EWA Files Application for Review on Higher Ground

On February 17, 2017, EWA filed an Application for Review (AFR) with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) regarding its Order granting Higher Ground LLC (“Higher Ground”) a blanket earth station license that will permit it to operate on a non-interfering basis up to 50,000 mobile earth terminals (“SatPaqs”) in the 5925-6425 MHz band (“6 GHz Band”) for consumer-based text messaging/light email and Internet of Things (IoT) communications. In its AFR, EWA stated that the action taken by the Commission conflicts with established policy. EWA urged the FCC to set aside the grant of the waiver, return Higher Ground’s application to pending status, and initiate a rulemaking proceeding in which the many concerns about the interference potential of the proposed system can be evaluated in greater detail and weighed against possible benefits to the public.