NextNav Fires Back At Allegations 900 MHz Plan Would Cost Billions
Analysis relied on ‘extreme, unsupported, and highly speculative assumptions,’ NextNav argued.
WASHINGTON, July 25, 2025 – NextNav fired back at allegations that its proposed reorganization of the 900 megahertz band would impose significant costs on existing users.
In a filing with the Federal Communications Commission, the geolocation services company argued that an economic analysis showing losses of tens of billions of dollars from the reorganization was methodologically flawed.
Prepared by Harold Furchtgott-Roth, that economic report estimated that the economic benefits of granting NextNav’s request would be between $1.2 billion to $2.1 billion, while the costs would be at least $33.8 billion. NextNav disputed that analysis.
“The HFR Filing’s ‘sticker shock’ conclusion erroneously presumes that both licensed and unlicensed users would need to either dramatically alter or discontinue their operations in the lower 900 MHz band,” NextNav, led by CEO Mariam Sorond, said. “HFR’s contrary conclusions rely on extreme, unsupported, and highly speculative assumptions, significant methodological weaknesses, and a disregard for standard industry practices.”
Instead, NextNav argued that its operations would not interfere with other users of the 900 MHz band, and that those users would not have to switch bands. As a result, NextNav argued that its proposal would impose no economic cost for unlicensed users, and minimal costs to tolling operators, while generating at least $14.6 billion in economic benefits.
NextNav is seeking to use parts of the unlicensed 900 MHz band for its terrestrial Global Positioning System, which it argues will serve as a vital backup to the satellite based one. Many incumbent users of the band have argued that NextNav’s proposal would cause interference with their own systems. In March, the FCC opened an inquiry into potential backups for satellite GPS.
The rebuttal came in the form of a Second Supplemental Report prepared by the Brattle Group on behalf of NextNav and submitted to the FCC.
Member discussion