[4] Karl Rove, who is a paid lobbyist for Rivada,[5][3] and Newt Gingrich have been lobbying since early 2019 for the DoD/Rivada deal[3] which CNN says, would be "premium real estate for the booming and lucrative 5G market.

"[13] 5G—the "next generation of cellular technology"—will increase internet speed allowing, for example, users to "stream HD videos on your mobile network", and doctors to "perform remote surgery.

[14] In his February 19, 2019, Fox News article, "America in race against China—and the clock—to control future of tech", Newt Gingrich, called for a public-private partnership where private capital would facilitate a "wireless moonshot" by taking advantage of a "shared spectrum available for a carrier-neutral, wholesale-only, nationwide 5G network" to "show the world that Chinese wireless dominance is not inevitable".

[15][17] In April 2019, Washington, D.C.–based Jonathan Lee, whose work as an attorney involves FCC matters, questioned why "lifelong 'free market' defenders" like Newt Gingrich and Karl Rove were embracing a DoD/Rivada partnership.

[20] In February 2023 Rivada announced[21] a $2.4B order contract with Terran Orbital subsidiary Tyvak to build a 300 satellite constellation (288 + 12 spares).

Rivada has stated that its satellite network will utilize peer-to-peer orbital laser communications, removing the threat of ground-based interference from bad actors.