Ligado Networks Board of Directors Reaffirms Commitment to Investment in America's 5G Infrastructure

RESTON, Va., Feb. 21, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Earlier today, the Board of Directors at Ligado Networks met to review the company's operational plans to deploy 40 MHz of mid-band spectrum to accelerate our nation's goal for rapid deployment of 5G. The Board also reconfirmed its commitment to invest in Ligado and the wireless ecosystem to maintain U.S. mobile leadership in the race to 5G.

For the past three years, Ligado has pursued regulatory approval of its plan to deploy its spectrum and technology capabilities for 5G. The proposal is currently under review by the Department of Commerce, the agency leading the Administration's efforts on 5G, and the FCC. Once approved, Ligado plans to deploy its greenfield spectrum to provide 5G solutions and advance the next generation of America's critical infrastructure. Companies in the industrial sector, such as commercial transportation, energy, and manufacturing entities, all need access to more spectrum and advanced technology to upgrade their systems, invest in their operations, and stay globally competitive. 

Board Chairman Ivan Seidenberg called attention to President Donald Trump's comments earlier today regarding the Administration's prioritization of 5G technologies and the country's commitment to winning the 5G race.

"Today, President Trump made an important point about the need for American companies to 'step up' efforts to win the competitive, global race for 5G," Seidenberg said. Pointing to the Administration's recently released memorandum regarding 5G and NTIA's ongoing work to develop a national spectrum strategy, the Board Chairman continued, "It's the right strategy to urgently call for our nation 'to win through competition.'"

Seidenberg explained that Ligado has worked hard to line up business partners within the 5G wireless ecosystem and emphasized the company's commitment to compromise with its GPS industry colleagues. "Since December 2015, with new ownership and new leadership, we've been focused on achieving consensus on a new, technical plan that resolves GPS concerns and shows that our planned terrestrial service is compatible with our spectrum neighbors."

Ligado's CEO Doug Smith further explained that an L-band ecosystem is ready for 5G development. "Licensed L-band spectrum is the perfect mid-band complement to ongoing low- and high-band 5G infrastructure deployments. We have secured the technical agreements and partners to develop much-needed technology and network capabilities for core American infrastructure industries."

Smith pointed to Ligado's partnerships with 5G vendors such as Ericsson and chipmaker Sequans and noted the company has forged relationships with GPS manufacturers such as Hexagon and Septentrio to deliver a robust, more resilient, and ultimately more economically valuable L-band ecosystem for all stakeholders.

"The company is 'ready-to-go,'" Smith told the Board. "As soon as NTIA and the FCC make final decisions on the pending application, we are prepared to invest significant, additional resources to deploy a network that not only adds jobs to our economy but also ensures that American industries have the tools they need to compete globally."

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