Seattle Public Utilities Voices Concerns Over Ligado LTE Plans

Anything that could jeopardize the constant transmission of data that Seattle Public Utilities uses in operating the dams and reservoirs providing water to the Seattle area -- including Ligado's plans for the 1675-1680 MHz band in its terrestrial LTE network -- needs to be halted, SPU said in an FCC filing posted Monday in RM-11681. Since simple filtering won't work to mitigate interference from a strong commercial transmitter operating alongside a data collection system satellite downlink signal, the FCC needs to delay Ligado approval unless there are adequate protection zones around U.S. Geological Survey-related sites, SPU said. In a statement, Ligado said it's "eager to learn about the many ways in which the data currently distributed by [the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration] is used, and we are encouraged that stakeholders are taking the time to participate in the FCC proceeding on this matter. We are committed to protecting NOAA’s existing uses of the band and to ensuring continued access to and delivery of this important weather data.”