Ligado Networks, formerly called LightSquared, is a satellite and communications company contracted by the Department of Defense for its 5G upgrade project. However, after the analysis done by the National Academies of Sciences, sponsored by the DoD, it was found that Ligado’s services will interfere with all US satellites within 2,410 feet of their terminals.

In June of last year, Ligado Networks announced that they had partnered with Saankhya Labs to develop next-gen satellite communication solutions. Saankhya Labs specializes in 5G NR, broadband, and satellite communication applications. The partnership is geared towards providing enterprise solutions to global companies and the US military.

“It is worth noting that both Saankhya Labs and Ligado Networks have deployed standards-based technologies so that satellite broadcast services can also be enabled in inexpensive and mainstream devices,” according to their announcement.

The late Chief Technology Officer of Ligado, Maqbool Aliani, said the 5G private network services development has become a top priority for them because “ubiquitous satellite and terrestrial connectivity is very important for its enterprise customers.” As SOFREP previously covered, 5G will have many applications not only in the commercial and private sectors but also in the military.

A year after the partnership announcement, the efforts will not come to fruition. As noted in the mandated research report, Ligado’s Networks’ authorized use of the radio frequency spectrum near brands used by GPS and other satellite services will be “harmful” to existing satellites.

Communication Training
New Cadets in Delta Company go through communication training including radio etiquette, setting up an OE-254 antennae and how to assemble and program a radio. (Source: West Point – The U.S. Military Academy/Flickr)

However, the radio frequency bands authorized by the Federal Communications Commission “will not cause most commercially produced general navigation, timing, cellular, or certified aviation GPS receivers to experience harmful interference.” But, it is different when we talk about military-grade high-precision receivers “used for applications such as farming, geodesy, and surveying.” The report noted that these receivers would be vulnerable to interference. Mobile satellite services provided by Iridium Communications, Inc (network used by the DoD) will also experience adverse effects.

“The radio frequency spectrum is a natural resource that underpins all wireless activity, from mobile phones to GPS and satellite communications. The spectrum is divided into frequency bands, each allocated for specific services and managed in the United States by two agencies — the Federal Communications Commission and the National Telecommunications and Information Administration.”

“While strict adherence to transmission and reception only within authorized frequency bands would provide protection against harmful interference, in practice transmitters do not have sharp cutoffs and may emit signals beyond their authorized frequencies, and receivers may pick up frequencies beyond their authorized range. Both of these factors can potentially contribute to interference that degrades performance or causes loss of operation.”