LightSquared Blames GPS Industry for Interference in Report
Jun 30, 2011, 8:37 AM by Eric M. Zeman
LightSquared today filed a report with the Federal Communications Commission regarding its planned Long Term Evolution network and the interference issues it has experienced with GPS systems. In the report, LightSquared accuses the GPS industry of being at fault. It said, "The interference is caused by the GPS device manufacturer’s decision over the last eight years to design products that depend on using spectrum assigned to other FCC licensees." Further, LightSquared said, "GPS device manufacturers have been largely uninterested in finding a win-win solution. Rather, their only answer to a problem of their own making is to demand that the government simply block LightSquared from using the company's own spectrum to roll out the first wholesale-only wireless broadband network for the entire nation. This is a problem that the GPS industry could have avoided by equipping their devices over the last several years with filters that cost as little as five cents each." LightSquared also accused the GPS industry of "piggybacking" off the government's GPS system in what amounts to an $18 billion subsidy. LightSquared has been at odds with the GPS industry since the FCC gave it permission to use its L-Band spectrum for the terrestrial LTE network. Despite laying the blame on the GPS industry's doorstep, LightSquared says its plan to use a lower block of spectrum and reduce the power output of its towers will solve 99.5% of the interference issues. LightSquared says it still needs the cooperation of the GPS industry to move forward. LightSquared didn't immediately spell out how it plans to resolve interference problems reported by the Federal Aviation Administration and Department of Defense.
Comments
crood said:
...blame everyone else.
Yep. Must have taken a cue from Sprint.
(continues)
