32 U.S. senators urge FCC to reconsider Ligado spectrum order

WASHINGTON: A bipartisan group of 32 U.S. senators on Friday urged the Federal Communications Commission to reconsider a decision to allow Ligado Networks to deploy a low-power nationwide mobile broadband network, saying it could pose severe risks to global positioning systems crucial to military operations.

The letter, led by Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Jim Inhofe, a Republican, and ranking Democrat Jack Reed, follows a hearing in which Pentagon leaders argued the decision may result in businesses turning to Russian- or Chinese-based space navigation systems to replace GPS.

The letter to all five FCC commissioners called on them to halt and reconsider the decision and “more fully consider the technical concerns raised by numerous federal agencies and private sector stakeholders.”