Hearing on The LightSquared Network:
An Investigation of the FCC's Role

House Committee on Energy and Commerce
September 21, 2012

The committee received testimony on the process and decision-making leading up to the FCC's grant of a conditional waiver to LightSquared on January 26, 2011.

Learn more about LightSquared-GPS interference

The committee chairman questioned if this issue could have been prevented and argued that this matter raises important implications for spectrum policy going forward.

The two witnesses, both from the FCC, said that the commission has acted responsibly since learning of the GPS community's concerns about harmful interference from the LightSquared terrestrial network. They said the FCC initially issued a conditional waiver in order to prevent LightSquared from deploying commercial service in the L-band until it resolved these concerns.

The FCC witnesses also mentioned that they are reviewing possible alternatives in hopes to find a solution that addresses the interference concerns while allowing broadband use of the spectrum next to GPS.

Witnesses

  • Ms. Mindel De La Torre
    Chief, International Bureau
    Federal Communications Commission
  • Mr. Julius Knapp
    Chief, Office of Engineering and Technology
    Federal Communications Commission
View combined testimony (PDF) View transcript (PDF)

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