This week’s news roundup takes a closer look at an upcoming vote by the FCC to open 50MHz of Spectrum for drones, a flythrough of the new L.L.Bean store, and an opinion piece on where major drone delivery companies sit today.

FCC to Vote on Rules to Open 50MHz of Spectrum for Drones

The FCC plans to vote on October 29 on new rules that would open 50 MHz of low-band spectrum for commercial drone operations, according to an October 7 blog post from Chairman Brendan Carr titled "Hammer Down." The proposed order would remove a regulatory restriction that has unintentionally kept drones from operating in the 800 MHz cellular band. Lower-frequency spectrum generally offers broader coverage, and the added access could expand communications options for operators, which matters most for advanced operations such as flights beyond visual line of sight. The change addresses spectrum rules only, so operators would still need to comply with FAA requirements and authorizations.

At the same meeting, the Commission will consider an order prohibiting electronics testing laboratories and certification bodies in countries that do not offer reciprocal recognition to U.S. organizations. Carr said 82% of electronics were tested in a single country that does not recognize U.S. labs in 2025, though that figure covers electronics broadly rather than drones specifically. The restrictions could create new compliance considerations for manufacturers that rely on testing in affected countries, with the practical impact depending on the final order's scope and implementation details.

FPV Drone Flies through Renovated L.L.Bean Flagship Store

The L.L.Bean Flagship in store in Freeport, Maine recently reopened after a major renovation and to give it a proper virtual tour, creative agency Eastern Adventure flew a  drone through the entire 150,000 square foot store. The cinematic video features new interactive spaces like a trout pond, and even flies in and out of a tent on display, a nice nod to how controlled drone flights are in tight spaces.

Flying through a store of that size and navigating displays and furniture is not done without foresight. Eastern Adventure stated that every flight path, transition, people’s movements, and timing was carefully mapped out and tested before the flight. A drone tour like this is a great way to market new large spaces and can help customers feel like they know how to navigate the new store before they even step foot in the building.

Who Sits Where on the Drone Delivery Scale?

Eduardo Rojas, a startup advisor and former founding member of Uber's Autonomous Mobility & Delivery team, argues in a guest post that 2026 is drone delivery's inflection point. He cites Amazon Prime Air completing thousands of deliveries per day, Walmart passing one million cumulative drone deliveries through partners including Wing and Zipline, and plans for Walmart and Wing to reach more than 270 locations by 2027. DoorDash has also launched DoorDash Air with its own FAA Part 135 certification, and Uber and Zipline are targeting one million deliveries per day by the end of 2029. Rojas says the bigger opportunity is latent demand, meaning orders people skip today because delivery takes too long.

In his opinion-based ranking of U.S. players, Rojas puts Wing first because of its Walmart relationship, followed closely by Zipline and then Amazon, which he says may have the cleanest model since it controls the customer, inventory and fulfillment. He argues mass adoption will hinge on speed and cost, using his own benchmarks of roughly $4 or less per delivery and 20 minutes or less from order to door, which he notes are not industry standards.