[FIT] FW: [COGO] FW: Light Squared Update

[SMITH Cy * EISPD GEO]

The latest information on the LIghtSquared issue from the Coalition of
Geospatial Organizations listserver:

 

 

The president's top advisors on navigation policy said today (January
13, 2012) that "no practical solutions or mitigation" would enable a
proposed broadband network to coexist near-term with gps based devices,
including several systems needed for aviation safety. 

The officials said a separate analysis by the Federal Aviation
Administration had concluded "the LightSquared proposals are not
compatible with several gps dependent aircraft safety-of-flight
systems." Because of the definitive nature of these results, the
officials added that "no additional testing is warranted at this time." 

The letter was sent to Lawrence Strickling, head of the National
Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), which
coordinates federal use of frequencies and advises the White House on
radio frequency issues. 

The letter, from the deputy secretaries of the U.S. defense and
transportation departments who cochair the National space based
Positioning Navigation and Timing (PNT) Executive Committee (ExComm),
could well represent the knockout punch for LightSquared's attempt to
implement a high-powered wireless broadband in radio spectrum adjacent
to that of GPS L1 signals. 

LightSquared deemed the ExComm's conclusions "erroneous" and issued a
statement calling on the NTIA and the Federal Communications Commission
(FCC) to "retake the lead" on testing. Earlier this year, the FCC
authorized the LightSquared service
<http://www.insidegnss.com/node/2471> pending an investigation of
possible adverse effects on GPS. 

The Virginia company backed by hedge-fund manager Phil Falcone has been
seeking approval to build a nationwide wireless 4G broadband network
using some 40,000 high-powered ground stations. Extensive tests over the
summer showed that transmissions from these stations would cause
debilitating interference to the vast majority of GPS receivers.
<http://www.insidegnss.com/node/2678>  

A new round of tests took place this fall after LightSquared revised its
plans <http://www.insidegnss.com/node/2655> in an effort to reduce the
adverse effects on GPS users by limiting the frequencies and lowering
the power level it would employ in the near term. 

Results of the most recent tests, conducted by the National PNT
Engineering Forum, indicate that the revised system still interfered
with 75 percent of general navigation receivers, according to details
subsequently leaked to the press. 

Ashton Carter, deputy secretary of defense, and John Porcari, deputy
secretary of transportation, signed the letter on behalf of the PNT
ExComm, stating that tests of the revised LightSquared plan showed it
"would cause harmful interference to many GPS receivers." 

The interagency committee, which represents nine federal departments or
organizations including defense and transportation, said their
conclusion was unanimous. 

"Based on this testing and analysis", the committee wrote, "there appear
to be no practical solutions or mitigations that would permit the
LightSquared broadband service, as proposed, to operate in the next few
months or years without significantly interfering with GPS." 

The PNT ExComm also proposed "to draft new GPS Spectrum interference
standards that will help inform future proposals for non-space,
commercial uses in the bands adjacent to the GPS Signals and ensure that
any such proposals are implemented without affecting existing and
evolving uses of space-based PNT services vital to economic, public
safety, scientific, and national security needs." 

In response to the Carter/Porcari letter, LightSquared said that the PNT
ExComm federal agencies had "demonstrated bias and inappropriate
collusion with the private sector." The firm claimed the tests used
obsolete and off-market receivers and power levels that stacked the deck
in favor of the GPS industry. 

The company further criticized the PNT ExComm for "abandoning its
commitment to test filter solutions for high-precision GPS devices."
Several companies, including PCTEL, JAVAD GNSS, and Partron America have
announced products that they believe could solve some of the
interference problems.
LightSquared said it would urge the FCC and NTIA "to retake the lead on
government testing for GPS filtering solutions."
GPS advocates hailed the latest development. 

"LightSquared has been afforded every possible opportunity to make its
technical case and has failed to demonstrate that it can avoid
interference to many critical GPS-based activities," said Dale Leibach,
a spokesman for The Coalition to Save Our GPS. "At this point, there is
no evidence that any further modifications to LightSquared's proposal
would yield a different conclusion. "Because of this, the PNT Executive
Committee's conclusion that it is time to end technical studies and
conclude that the proposal is not viable is supported by overwhelming
technical evidence." 






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