Lawyer Expects More DOD/FCC Spectrum Clashes

Expect to see more clashes between the FCC and DOD over spectrum for 5G, with the military the primary user of "beachfront" midband spectrum that's "an almost essential resource for nationwide 5G," attorney Joel Thayer of Phillips Lytle blogged Thursday. The National Defense Authorization Act passed last week (see 2012110055) adopts the FCC's harmful interference standard for DOD disputes with Ligado. Thayer complained it lets the secretary of defense refuse to contract or renew a contract with entities operating commercial terrestrial communication networks in frequencies near Ligado’s due to harmful interference with GPS devices.