Globalstar's Christmas Present

[Commentary] On December 22, the Federal Communications Commission gave a satellite operator named Globalstar a Christmas present of sorts, along with a lump of coal. The events leading up to this action present a case study that offers insights into the physical, economic, legal, and political forces that shape telecommunications policy. Globalstar’s inability to effectuate its new venture is an object lesson for incumbent and would-be “low Earth orbit” (LEO) operators.
[Andrew Jay Schwartzman is the Benton Senior Counselor at the Public Interest Communications Law Project at Georgetown University Law Center's Institute for Public Representation]