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March 10,2011
The Honorable Julius Genachowski
Chainnan
Federal Communications Commission
445 12th Street. SW
Washington, D.C. 20554
Re: LightSquared Subsidiary LLC Request for Modification oflts Authority for an
Ancillary Terrestrial Component. File No. SAT-MOD-20101118-00239
Dear Chairman Genachowski:
The purpose ofthis letter is to voice our concerns regarding the Commission's
International Bureau conditional waiver approval for LightSquared Subsidiary LLC
("LightSquared") in the above-captioned matter. It is our understanding that there is
considerable evidence that the wireless broadband service proposed by LightSquared and
conditionally approved in the Bureau's decision could cause harmful desensitization to the
millions ofGlobal Positioning System (GPS) receivers in use in this country, including those
utilized in national defense, public safety, aviation, and consumer applications.
As the expert agency in charge ofmanaging the nation's use ofthe electromagnetic
spectrum, the FCC is charged with the crucial function ofensuring that new services like those
proposed by LightSquared do not interfere with established services like GPS. This FCC
function is particularly critical when it comesto protecting a service like GPS, which is integral
to our economy, national defense, public safety, and air travel.
To ensure full protection ofGPS, we request that the full Commission take the following steps:
~Require LightSquared to demonstrate non-desensitization ofGPS as a condition prior to
any operation ofits proposed wireless broadband service, whether on a non-commercial
or commercial basis; and
~Rescission ofthe conditional grant ofLightSquared's conditional authority to offer
broadband services until this demonstration can be made.
Only with such steps will the full Commission ensure the uninterrupted operation ofthis
nation's critical GPS system.
PRINTED ON RECYCLED PAPER
Please give this request your complete consideration, and we look forward to your timely
response.
Sincerely,
..
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Kevin Yoder
Member ofCongress
Tim Huelskamp
Member ofCongress
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cc: The Honorable Michael J. Copps
The Honorable Robert M. McDowell
The Honorable Mignon Clyburn
The Honorable Meredith Attwell Baker