LightSquared Asks FCC to Set [Tough] Technical Standards on GPS Gear

[Sam Wormley]

> FROM THE NEWS
>
> LightSquared Asks FCC to Set Technical Standards on GPS Gear
> BY: TODD SHIELDS
> Bloomberg
> 07 February 2012
>
> Philip Falcone's LightSquared Inc. asked U.S. regulators to develop technical standards for
> the global-positioning system receivers at the crux of a debate over the venture's proposed
> nationwide wireless service.
>
> GPS devices pick up signals from "other people's licensed spectrum" causing interference
> concerns that could be eliminated by setting an industry standard, Jeffrey Carlisle,
> executive vice president, said in a news conference today. The company filed a petition
> with the Federal Communications Commission, Carlisle said.
>
> LightSquared has sought final FCC clearance for its network since late 2010 against
> opposition from GPS makers and users who say the service would disrupt navigation gear in
> cars, tractors and planes. The Reston, Virginia-based company says GPS makers should have
> planned to accommodate LightSquared's use of airwaves near those occupied by navigation
> devices.
>
> LightSquared's filing today proceeds from "false premises," Jim Kirkland, general counsel
> of Sunnyvale, California-based Trimble Navigation Ltd., said in an e-mailed statement.
>
> "Its suggestion that GPS manufacturers should have designed receivers to accommodate a
> prohibited use is simply self-serving nonsense," Kirkland said.
>
> The FCC said in an order released April 6 that existing users of airwaves share
> responsibility for protecting against interference. The agency may consider establishing
> standards setting receivers' "ability to reject interference from signals outside their
> allocated spectrum," the agency said in the order.
>
> Tammy Sun, a spokeswoman for the FCC, declined to comment today.
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> LightSquared Asks FCC to Set Tough Standards for GPS Receivers
> BY: BRENDAN SASSO
> The Hill
> 07 February 2012
>
> Wireless startup LightSquared asked the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) on Tuesday
> to set tough technical standards for the design of GPS devices.
>
> LightSquared has invested billions of dollars to launch a wireless broadband service, but
> tests last year showed its planned network could interfere with GPS devices.
>
> The company says the problem is that GPS receivers are poorly designed and are receiving
> signals from outside their designated frequency bands.
>
> "If GPS devices had stayed in their own lane, there wouldn't be an issue with LightSquared's
> network," Jeff Carlisle, LightSquared's vice president of regulatory affairs, told reporters
> on a conference call on Tuesday.
>
> The GPS industry argues the interference is a result of LightSquared operating powerful
> cell towers on frequencies that should only be used by satellites. They say GPS receivers
> are too sensitive to effectively filter out LightSquared's powerful signal on nearby
> frequencies.
>
> The FCC granted LightSquared a conditional waiver to move forward last year, but after
> testing confirmed the interference problem, FCC officials clarified the company will only
> be granted final approval to launch its network if it fixes the interference problem.
>
> According to FCC regulations, companies are not entitled to protection from signals outside
> of their airwave frequencies, or spectrum.
>
> But it is unlikely that the FCC would allow LightSquared to launch a network that interferes
> with millions of critical GPS devices, including aircraft navigation systems, even if the
> problem is the result of the GPS receivers picking up signals outside of their spectrum
> band.
>
> Carlisle accused GPS companies of making "a too big to fail argument" by saying the FCC
> should give them special protection because of the importance of their devices.
>
> With Tuesday's filing, LightSquared asked the FCC to enact new rules to require special
> design standards for GPS devices. In the filing, the company argued that GPS receivers
> could be fixed using filters or other technical modifications.
>
> "This latest filing yet again proceeds from the same false premises and claims that
> LightSquared has repeated ad nauseam in its ongoing effort to deny its obligation to avoid
> harmful interference to millions of government and private GPS users," Jim Kirkland, general
> counsel of GPS-maker Trimble, said in a statement.
>
> "In its January 2011 order, the FCC's International Bureau made clear that LightSquared
> would not be permitted to commence operations until it had demonstrated that it would not
> interfere with GPS. LightSquared did not challenge this condition at the time, and has to
> live up to it. There is overwhelming technical evidence--including the most recent government
> test results--that this condition has not been satisfied. LightSquared's continuing efforts
> to move the goal posts are too little, too late."
>
> LightSquared's Carlisle argued the rules would free up more spectrum to use for mobile broadband.
>
> He acknowledged that the FCC's rule-making process would likely take too long to help
> LightSquared with its immediate need to move forward, but he said the rules are important
> for the long-term regulatory environment. He said the rules would give "predictability and
> certainty to both sides."
>
> LightSquared has until mid-March to secure regulatory approval or it risks losing a multibillion
> dollar contract with Sprint.
>
> Carlisle said the company has enough money to operate for "several quarters."

[HIPAR]

Cannot happen until FCC makes rules defining a power density mask for
the MSS bands. Then practical filters must be demonstrated for the
various GPS receiver classes. Don't forget about GLONASS and Galileo
when specifying the technical standards.

--- CHAS