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When most were focused on the transition of power in the White House, the day before the Inauguration and the very last day in office for the outgoing party, the FCC denied a petition to stay (delay) the Ligado Networks deployment of a low-power nationwide network interfering with the GPS signal.
On January 19, the Federal Communication Commission (FCC) issued an order denying the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) Stay Petition in the Ligado Networks LLC (Ligado) matter.
That petition had requested that the FCC stop Ligado from continuing work in furtherance of its April 2020 authorization allowing the deployment of a low-power terrestrial nationwide network in the L-band. This latest allows Ligado to press on, as they have already been doing. What it did not do was address the NTIA’s Petition for Reconsideration which seeks a relook at the original approval.
As 2020 comes to a close, the Ligado Networks LLC’s (Ligado) mobile satellite services (MSS) project remains at a standstill. While actions in the Federal Communication Commission (FCC) proceedings in the case have stagnated, Congressional action, funds and filings have flowed.
Dawn Zoldi
Now a new administration will take the helm. As we ring in 2021, what might become of Ligado’s deployment of a low-power terrestrial nationwide network in the L-Band that some continue to say will interfere with mission-critical Global Positioning System (GPS)?
Congress: A Resolution to Resolve
In early December, the Senate Committee on Armed Services, in reporting out the fiscal year 2021 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), sent a strong message on Ligado: stand down until the “harmful interference” issue is resolved. At issue: the Ligado-proposed and FCC-approved criteria of harmful interference to determine how select receivers are impacted versus the Department of Transportati