Sanjiv
Ahuja,
Chairman
and
CEO
of
LightSquared
Corrects
the
Record
Special
interests
are
trying
to
distract
attention
from
the
facts.
For
eight
years,
LightSquared
has
navigated
the
regulatory
process
to
win
approvals
to
build
America’s
first
privately
funded
coast-to-coast
wireless
broadband
service.
LightSquared’s
plan
to
invest
billions
of
dollars
to
use
its
frequencies
for
an
integrated
ground-space
network
has
been
supported
by
both
Republican
and
Democratic
regulators
--
Michael
Powell
and
Kevin
Martin,
FCC
Chairmen
appointed
by
President
Bush,
and
Julius
Genachowski,
the
FCC
Chairman
appointed
by
President
Obama.
In
fact,
the
regulatory
approvals
that
paved
our
way
came
in
the
mid-2000’s,
during
the
Bush
administration
under
Powell
and
Martin.
Regulators
from
both
parties
understand
LightSquared’s
approach
will
create
more
competition
in
the
marketplace,
put
downward
pressure
on
the
prices
paid
by
consumers,
create
good
paying
jobs
in
the
tech
sector,
and
give
Americans
access
to
the
most
modern
cellular
technology.
LightSquared’s
plan
has
drawn
bipartisan
support
because
it’s
right
for
the
country.
Any
suggestion
that
LightSquared
has
run
roughshod
over
the
regulatory
process
is
contradicted
by
the
reality
of
eight
long
years
spent
gaining
approvals.
Just
this
week,
there
has
been
another
request
from
the
government
for
an
additional
round
of
testing
of
LightSquared’s
network.
We
understand
that
some
in
the
telecom
sector
fear
the
challenges
for
their
business
model
that
LightSquared
presents.
We
understand
the
opposition
of
some
in
the
GPS
industry;
many
of
their
devices
“squat”
on
someone
else’s
spectrum
and
while
technological
fixes
are
readily
available,
some
companies
are
loath
to
make
the
necessary
engineering
changes
and
would
instead
prefer
to
get
access
to
someone
else’s
spectrum
for
free.
It’s
also
ludicrous
to
suggest
LightSquared’s
success
depends
on
political
connections.
This
is a
private
company
that
has
never
taken
one
dollar
in
taxpayer
money.
About
$10,600
sits
in
the
LightSquared
PAC.
The
founder
of
LightSquared
has
given
to
candidates
in
both
political
parties
in
the
last
eight
years,
with
two
thirds
of
his
contributions
going
to
Republicans
because
of
the
founder’s
free
market
philosophy.
I
gave
$30,400
in
contributions
to
both
parties
in
late
2010.
It’s
difficult
to
charge
that
LightSquared
has
undue
political
influence
when
it
was
denied
the
opportunity
to
testify
at
today’s
hearing
of
the
House
Armed
Service
Committee’s
Strategic
Forces
Subcommittee
– or
even
be
allowed
a
one-on-one
meeting
with
the
chariman
of
that
committee
prior
to
the
hearing,
as
the
GPS
industry
was
given.
This
entrepreneurial
company
is
poised
to
create
as
many
as
15,000
jobs
as
spends
$8
billion
to
help
provide
American
consumers
with
cheaper,
better
cellular
service.
It’s
time
Washington
politicians
stop
using
LightSquared
as a
piñata.
Smart
engineers,
not
political
rhetoric,
should
decide
LightSquared’s
fate.
If
LightSquared
is
blocked
from
entering
the
wireless
market,
consumers
will
lose
out
on
the
benefits
of a
new
source
of
more
competition,
better
service
and
lower
prices.
