Company: IRDM
Filing Date: 2025-02-13
Form Type: 10-K
Source: 0001628280-25-005302
Chunk: 73

Company: Iridium Communications Inc.
Filing Date: 2025-02-13
Form: 10-K
Item: Item 1A
Chunk 73
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 and L-band spectrum to AST SpaceMobile, Inc (retaining Ligado’s ability to deploy ATC subject to resolution of its litigation with the U.S. government). The outcomes of the litigation and the bankruptcy may impact the outcome of the pending petitions for reconsideration before the FCC and the ability of Ligado or a lessee to implement ATC or direct-to-device services that may affect the performance of our network. If other countries permit similar terrestrial use of L-band spectrum in the 1.6 GHz band, the performance of our system may be subject to interference there as well. 

If the FCC revokes, modifies or fails to renew our licenses, or fails to grant a new license or modification, our ability to operate will be harmed or eliminated.

We hold FCC licenses, specifically a license for our satellite constellation, licenses for our U.S. gateway and other ground facilities, and blanket earth station licenses for U.S. government customers and commercial subscribers, that are subject to revocation if we fail to satisfy specified conditions. The FCC licenses are also subject to modification by the FCC. Our satellite constellation license expires on February 23, 2032. Our U.S. gateway earth station and the U.S. government customer and commercial subscriber earth station licenses expire between February 2036 and March 2037. There can be no assurance that the FCC will renew the FCC licenses we hold or grant new ones or modifications. If the FCC revokes, modifies or fails to renew the FCC licenses we hold, or fails to grant a new license or modification, or if we fail to satisfy any of the conditions of our respective FCC licenses, we may not be able to continue to provide mobile satellite communications services.

As we and our distributors expand our offerings to include more consumer-oriented devices, we are more likely to be subject to product liability claims, recalls or litigation, which could adversely affect our business and financial performance.

Through our distributors, we offer several services and devices aimed at individual consumers, and we and our distributors continue to introduce additional services and devices for use with our services. For example, we are working to enable satellite messaging and emergency services directly in smartphones and other devices using our services, which may dramatically increase the number of devices that use our services. These services and devices aimed at individual consumers, such as location-based services, emergency services, satellite handsets, smartphones, and personal locator devices, may contain design and manufacturing defects. Defects may also occur in components and devices that we purchase from third parties or that our distributors offer.