“Spectrum is the lifeblood of wireless. This is especially true for 5G that uses a range of low-, mid- and high-band frequencies. What and...

Ligado Networks CEO and President, Doug Smith, joins INCOMPAS CEO, Chip Pickering, in a keynote to discuss the future of Ligado.

5G has taken 5G has taken center stage in the wireless industry—and rightly so. American companies and consumers are poised to benefit from the next wave of technology and innovation. Industry and regulatory stakeholders are also taking steps to advance spectrum and network deployment plans for the 5G future.

Last December, Wall Street Journal columnist Holman W. Jenkins, Jr., published a column entitled, “Is Airwave Nimbyism Holding Back 5G?” where he suggested that some stakeholders have been keeping Ligado’s spectrum “hostage for a decade.”

Today, the 116th Congress held its first hearing on winning the race to 5G. The topic is critical to the future of U.S. economic and national security. Whichever nation advances wireless connectivity enabled by 5G will lead industries, economies, and governments to new frontiers of productivity and innovation, and sustain decades of competitive advantage.

Ligado has worked to address the various concerns around potential sensitive receivers in adjacent bands. The company has collaborated with the FAA to protect certified aviation GPS—just the latest in a long line of work with GPS device manufacturers to restructure the band and allay concerns.

The U.S. is falling behind in the digital race to 5G. There's a way to put the U.S. back on top: unlocking mid-band spectrum. Learn more about how the L-Band can help the U.S. take back the lead in the digital race.

At Ligado, we’ve been working for a long time to deploy 40 MHz of mid-band spectrum to offer new services that will revolutionize how many of America’s critical industries approach technology and communications. We know there’s a great opportunity to help make critical infrastructure more reliable, efficient and safe for consumers, and we know that this spectrum is vital to our nation’s 5G future.

Advanced satellite-based broadband technologies are necessary to fully enable the Internet-of-Things. Satellite services will be essential for transmitting geo-location information to vehicles as well as for transmitting other data to myriad types of smart devices and equipment. Pending before the Commission, for example, is Ligado’s proposed service, which would use satellite capability in combination with a terrestrial network to deliver smart device communications.

Ligado Networks, a satellite company, wants to add terrestrial features that would make its service more like mobile radio. But its license says “satellite” and the company needs the FCC’s permission for a change. The company filed with the FCC for permission in late 2015, and interested parties have given their comments.