The FCC’s Decision Puts GPS at Risk

Every day, tens of millions of Americans rely on the Global Positioning System. A recent decision by the Federal Communications Commission, however, will degrade the effectiveness and reliability of this critical technology. On April 20, the FCC announced its approval of Ligado Networks’ application to create a cellular network by repurposing a portion of radio spectrum adjacent to that used by GPS. The power and proximity of Ligado’s ground emissions on this spectrum will drown out GPS’s space-based signals. If you’ve ever tried to talk to a friend while standing next to the speakers at a rock concert, you get the point. 

We need a comprehensive, whole-of-nation approach to develop technologies that affect so many. Disregarding the concerns of industry and government—objections grounded in hard data—the FCC’s Ligado decision is a shortsighted giveaway that will disrupt our way of life and potentially cost the American people billions of dollars. The first and most sacred responsibility of government is to protect and defend its people. GPS allows us to pinpoint 911 calls, launch precision airstrikes, prepare our forces for combat, and otherwise act to safeguard health and well-being. Interfering with the accuracy and reliability of GPS risks the safety of the American people and undermines national and economic security. America deserves a better alternative.