A bipartisan group of lawmakers wants the Federal Communications Commission to salvage LightSquared's seemingly doomed plan to build a 4G LTE network by letting the company trade its spectrum for more suitable airwaves controlled by the Department of Defense.

"We ask the FCC to conduct a thorough and thoughtful review of all available spectrum controlled by the Department of Defense (DoD) that could be repurposed or reallocated to meet increased demand," the lawmakers said in a letter sent Tuesday to FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski, and reported by the IDG News Service last night. "We also request that the FCC move swiftly to identify other options, including the use of alternate spectrum, for LightSquared's proposed nationwide 4G LTE wireless broadband network.... A spectrum swap is the most resourceful and efficient way to quickly expand broadband access nationwide."

LightSquared filed for bankruptcy protection last month after the FCC halted its plan to build a nationwide cellular network on spectrum that is adjacent to airwaves used by GPS devices. The powerful signals from LightSquared towers would overwhelm the signals GPS devices must receive to provide location services, making the network infeasible, the FCC concluded.

The letter from lawmakers shows that even LightSquared supporters have given up on the company's original plan. The letter was sent by US House Appropriations Committee members, including Reps. Jim Moran (D-VA), Maurice Hinchey (D-NY), Steve Rothman (D-NJ), Rodney Alexander (R-LA), and Ander Crenshaw (R-FL). LightSquared is on a tight leash from lenders, who are owed $1.7 billion, according to a NASDAQ article.

While LightSquared's prospects are dim, more spectrum for cellular service is hopefully on the way, as the FCC is trying to free up an additional 500MHz of spectrum for mobile providers over the next decade.