Pentagon Official: FCC Decision on 5G Threatens GPS, National Security

May 8th, 2020

Via: The Hill:

Pentagon officials on Wednesday criticized the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) recent decision to allow Virginia-based satellite communications company Ligado to deploy a nationwide mobile network, saying that it could have adverse effects on GPS signals that are integral to the military’s operations.

“GPS has also long been a critical technology that has supported the Nation’s public safety, law enforcement medical and medical responders. It literally saves lives,” U.S. Space Force Gen. John Raymond told the Senate Armed Service Committee in a hearing that featured him and other Pentagon officials. “While Americans at home are typically not under threat of purposeful electronic attack, the GPS services they depend on every day for life and livelihood are also threatened if the GPS signal and its environment are not protected from disruption.”

The Defense Department’s chief information officer Dana Deasy told the committee that Ligado’s proposed spectrum will have “unacceptable operational impacts and adversely affect the military potential of GPS.”

Since 2015, the satellite company has been working on a proposal for a network that would utilize the L-band spectrum. The L-band spectrum is used to transmit GPS signals as it can cut through obstacles such as clouds, fog, rain, storms and vegetation, which is why the Department of Defense has been wary of the company’s plan. Ligado has said that a network based on the spectrum would allow telecom companies to deploy 5G networks.

Despite the Pentagon’s concerns, the five-member FCC approved Ligado’s proposal last month.

Leave a Reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.