Inhofe Files Bill to Make Ligado Pay Interference Costs
Senate Armed Services Committee ranking member Jim Inhofe, R-Okla., touted his filing of the long-proposed (see 2006220055) Recognizing and Ensuring Taxpayer Access to Infrastructure Necessary (Retain) for GPS and Satellite Communications Act (S-2166) Wednesday as a way to curb “harmful”…
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effects of Ligado’s planned L-band use. The measure, filed Tuesday, would require Ligado to pay costs of any GPS user whose operations are hurt. It "ensures federal agencies, state governments and all others negatively impacted by the actions of a private actor are not left holding the bag when it comes to costs" and "aren’t put in the position where they have to push the costs onto American consumers," Inhofe said during a news conference. Armed Services Chairman Jack Reed, D-R.I., and Sens. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., and Mike Rounds, R-S.D., are co-sponsoring S-2166. “This legislation is unnecessary, as the FCC’s bipartisan, unanimous, and science-backed order fully protects GPS devices -- whether they’re used by the government or the private sector -- as well as satellite communications devices,” Ligado said. “This bill does not address any safety issues; instead, it presents a false notion that consumers are at risk.” S-2166 focuses on “ensuring small businesses, consumers and other civilian users, who are dependent on GPS … are not left picking up the tab, when their devices experience harmful interference,” said GPS Innovation Alliance Executive Director David Grossman. Inhofe's office cited support from Iridium and other Ligado opponents. The FCC didn’t comment.