Ligado Order’s Fifth Anniversary Sparks Pushback

WASHINGTON, April 25, 2025 – A coalition of 94 companies and industry groups is urging the federal government to reconsider an order that could cause interference with satellite operations.

The Satellite Safety Alliance partnered with 93 companies and organizations to send letters to Congressional leadership and President Donald Trump Wednesday, marking the fifth anniversary of the Federal Communications Commission’s Ligado Order, which they described as a significant misstep.

“For over two decades, several federal agencies have spent countless staff hours and resources reviewing, debating, and litigating Ligado and its predecessors’ failed attempts to deploy a terrestrial network that also protects critical commercial and government functions,” the coalition argued. “Despite all of that effort, virtually nothing has been invested in a terrestrial network, and not one consumer or entity has been connected.”

The Ligado Order was adopted by the FCC on April 20, 2020, and allowed the Reston, Va.-based Ligado Networks to deploy a low-power nationwide terrestrial network in the L-band to support 5G and Internet of Things services.

The L-band, which utilizes waves in the 1-2 GHz frequency, has a unique ability to penetrate clouds and bad weather conditions, which made it perfect for use in supporting global positioning systems and satellite communications. 

A Ligado official did not return a voice mail message seeking comment.

Citing an independent technical analysis by the National Academy of Sciences, the coalition argued that a terrestrial mobile service operating in the L-band could cause disruptions to the critical government and commercial services that rely on the band for navigation and communications. 

The Ligado Order has faced significant opposition, not just from the SSA.  Fourteen federal agencies, including the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, have pushed back on the order, citing continued concerns over interference.