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July 22, 2020 | International, C4ISR

To be competitive in 5G, the US must play offense, not defense

Joel Thayer , Harold Feld , and Daniel Hoffman

The Department of Defense and the Department of Transportation are far from the first to try to upend an independent agency's proceeding. However, these executive agencies have been far more aggressive than normal in that pursuit in response to the Federal Communications Commission's April 20 Ligado decision. This dispute significantly compromises the United States' leadership in global markets — by both undermining domestic initiatives and by undercutting our policy positions internationally.

The recent dispute concerning Ligado pits the DoD and DOT on one side, and the Federal Communications Commission, the State Department and Attorney General Bill Barr on the other. This dispute involves the FCC's unanimous decision to grant new wireless entrant Ligado's request to modify its licenses to provide a national, low-power 5G network for Internet of Things services.

The Ligado decision took nearly two decades, all told. It is not overstating to say that what should be a straightforward engineering decision has devolved into a watershed moment that, if Congress doesn't act, may prevent the U.S. from deploying 5G at a rate greater or equal to China or other international sovereigns. Worse, it will deprive Americans of competition, wireless innovation and related economic growth for years to come.

IoT enabled by 5G will revolutionize everything from precision agriculture to self-driving cars. By focusing exclusively on IoT, Ligado can expedite the deployment of this technology while traditional wireless carriers focus on building out consumer-oriented 5G networks. This will accelerate deployment of 5G networks and introduce competition into the nascent IoT market. This is why Barr (whose Antitrust Division concentrates on competition) and the State Department (which wants to see the U.S. retain wireless leadership in global markets) have supported the FCC's decision.

Ostensibly, the DoD and DOT say that Ligado will interfere with sensitive GPS operations. But its rationale does not survive even casual scrutiny. In recent weeks, internal emails from the DoD have surfaced showing that at least some of the DoD's own spectrum experts categorically agreed with the FCC that Ligado posed no threat, but were overruled by their superiors.

The real issue is that the DoD and DOT are the largest and most powerful federal spectrum users. Any growth in 5G will require them to make further adjustments. Oddly, neither agency operates near Ligado's spectrum, and yet they seek to impede Ligado's ability to innovate in it. Put simply, Ligdao is just the unlucky party caught in the middle of their broader interagency spectrum fight.

Congress made the FCC an independent, expert agency to prevent precisely this kind of situation. One of the most important reasons the FCC even exists is to set uniform rules for commercial wireless networks so that equipment can interoperate and companies can innovate, which ensures consumers ultimately reap the benefits of their products.

Unfortunately, the Senate and House Armed Services committees intend to end run the agency by including provisions in the National Defense Authorization Act that, in effect, prevent stakeholders that work with the Defense Department — either directly or indirectly — from using Ligado's network, which includes just about every major company in America.

The U.S. squabbling with itself only yields an uncontested “win” for China. Our competitors are coordinated and not stumbling over themselves on petty spectrum disputes. They are certainly not waiting for the United States government to get its act together.

To the contrary, as the House Appropriations Committee observed in its report on the FCC's budget: “The U.S. is falling behind other countries in the allocation of [5G] spectrum.” Chinese-owned companies Huawei and ZTE have already bought up significant wireless infrastructure for its 5G networks across the globe and have begun deploying IoT services in the same or similar bands the FCC authorized for Ligado. If that happens, it's China that sets the terms for 5G, which adversely affects our nation's security given China's penchant for international data aggregation.

Upending the FCC would hand China a nearly insurmountable advantage in the race to 5G. Also, if Congress sides with the DoD and DOT instead of observing the FCC's 17-year-long rigorous testing and analysis, which included that of the DOT's and the Defense Department's own spectrum experts, then the FCC will be effectively paralyzed going forward. Congress needs to put a stop to these games before they do permanent damage and let the FCC do its job.

Joel Thayer focuses his practice on telecommunications, regulatory and transaction matters, as well as privacy and cybersecurity issues. Harold Feld has worked in telecommunications law for more than 20 years. He is senior vice president of Public Knowledge, a 501(c) that advocates for policies to expand broadband access. Public Knowledge has provided support for Ligado several times in the FCC proceeding. Ligado sponsors its IP3 award at the $5,000 level. Daniel Hoffman worked in the CIA, where he was a three-time station chief and a senior executive clandestine services officer. He has been a Fox News contributor since May 2018.

https://www.c4isrnet.com/opinion/2020/07/23/to-be-competitive-in-5g-the-us-must-play-offense-not-defense/

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  • Contract Awards by US Department of Defense - March 13, 2020

