State representatives and a regulator asked the FCC to grant LightSquared’s...

MHz to 1670-1680 MHz, and share 1670-1680 MHz with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, were due Friday in docket 12-340. The 4G wireless service that LightSquared can bring to rural Mississippi “represents an entire new age of telecommunications,” said the Mississippi Public Service Commission (http://xrl.us/boad66). Wireless technology is at a point “where its infrastructure is so strained that new technology must be incorporated in order to support its growth,” MPSC said. Elected officials in Mississippi remain optimistic “that the FCC will find a solution that will allow LightSquared to deliver broadband access to every corner of Mississippi,” said Republican State Sen. Will Longwitz (http://xrl.us/boad7g). The proposal seems like a reasonable and fair compromise “to avoid any continuing discussion regarding interference with GPS devices,” said Theresa Ruiz, a Democrat who serves on the Jackson County (Mo.) Legislature (http://xrl.us/boad4d). If LightSquared is unable to deploy its network, “major economic and consumer benefits could be lost,” she said. LightSquared invested more than $4 billion in its network, said Democratic Councilwoman Cindy Circo of Kansas City, Mo. (http://xrl.us/boad5t). “The government ought not hinder this kind of significant investment in a critical infrastructure.” Broad recognition exists “that the proposed license modifications would facilitate the extension of additional mobile broadband capacity to hundreds of millions of Americans, at a time when such capacity is critically needed,” LightSquared said (http://xrl.us/boaerm). It said the FCC acknowledges that failing to make additional spectrum available for wireless broadband could lead to “higher prices, poor services quality, an inability for the U.S. to compete effectively on an international basis ... and ultimately, a drag on innovation."