LightSquared’s lobbying has increased in leaps and bounds this year as questions arose over conflicts between frequencies for the company’s planned expansion of a 4G wireless broadband and satellite cell phone network and GPS. The conflict could affect aviation safety and military action as the much stronger 4G network could interfere with GPS frequencies, opponents to LightSquared’s plan say.
In the first half of 2011, LightSquared spent more than $800,000 lobbying on Capitol Hill. This involved nine differ firms using 24 individuals to try to influence seven different issues in three bills. This data is from First Street, a firm that gathers information for, as it says, “where people and policy interact.”
Reports that the White House pressured a general to alter his testimony during a Congressional hearing about LightSquared’s plans to continue building a nation-wide broadband network has heightened interest by several members of Congress to continue investigating this issue. The White House has said there was no pressure, just bringing the general’s testimony “in line with the administration’s.”