    March 16, 2020 | International, Aerospace, Naval, Land, C4ISR, Security

    Contract Awards by US Department of Defense - March 13, 2020

    NAVY BAE Systems, San Diego Ship Repair, San Diego, California (N00024-16-D-4419); Huntington Ingalls Industries Inc., San Diego, California (N00024-16-D-4420); and General Dynamics, National Steel and Shipbuilding Co., San Diego, California (N00024-16-D-4421), are awarded a $171,876,527 firm-fixed-price modification to exercise Option Period Four to previously awarded indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, multiple award contracts for complex, emergent and continuous maintenance and Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) availabilities on amphibious ships (landing platform/dock, landing ship dock, landing helicopter assault and landing helicopter dock) homeported in San Diego, California. Work will be performed in San Diego, California, at contractor facilities or Naval Base San Diego and is expected to be completed by March 2021. 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The work includes labor, supervision, management, tools, materials, equipment, facilities, transportation, incidental engineering and other items necessary to provide dredging, constructing and several building operations. After award of these options, the total cumulative contract value will be $154,677,000. Fiscal 2020 military construction funds in the amount of $66,530,000 are obligated on this award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Naval Facilities Engineering Command Southwest, San Diego, California, is the contracting activity (N62473-19-C-2450). Northrop Grumman Systems Corp., Bethpage, New York, is awarded a $49,143,009 cost-plus-fixed-fee and cost-only modification to a previously awarded contract (N00024-17-C-6311) for engineering services to support the Littoral Combat Ship Mission Modules Program. Work will be performed Bethpage, New York (32%); Mayport, Florida (18%); San Diego, California (18%); Port Hueneme, California (18%); Pittsfield, Massachusetts (8%); Panama City, Florida (1%); Washington, District of Columbia (1%); and various other locations less than one percent (4%). Engineering services will be provided to support the existing efforts of the Littoral Combat Ships Mission Modules Program. Incidental other direct cost items are also provided in support of said engineering services. Work is expected to be complete by March 2021. Fiscal 2020 operations and maintenance (Navy); fiscal 2018 and 2020 other procurement (Navy); fiscal 2020 research, development, test and evaluation (Navy); and fiscal years 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy) funding in the amount of $21,857,006 will be obligated at time of award. Funding in the amount of $18,825,998 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, District of Columbia, is the contracting activity. L-3 Harris, Northampton, Massachusetts, is awarded a $14,181,070 firm-fixed-price modification to a previously-awarded contract (N00024-16-C-5366) to exercise options for Mk 20 Mod (automatic grenade launcher) 1 Electro-Optical Sensor Systems, radar cross-section kits, shock ring kits and spares for both the Navy and Coast Guard (USCG). Work will be performed in Northampton, Massachusetts, and is expected to be complete by March 2022. This option exercise is for additional Mk 20 Mod 1 Electro-Optical Sensor Systems, radar cross-section kits, shock ring kits and spares to support the Mk 34 gun weapon systems in support of anti-air warfare and anti-surface warfare. The Mk 20 EOSS is a major component of the gun weapon systems employed by the Guided Missile Destroyer (DDG 51 class); Ticonderoga-class cruiser (CG 47 class); and the USCG's offshore patrol cutters. Fiscal 2020 other procurement (Navy); fiscal 2020 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy); and fiscal 2020 other procurement (USCG) funding in the amount of $14,181,070 will be obligated at time of the award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, District of Columbia, is the contracting activity. Northrop Grumman Systems Corp. - Marine Systems, Sunnyvale, California, is awarded a $11,244,675 cost-plus incentive-fee, contract modification (P00003) to a previously awarded contract (N00030-19-C-0015) for technical engineering services, design and development engineering, component and full scale test and evaluation engineering, and tactical underwater launcher hardware production to support the development and production of the Common Missile Compartment. Work will be performed in Sunnyvale, California (55%); Ridgecrest, California (20%); Cape Canaveral, Florida (10%); Bangor, Washington (5%); Kings Bay, Georgia (5%); Barrow-In-Furness, England (2%); New London, Connecticut (1%); Quonset Point, Rhode Island (1%); and Arlington, Virginia (1%), and is expected to be completed by March 2024. Fiscal 2020 shipbuilding and conversion Navy funding in the amount of $9,097,994 will be obligated on this award. Fiscal 2020 United Kingdom Common funding in the amount of $2,146,681 will be obligated on this award. No funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Strategic Systems Programs, Washington, District of Columbia, is the contracting activity. Cabrillo Enterprises,* doing business as R.W. 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Work will be performed in Rocket Center, West Virginia, and is expected to complete by June 2021. Fiscal 2018, 2019 and 2020 procurement funds in the full amount are being obligated at the time of award. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, is the contracting activity (FA8681-19-C-0016). Major Tool and Machine Inc., Indianapolis, Indiana, has been awarded a $22,796,400 firm-fixed-price contract for warhead assemblies. This contract provides for the additional procurement of BLU 111 Engineering Change Proposal warhead assemblies. Work will be performed in Indianapolis, Indiana, and is expected to complete by June 2021. Fiscal 2018, 2019 and 2020 procurement funds in the full amount are being obligated at the time of award. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, is the contracting activity (FA8681-19-C-0013). U.S. TRANSPORTATION COMMAND UPDATE: A contract announced on Nov. 8, 2019, with an estimated program value of $5,700,000,000, has added Canadian Commercial Corp., Ottawa, Ontario, Canada (HTC711120DR008), as one of 18 awardees to provide worldwide Federal Aviation Regulation Part 135 airlift services utilizing fixed and/or rotary wing aircraft to transport Department of Defense and other federal agency personnel and cargo. (Awarded March 12, 2020) *Small Business https://www.defense.gov/Newsroom/Contracts/Contract/Article/2111974/source/GovDelivery/

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