Lightsquared Changing Network to protect GPS Signals

hopefully they get it right this time! When even NASA complains they must realize they screwed up.

Glad to see it got some much needed media attention and now hopefully a resolution.

Maybe I'm too cynical, but I'd love to know "The Rest of The Story".

The government initially gave Lightsquared the bandwidth. Then LS did exactly what they said they'd do with it.
Then the gov't decides LS will interfere with existing gadgets.

So, how much did the gov't (that's you and me, taxpayers) pay Lightsquared to reconfigure their system? I bet they cashed a giant check. And all without having any customers yet.

Many will tell you that the FCC is now mostly a political entity geared toward making money for the government via licensing and auctions, and no longer an engineering organization geared toward orchestrating peaceful co-existence amongst spectrum users.

http://www.saveourgps.org/

Me too. The plan currently being floated involves LightSquared using the lower 10MHz of their allocation "for now". Apparently that will only effect a few high-end GPS receivers and not interfere with the majority of users (the divide and conquer strategy). However, the door is left open for them to light up the rest of their L1 spectrum at some future date. My guess is if you allow them to get a foot in the door, they will build enough of an installed base that will then give them to power to force access to the rest of the band despite the interference problems. I am all for leaving L1 as a weak signal satellite band and moving the terrestrial communication somewhere else.

LightSquared Lining Up Customers, Coalition Attracting Support

Although the issue of interference with GPS seems to be far from resolved, LightSquared is busy lining up customers for its new broadband network. The company issued a news release Tuesday saying that voice over Internet protocol (VOIP) firm netTALK has entered into a "multi-year wholesale agreement" to buy bandwidth from LightSquared. "We are extremely excited to provide netTALK with access to the wireless broadband capabilities of the LightSquared network," said Sanjiv Ahuja, chairman and chief executive officer of LightSquared. "This agreement reaffirms LightSquared's commitment to enable new and innovative companies such as netTALK to compete in the U.S. wireless market." Of course, the availability of that signal is the subject of an increasingly contentious battle with the GPS industry, which claims LightSquared's network of 40,000 towers blasting high-powered signals in a frequency band close to the minute satellite signals used by GPS receivers will effectively destroy GPS. The lobby group formed to fight LightSquared's plans, the Coalition to Save Our GPS, announced more members as it gears for a fight that will be kicked off Friday with the release of a report on the interference issues.

It's already been reported by some of the groups involved in the testing that LightSquared's plan will cause unacceptable GPS service disruptions and LightSquared has countered that GPS devices can effectively be hardened against the interference at minimal cost for newly manufactured devices. Retrofitting is another matter and aviation would be among the sectors hardest hit by those expenses because of the tens of thousands of pricey panel-mounted GPS-dependent avionics already in use. After the report is issued on Friday, the FCC will issue a determination on LightSquared's plan and there will be a comment period.

Dear Friend:
Thank you for contacting me regarding potential disruptions of our Global Positioning System (GPS). I welcome your thoughts and comments.

GPS is a space-based navigation system that provides position and timing information to almost anywhere on or near the Earth. The system was designed with the primary purpose of enhancing the effectiveness of U.S. and allied armed forces, but has rapidly expanded into other governmental and civilian uses. The Department of Defense, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), and the U.S. Coast Guard use GPS for more efficient and safe operations, surveillance, and navigation. Commercial uses include cell phones, automated teller machines (ATMs), cars, and farming equipment.

LightSquared has proposed a nationwide 4th-Generation (4G) wireless broadband network that would coordinate satellite coverage with ground-based elements. As proposed, the network would be the first wholesale 4G wireless network, available to retail companies to provide services directly to customers.

Concerns have been expressed about the possibility of LightSquared services interfering with existing GPS capabilities. On June 30, 2011, LightSquared submitted a final report of the technical working group comprised of representatives from LightSquared and the GPS Industry Council. This report, required as a condition under the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Authorization and Order, identified potentially significant interference between LightSquared operations in its “upper band,” and a number of legacy GPS receivers. Some interference issues were also identified for the lower 10 MHz band of spectrum owned by Lightsquared. In conjunction with the report, LightSquared has identified certain steps it can take to mitigate interference, such as freezing land-based use of its Upper 10 MHz frequencies adjacent to the GPS band.

As the Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Technology, which has jurisdiction over spectrum issues, please be assured that I will work to ensure our GPS capabilities are not threatened by expansion in the wireless broadband market.

I appreciate hearing from you, and I hope that you will not hesitate to contact me on any issue that is important to you.

Sincerely,
Kay Bailey Hutchison
United States Senator

That spectrum was originally for Satellite based low power transmissions, just like what you get from a GPS satellite. It was NOT meant for ground based high powered transmissions, which is what the FCC suddenly decided was ok on such short notice just before LS was to start deploying their system.

The REAL question is, just how much did LS pay or promise to the FCC members to slip this through so quickly and quietly.

Btw, after reading that article, its nothing more then trying to save face, but still have the same end result.

http://www.saveourgps.org/pdf/Review_of_LS_Recommendations.p...

Page 7, Statement 5 will start to explain how this plan will not work. If fact, none of their plans will work within that spectrum range.

Good to see LightSquared finally agreed to protect the GPS network.

The proof is in the pudding, as the saying goes.

Other than LS admitting they caused GPS problems, is there actually anything new here? They're using the second part of their allocated spectrum, which they initially planned on using for later expansion. Then they'll "work with the FCC, other government agencies and commercial GPS users to explore additional ways to protect GPS systems as it grows its network." IOW, they'll pay the FCC to tell Garmin and the others that they need to build GPSr's that can deal with LS's use of their original spectrum. LS is doing nothing but blowing smoke and going ahead with their plan, albeit in a slightly roundabout manner.

It's pretty disturbing that the FCC would let a high power service operate in a way to interfere with a low power service like GPS.

Did they just not know? Highly unlikely.

It had been reported that LightSquared was applying to the ITU for a ruling allowing them to conduct terrestrial operations on their spectrum. I did not fully realize the implications of this until reading an article in GPS World (http://www.gpsworld.com/gnss-system/lightsquared-goes-global...). Due to our treaty obligations, not only can the ITU force the FCC to approve LightSquared operation, it also gives LightSquared the ability to roll out their business world wide.

For now, this was just a domestic United States issue but LightSquared has grand plans to go worldwide. On the bright side, not only will it damage GPS operation but Galileo and GLONASS as well. This may create enough additional concerned parties that the ITU rejects LightSquared's application leaving it to the FCC alone (who I am pretty sure will cave). If the EU and Russian Federation get annoyed, they can bring a lot of pressure to bear on the ITU.

The downfall of the FCC became a reality many years ago when they abandoned the organizations original principals and guidelines.

Now they are for sale to the highest bidder.