Harris, LGS to share in $334M NOAA anti-interference tech contract

Harris Corp. and LGS Innovations will share in a potential five-year, $334.7 million contract to build and install radio frequency interference monitoring technologies for the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration.

The agency seeks to help government operators and commercial wireless carriers mitigate potential interference across spectrum used for NOAA satellite operations. Awardees will work to help detect interference, classify the nature, identify sources and notify parties that share the spectrum.

NOAA awarded the “Radio Frequency Interference Monitoring System” contract on Dec. 19 and received three offers. Harris’ ceiling for the contract is $129.8 million and LGS’ ceiling is $204.8 million, according to the award notice.

Almost three years ago, the Federal Communications Commission completed an auction of licenses to share 15 megahertz of spectrum used by NOAA satellites. The FCC, NOAA and the National Telecommunications Information Administration deemed that spectrum as suitable to to share with wireless carriers

Licensees can use that shared spectrum starting in April of this year.