Ligado in Complaint Says DOD, Commerce Trying to Undermine its Terrestrial Spectrum Use

DOD is using Ligado spectrum for previously undisclosed systems and without compensating the company, and red flags Defense raised about possible GPS interference from Ligado spectrum use were a pretext to cover that up, the satellite operator said in a U.S. Court of Federal Claims complaint it filed Thursday night.

Calling it "the largest uncompensated taking of private property by our nation’s government in modern times," Ligado said it has been denied "tens of billions of dollars" worth of spectrum rights. Named as defendants are Defense, Commerce and NTIA. Ligado said they "improperly took steps to stymie implementation of the April 2020 FCC Order and to prevent Ligado from using the Company’s spectrum for terrestrial services, from realizing the value of the Company’s FCC license and newly modified [ancillary terrestrial component] authority, from securing a return on the Company’s immense investments, and from discovering DOD’s use of Ligado’s property."

It said Defense assertions about possible GPS interferference "were intended as a smokescreen to cover up for DOD’s unjust taking and use of Ligado’s authorized spectrum without compensation." Commerce and Defense didn't immediately respond Friday morning to requests for comment.