RESTON, VA. April 17, 2019 – Earlier today, FCC Chairman Ajit Pai announced he will be circulating a draft Notice of Proposed Rulemaking in response to Ligado Networks’ petition to reallocate the 1675 – 1680 MHz band for non-federal terrestrial mobile use on a shared basis with federal users.
Ligado Networks Board Chairman Ivan Seidenberg commended the FCC and Chairman Pai for moving forward on the Commission’s long-standing commitment to auction or assign 1675 – 1680 MHz and stressed the action will accelerate and incentivize investments in the country’s 5G wireless infrastructure.
“The entire wireless industry desperately needs more mid-band spectrum for emerging 5G networks, and FCC Chairman Pai deserves credit for recognizing the importance of this spectrum to our country’s future,” Seidenberg noted. “This NPRM has significant potential to free up critical mid-band spectrum that will help ensure the United States commercializes the wireless spectrum necessary to accelerate, strengthen, and secure 5G networks across the country. As a company, we are ready to invest in this spectrum and help deploy the 5G technologies that will not only improve all our lives but also give our economy a competitive edge against the rest of the world.
“Making this spectrum available for commercial use would create a huge benefit for the American wireless industry, because if combined with other available frequencies, it could unleash 40 MHz of vital lower mid-band spectrum to serve mission-critical industrial Internet of Things and other emerging 5G applications.”
Ligado Networks CEO Doug Smith also applauded the FCC’s following through on the President’s leadership and vision of what freeing up wireless spectrum can do for the nation. “By circulating this mid-band spectrum NPRM – so soon after announcing plans for the largest high-band spectrum auction in American history – President Trump and FCC Chairman Pai are making it abundantly clear we need an all-of-the-above strategy in the race to help ensure America’s global 5G leadership.”
Smith pointed out the company’s approach on this 5 MHz band could be used as a model for collaboration and sharing between U.S. government and commercial spectrum users. “Following years of technical analysis underscoring its feasibility, Ligado’s advocacy for the frequencies to be utilized for shared commercial use has been consistent with longstanding bipartisan goals to maximize the value of our nation’s limited spectrum resource,” he continued. “We believe federal agencies and industry stakeholders can successfully perform respective missions in harmony, and we remain confident that this proposal advances wireless innovation while both protecting NOAA’s critical weather data for all users and ensuring its accessibility to the entire American public. We look forward to participating in the NPRM process over the coming year.”
About Ligado Networks
Making connections is Ligado’s core mission. Our vision is to modernize American infrastructure by connecting the Industrial Internet of Things. With our current state-of-the-art satellite technology and plans to deploy Custom Private Networks for the businesses that keep this country running, we’re paving the way for future innovations.
###
For further information:
Ashley Durmer, SVP, Government Relations & Corporate Communications
Tel: 703-390-2008
Ashley@ligado.com