KENT CONRAD
NORTH DAKOTA
website: http://conrad.senale.gov
COMMITIEES;
BUDGET, CHAIRMAN
AGRICULTURE, NUTRITION, AND FORESTRY
FINANCE
INDIAN AFFAIRS
tlolted aStates aScnate
September 30, 2012
1-800-223-4457
530 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING
WASHINGTON, DC 20510-3403
(202) 224-2043
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The Honorable Julius Genachowski
Chairman
Federal Communications Commission
445 12th Street, S.W.
Washington, DC 20554
The Honorable Lawrence E. Strickling
Assistant Secretary for Communications
and Information
National Telecommunications &
Information Administration
U.S. Department of Commerce
140I Constitution Ave., N.W.
Washington, DC 20230
Dear Chairman Genachowski and Assistant Secretary Strickling:
Like many in the U.S. Senate, I expressed concern in 2011 about the potential GPS interference
problems that could be posed by the planned rollout of the terrestrial broadband network planned
by LightSquared. To your credit, once it was determined that technical issues could not be
resolved, you decided not to allow LightSquared to use bandwidth adjacent to the GPS spectrum.
I do, however, believe that LightSquared's plan to build a nationwide network would benefit
consumers if it can be done in a way that does not interfere with existing and important uses of
spectrum. More competition lowers prices and leads to improved levels of service, which is
especially important to rural states like NOlth Dakota.
Because of this, I ask that you work to try to identify alternate spectrum that could be used by
LightSquared to build such a broadband network. I am confident that a path toward this goal can
be found that will satisfy all stakeholders, and advance the public interest.
Sincerely,
/kLr-J
KENT CONRAD
United States Senate