Representatives of the aviation and aerospace communities have reiterated concerns with Ligado Networks LLC’s proposal to deploy a nationwide LTE network. An ex parte filing in IB dockets 11-109 and 12-340 reporting on a meeting with FCC officials and representatives of Aviation Spectrum Resources, Inc., Airlines for America, Helicopter Association International, and the Aerospace Industries Association said the industry participants “countered the false notion raised in recent filings by Ligado, most recently its June 5, 2017, ex parte, that all opposition to its proposed modifications have been fully addressed and consensus reigns. The Representatives underscored that the issues the aviation and aerospace communities raised earlier in their earlier comments and ex parte submissions in these matters regarding Ligado’s proposals have largely gone unresolved since last summer.

The Representatives explained that they are not opposed to the sort of services that Ligado wants to provide per se – indeed, they recognize the prospective value of the solutions that Ligado claims it will offer to even the aviation and aerospace industries – but noted that, because of the paramount importance of safety of flight, the aviation and aerospace industries maintain grave doubts about Ligado’s chosen location in the radio frequency spectrum and how Ligado plans to offer its services. The open issues turn on the serious potential for spectrum incompatibility affecting safety of flight between Ligado’s proposed operations and certified aviation and non-certified precision GPS receivers on aircraft, aviation safety satellite communications (‘SATCOM’) in adjacent 1600 MHz bands, and reception of weather satellite date broadcast in and adjacent to the 1675-1680 MHz band.”

Courtesy TRDaily