A new Senate bill backed by the American Farm Bureau Federation, along with more than 80 other organizations, would ensure farmers and countless others who rely on GPS would not have to pay to fix interference issues created by Ligado Networks’ operation on the broadband spectrum.
The Recognizing and Ensuring Taxpayer Access to Infrastructure Necessary for GPS and Satellite Communications Act (RETAIN GPS Act) was spurred by a 2020 decision from the FCC to allow Ligado, a satellite communications company, to provide 5G services.
The trouble is, Ligado’s plans for using the spectrum is so near to bands used by GPS that it could hurt the reception capabilities of GPS devices.
This presents a serious problem for farmers and ranchers who rely on GPS to help make their operations more efficient, economical, and environmentally responsible.
Ligado’s plans also put at risk GPS services used by the military and other national defense agencies, aviation safety agencies, and mapping applications, among others.
“This bill is important for farmers and those who rely on precision agriculture technology and GPS in Michigan, and across the nation,” said John Kran, Michigan Farm Bureau national legislative counsel.
“The diverse group of organizations supporting this bill, including those representing agriculture, public safety, satellite communications, and travel over land, water and air, shows the massive impact GPS interference could have if left unchecked.”
In a letter to the bill’s bipartisan sponsors, the groups backing the RETAIN GPS wrote that the act “acknowledges the harm to GPS and satellite communications end users caused by the Ligado order and ensures the burden of cost sits squarely where it belongs—on Ligado, rather than our first responders, farmers, pilots, boat owners, surveyors or construction companies.”