On Monday morning, the Federal Communications Commission announced its unanimous approval of Ligado Network’s application to facilitate 5G and Internet of Things (IoT) service. The FCC claims the approval order “will promote more efficient and effective use of our nation’s spectrum resources and ensure that adjacent band operations, including the Global Positioning System (GPS), are protected from harmful interference.”
The order includes stringent conditions to protect incumbents from harmful interference. Ligado will be required to report technical operating parameters and the locations of its base stations prior to commencing operations. The company must also comply with “procedures and actions for responding to credible reports of interference.”
FCC Chairman Ajit Pai was enthusiastic about the approval, saying, “This vote is another step forward for American leadership in 5G and advanced wireless services.”
Though the approval was “adopted without dissent” by the FCC, it was scrutinized by the Department of Defense. “The Ligado proposal would needlessly imperil DoD GPS-dependent national security capabilities,” tweeted Defense Secretary Mark Esper. “The [DoD] continues to support domestic 5G options, but not at the risk of crippling our GPS networks.”
Ligado Networks is an American satellite communications company headquartered in Reston, Va. Apart from catering to the industrial sector’s network needs, the company’s mission is to provide “connectivity to small, low-power mobile devices throughout North America.”
