House Commerce Committee Republican Leaders Comment on Ligado

In today’s interconnected world, making spectrum available for the private sector to deploy and advance new technologies will not only benefit American consumers, but will also allow our nation to continue to lead on the global stage in 5G and Internet of Things. After hearing from many stakeholders, the FCC made its decision to grant Ligado’s application. This application has been tested, reviewed, revised, and tested again. The FCC is required by law to determine if technology proposals are in the public interest, and we must trust that in making this decision, the FCC took every position into consideration to come to this conclusion. Both the private and public sectors have legitimate uses for spectrum. These decisions will only get more difficult as technologies develop, but we need to trust the expert agencies who make spectrum decisions. The Energy and Commerce Committee takes seriously its authority and responsibility to oversee spectrum management activities of all agencies.