Apr 16, 2020 DOJ Press Release
Attorney General William P. Barr’s Statement on FCC Chairman Pai’s Draft Order to Approve Ligado’s Application to Facilitate 5G and Internet of Things Services
Attorney General William P. Barr issued the following statement:
“I applaud FCC Chairman Pai’s proposal to make available L-band spectrum, to be used together with C-band spectrum, for deployment of advanced wireless services, including 5G. As I said in my speech at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, swift FCC action on spectrum is imperative to allow for the deployment of 5G. This is essential if we are to keep our economic and technological leadership and avoid forfeiting it to Communist China. Freeing up L-band spectrum for use in tandem with the C-band, as the Chairman proposes, should greatly reduce the cost and time it will take to deploy 5G throughout the country and would be a major step toward preserving our economic future. I hope the full Commission moves forward quickly.”
To view the draft order, click here.
Apr 16, 2020 FCC Press Release
CHAIRMAN PAI CIRCULATES DRAFT ORDER TO APPROVE LIGADO’S APPLICATION TO FACILITATE 5G AND INTERNET OF THINGS SERVICES
Conditions Would Protect Incumbents from Harmful Interference
This is an unofficial announcement of Commission action. Release of the full text of a Commission order constitutes official action. See MCI v. FCC, 515 F.2d 385 (D.C. Cir. 1974).
WASHINGTON, April 16, 2020 — Today, Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai circulated to his colleagues a draft order that would approve with conditions Ligado LLC’s application to deploy a low-power terrestrial nationwide network in the L-Band that would primarily support 5G and Internet of Things services. This draft order would both 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.
Chairman Pai said:
“After many years of consideration, it is time for the FCC to make a decision and bring this proceeding to a close. We have compiled an extensive record, which confirms that** it is in the public interest to grant Ligado’s application** while imposing stringent conditions to prevent harmful interference. The draft order that I have presented to my colleagues would make more efficient use of underused spectrum and promote the deployment of 5G and Internet of Things services."
“Although I appreciate the concerns that have been raised by certain Executive Branch agencies, it is the Commission’s duty to make an independent determination based on sound engineering. And based on the painstaking technical analysis done by our expert staff, I am convinced that the conditions outlined in this draft order would permit Ligado to move forward without causing harmful interference. For example, the draft order would authorize downlink operations at a power level that represents a greater than 99% reduction from what Ligado proposed in its 2015 application.”
In recent years, Ligado has amended its application to significantly reduce the power levels of its base stations from 32 dBW to 9.8 dBW (a reduction of 99.3%). Ligado has also committed to providing a significant (23 megahertz) guard-band using its own licensed spectrum to further separate its terrestrial base station transmissions from neighboring operations in the Radionavigation-Satellite Service allocation.
As such, Ligado is seeking terrestrial use of the following bands:
- 1526-1536 MHz
- 1627.5-1637.5 MHz
- 1646.5-1656.5 MHz
The Order is conditioned to reflect these technical requirements.
It also requires Ligado to protect adjacent band incumbents by reporting its base station locations and technical operating parameters to potentially affected government and industry stakeholders prior to commencing operations, continuously monitoring the transmit power of its base station sites, and complying with procedures and actions for responding to credible reports of interference, including rapid shutdown of operations where warranted.
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Media Contact: Tina Pelkey tina.pelkey@fcc.gov | 202-418-0536