An internal U.S. Defense Department effort launched in early 2013 to reform the way it buys commercial satellite communication bandwidth appears to have stalled, even as key lawmakers continue to emphasize the need for change. Commercial satellite providers have long pushed the Defense Department to change what they characterize as inefficient bandwidth leasing practices. Many were somewhat encouraged when Frank Kendall, the Pentagon's acquisition czar, said in March 2013 that the Defense Department was launching a 90-day review of its commercial bandwidth purchasing practices. But that study, extended several times, appears to have fizzled, officials with several commercial satellite operators said. The study has been sidetracked by other demands within the Pentagon and an unwavering belief among some defense leaders that commercial satellite capacity costs more than bandwidth from military-owned communication satellites.
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