely bullish territory over the past 24 hours, while message volume increased from low to high levels.
A Stocktwits user said that they are now feeling a "lil more optimistic" about the stock given that Elon Musk's SpaceX wants the 900MHz spectrum.
Another user highlighted that NextNav might play a role in SpaceX's ambitions to scale Starlink.
NN stock has dropped 32% year-to-date.
For updates and corrections, email newsroom[at]stocktwits[dot]com.
Anan Ashraf has no position in any of the stocks mentioned in this article. StockTwits' news team content is for informational purposes only and is not intended as investment advice. For more, see our editorial policy . This article was originally published on StockTwits .
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