On February 9, 2024, private sector stakeholders filed an Amicus Brief in support of the United States Government in the Court of Federal Claims (Case No. 1:23-cv-1797). A copy of the Amici Curiae filed by Iridium Communications, Inc.; Aireon LLC; the Air Line Pilots Association, International; Airlines for America; and the International Air Transport Association is available here.

The following statement can be attributed to the Satellite Safety Alliance: 

The Satellite Safety Alliance has long advocated that the FCC reverse its flawed Ligado Order. Today’s Amicus Brief filed in support of the Government’s motion to dismiss documents the sordid administrative record in this proceeding and demonstrates that the opposition to Ligado’s proposal is broad and grounded in science. If the court fails to recognize this overwhelming record, it’ll inject more uncertainty into the operations of critical communications services using nearby spectrum to provide GPS, satellite communications, and weather forecasting services. Ligado has never cared about the harmful interference its terrestrial operations would cause, which the independent NAS study confirmed was very real. The arguments made today reiterate what we’ve long known: Ligado’s speculative spectrum-flipping venture jeopardizes U.S. national security, civil aviation safety, and billions of dollars in economic investment. The only solution remains the same – the FCC must reconsider its 2020 Order.

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