National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine Issues Report Underscoring the Need for a Reversal of the FCC’s Ligado Order
WASHINGTON (September 9, 2022)—The Keep GPS Working Coalition issued the following statement in response to a report issued today by the National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine (NAS) showing that a terrestrial wireless network proposed by Ligado Networks (Ligado), and approved by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), will cause widespread interference to millions of GPS receivers. It may be attributed to Dale Leibach, spokesperson for the Keep GPS Working Coalition.
“The NAS report, which follows the analysis of an immense amount of technical information and review by experts from a broad range of disciplines, highlights the fundamental flaws in the FCC’s Ligado decision. The order must therefore be vacated in its entirety, so that millions of GPS devices are protected from harmful interference caused by Ligado’s planned network.
“It is important to note that the potential for interference arises because Ligado proposed, and the FCC approved, a fundamental change in the use of the spectrum adjacent to the band used by GPS. With this approval, the FCC essentially authorized terrestrial operations in a satellite band without adequately considering the impact Ligado’s proposed operations would have on countless consumers, farmers, ranchers, pilots, boat owners, surveyors, construction companies and others.
“Furthermore, the FCC’s decision failed to take into account that there are more than a billion GPS receivers in use in the United States. The NAS report notes, and the Keep GPS Working Coalition acknowledges, that the majority of GPS receivers will not be harmed by Ligado’s operations. However, the massive GPS user base means that tens of millions of devices will suffer harmful interference if Ligado deploys its network. And, as stated in the report, the risk of interference is greatest for high precision receivers used in some of the most significant sectors of the U.S. economy.
“Lastly, the NAS report describes in detail the fundamental flaws in the safeguards the FCC adopted to address harmful interference where it occurs. It is simply not feasible, nor reasonable, to force first responders, farmers, boat owners, and the many other owners of equipment and machines that rely on GPS to police interference and bear the costs of addressing it. The best approach is to avoid interference altogether by rescinding Ligado’s authorization to conduct terrestrial operations under its satellite license.
“While Ligado may seek to cherry pick details to fit its misleading narrative, the truth is that this report validates the concerns raised by virtually everyone who has taken a position on this matter other than the FCC and Ligado itself. In particular, the report highlights significant national security concerns raised by the U.S. Department of Defense, which has said the FCC Ligado order will put missions and troops at risk. Likewise, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, the Departments of Homeland Security, Transportation, Interior and Justice, the Federal Aviation Administration and other expert agencies all opposed the FCC order because of the substantial harm it would cause to critical civilian industries and users.
“We are grateful to Congress for mandating that this study be conducted, and to the NAS for its thorough review of this matter.”
The Keep GPS Working Coalition was formed in response to a Federal Communications Commission order allowing Ligado Networks to operate a terrestrial wireless network that will threaten the reception capability of hundreds of millions of GPS devices. Coalition members include major associations representing vital economic sectors that rely on GPS including agriculture, aviation, boating, manufacturing, and transportation and infrastructure.
For additional information about the Keep GPS Working Coalition, please visit www.keepgpsworking.com.
Media Contact
Dale Leibach
Spokesperson
dale@dleibachandassociates.com
202-365-4339