Despite a member of the Federal Communications Commission announcing a willingness to issue a pause order on Ligado Networks, the chances of the FCC reversing itself in its support for the company are almost nonexistent, according to a commission source. Comments from Jessica Rosenworcel, one of the five FCC commissioners, at a Wednesday hearing of the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation committee, were the first from members of the FCC indicating less than solid support for Ligado’s planned use of L-Band. The commission unanimously approved Ligado’s plan on April 20, despite strong opposition from the Pentagon and its supporters who say […]
Ligado Networks
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A high level delegation from the Pentagon visited the offices of the Federal Communications Commission Friday to make an in-person, classified case for why the Defense Department believes the commission’s approval of Ligado Networks spectrum plan will cause major harm to the Global Positioning System, C4ISRNET has learned. The delegation was led by Deputy Secretary of Defense David Norquist, the department’s number two official. He was joined by chief information officer Dana Deasy, as well as Lt. Gen. Brad Shwedo, the Joint Staff’s head of C4 and cyber, and Lt. Gen. David Thompson, vice commander of U.S. Space Force, plus technical […]
WASHINGTON — The chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee is cranking up the heat on Ligado Networks with new legislation that would require the company to cover the costs of any Global Positioning System user — government or commercial — that is hurt by the company’s newly approved use of L-Band spectrum, C4ISRNET has learned. A bill from Sen. Jim Inhofe, R-Okla., would escalate the potential cost facing Ligado as it moves to set up a system of networks that government agencies and commercial trade groups alike have said could damage GPS reliability inside the United States. It’s the latest […]
A trio of House Armed Services Committee members are asking for an Inspector General investigation into whether a company that tested Ligado Networks for GPS interference and submitted that information to the Federal Communications Commission has a conflict of interest. At the core of the members’ concerns is Dennis Roberson, the chairman of the FCC’s Technological Advisory Council. The TAC is a group of technology experts whose role is to help the FCC “identify important areas of innovation and develop informed technology policies,” per the commission website. Roberson is also the head of Roberson and Associates, a consulting company that, in […]
The Senate’s version of the National Defense Authorization Act contains language attempting to slow the rollout of Ligado network’s use of L-Band spectrum, which defense officials say will harm Global Positioning System capabilities. The bill language, revealed in a summary Thursday, “prohibits the use of DOD funds to comply with the FCC Order on Ligado until the Secretary of Defense submits an estimate of the costs associated with the resulting GPS interference.” It also directs the Secretary of Defense to put the National Academies of Science and Engineering on contract for “an independent technical review of the order to provide additional […]
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