Ligado Networks Responds to Letter from Commerce Department's NTIA Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary Douglas Kinkoph

RESTON, Va., Dec. 9, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- In a letter filed last night with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), Ligado Networks CEO Doug Smith responded to claims made in a communication from NTIA Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary Douglas Kinkoph, saying:

"The December 6, 2019 letter from NTIA Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary Douglas Kinkoph in this proceeding leads with a stunning and absurd suggestion: that plenty of spectrum is available for 5G and that no more spectrum is needed.

"That statement puts the Department of Commerce at odds with the White House, Chairman Pai, and all of the other FCC Commissioners, bipartisan spectrum leadership in Congress, and the entire wireless industry. It is clear to everyone but the Department of Commerce that more spectrum is needed for 5G, and as leading 5G equipment manufacturers have stated in this proceeding, Ligado's spectrum can help facilitate the 5G transition. The only good thing about the Kinkoph Letter is that the Commission can finally move forward and rule on the pending applications, which have been pending for four years, and free up 40 megahertz of mid-band spectrum for 5G.

"Beyond the stunning claim that no more spectrum is needed for 5G, the Kinkoph Letter conveys no new information, no new analysis, no new data, and no new arguments and makes no recommendation to the Commission.

"At this juncture, no one can doubt that the record is complete. It is time to bring an end to the irregular and unreasonable delay caused by some Executive Branch entities that has plagued this proceeding, just as it has plagued other important FCC spectrum initiatives."

Click here to read the full letter.

About Ligado Networks

Making connections is Ligado's core mission. Our vision is to modernize American infrastructure by connecting the Industrial Internet of Things. With our current state-of-the-art satellite technology and plans to deploy Custom Private Networks for the businesses that keep this country running, we're paving the way for future innovations.

SOURCE Ligado Networks