By LightSquared have faced a lot of hurdles in trying to get their 4G LTE network up and running. Financially they seem to be ready, but the technological feasibility of their plans seem to be next to nothing. LightSquared wants to host their LTE network on spectrum that causes interference problems with GPS satellites. Wherever there may be a LightSquared tower you will probably have trouble using GPS.
This, of course, is a very serious issue. Lots of industries and people use GPS for many different reasons and some would argue that having working GPS is more important than having high data speeds, especially when there are far more options for 4G data than what LightSquared is proposing. They have battled with the FCC and now the FCC wants to gather the public’s opinion.
They’re calling on you to submit your concerns and opinions by February 27th. We somehow feel that most of you would rather not risk the reliability of GPS just so that a new player in the mobile data space can sell broadband data. In either case, the links you need to submit your comment are below.
FCC ECFS Short comment link: http://fjallfoss.fcc.gov/ecfs/upload/begin?procName=11-109&filedFrom=X
FCC ECFS Standard (for uploading attachments – click the link at the top that says Submit a filing in 11-109): http://fjallfoss.fcc.gov/ecfs/proceeding/view?z=94jz8&name=11-109
[FCC via Bloomberg, The Verge]
“Where you goin … nowhere!”
It is so sad that the government can make a company sit back and let another one use its property illegally.
GPS manufacturers have known they were scanning into other bands that they do not own but kept doing it because it let them make cheap GPS devices for the masses. Lightsquared should sue them to stop their infringement immediately.
Yet our government wants to tell the LEGAL owner of the spectrum that he cant use it just because others are illegally doing so already. Heck, it’s like the welfare system for GPS manufacturers.
Make the GPS companies FIX all their devices since they KNEW what they were doing from day 1. Do not hold their hands and give them something they do not deserve just because they have been illegally using it all this time!
When did the line between LEGAL and ILLEGAL become so blurred in the USA.
That blur is what many of us like to call “lobbyist”.
“When did the line between LEGAL and ILLEGAL become so blurred in the USA.”. A loooong time ago, and the more money and influence you have, the wider the gray area and the blurrier the line.
GPS is a military resource. From day one, the Pentagon has been complaining that Lightsquared is screwing with GPS reception.
Government GPS equipment does not scan into unrelated bands. I know this from working military GPS ground stations.
Lightsquared’s spectrum use is irrational if you want GPS to work. Changing GPS receivers won’t help.
Actually, that’s some FUD from LightSquared. Guess what, the only GPS receivers that “look” into the LS spectrum are ones with options for augmentation services such as OmniStar that are LEGALLY using LS’s spectrum and paying LS for it. A perfect example of what is currently allowed in the MSS band.
The proposal went from a few towers to augment the MSS SATCOM service for phones to 10K towers that are about a billion times more powerful then GPS. LS is also trying to convert low-cost MSS spectrum into prime voice/data spectrum, bypassing both the normal review/approval process, and not paying the taxpayers the difference for the spectrum value.
LightSquared does not OWN spectrum. Spectrum is a public resource owned by the public. This is not some hippy utopia that I’m spewing, this is the legal reality. What LightSquared (and Verizon, AT&T, local broadcasters, etc.) has is a LICENSE to use the spectrum pursuant to rules set forth by the government. This entire issue came about because LightSquared is seeking permission to use the spectrum in a new way that is different from the uses for which it was originally licensed. LightSquared’s spectral neighbors — here, GPS — developed their systems based upon the reasonable assumption that LightSquared’s predecessors would continue to use the spectrum to provide satellite services pursuant to their existing authorization.
The GPS operators are not doing anything “illegal.” That is just LightSquared spin. LightSquared wants the rules changed for them, and now that it looks like things aren’t going their way, they are trying to rewrite history. Keep in mind that some of the biggest GPS users are the federal government and consumers. If every GPS receiver needs to be replaced or upgraded, who do you think is going to pay for that?
This is so far off the mark it’s laughable. GPS was built, on purpose, to be highly sensitive; and in some cases where it’s been licensed to do so, poll a tiny tiny amount into the frequencies it neighbors. It’s what makes it accurate. This isn’t GPS manufacturers being lazy or doing anything wrong. This is the law of physics and the nature of low-powered satellite-to-ground transmissions. In order for these devices to work properly and be accurate, they need to be highly sensitive, and high-powered transmissions can bleed into neighboring frequencies…. ever use an antenna on an analog TV, and as you spun and adjusted the antenna, you’d see a different channel than what you were tuned to behind the snow? That’s what would happen here… and the reason why the FCC put these spectrum chunks next to each other — to keep them away from high-powered transmissions.
The fact is they didn’t buy this spectrum from the FCC, and it didn’t need FCC approval on their purchase because of its purpose. They bought this MSS satellite spectrum from other satellite companies and only afterwards asked the FCC to have it re-purposed. Their broadcast license is for low-power transmissions. Moving to high-power will affect the satellite-to-ground transmissions of neighboring frequencies as previously mentioned – which is explicitly against their license that does not even allow a purely terrestrial network to be built and explicitly forbids interference to other satellite users when using backup ground transmitters.
What you are repeating is the garbage LS is saying to try to save face here… they were tasked to prove they could create a high-power network that would not interfere with the low-powered GPS. They failed… and frankly, the military’s job, surveyors jobs, utility workers jobs, the airlines jobs… they’re all far more important than people getting a tiny chunk of LTE coverage. I want to know the backhoe outside my house isn’t going to hit the gas line and blow up because the GPS was 20 meters off. I want to know the plane overhead is going to land at the airport, and not in my driveway because the GPS was blacked out by Lightsquared.
Dish Network’s 2/2.1 ghz MSS satellite spectrum… that’s the only one that stands a chance at getting repurposed for high-powered ground transmissions. It’s an island unto itself in spectrum. Lightsquared knew what it bought. And Sprint knew it too, which is why – smartly for a change with Sprint – the deal was contingent on approval.
Is all you care about is getting your fast wireless broadband? We live in a society where we want it all and we want it now and by any means necessary. I have Sprint and I’d love to get 4G LTE but NOT at the cost of the safety of the military and our national security. We all love our tech, but we need to keep an open mind and not get tunnel vision in favor of it. LightSquared threw money at the Obama administration to get everything pushed through. Are you even aware that the White House tried to force general William Shelton to LIE to Congress to falsely testify that LightSquared’s system would not interfere? Thankfully the general had the balls to stand up to the Obama administration and tell the truth, and also bring to light that they told him to lie. Why would they want him to lie? Follow the money.
I read that the FCC testing that claims about interference with the GPS where not for real world conditions and were done in such a way that problems would arise so they can deny light squared the ability to put out a network like they want. I say they are allowed to test it out in select markets and see what interference would take place if any and decide from there.
LightSquared has used their political (aka financial) connections to the Obama administration to try and push this through. They even tried to get a military general to lie about the GPS issue to Congress. Disgraceful.
This is all TRUE. And sadly lots of people aren’t aware of this and if they were, some of them couldn’t care less. All they care about is their LTE. We live in a society where we want it all and we want it now and by any means necessary. I have Sprint and I’d love to get 4G LTE but NOT at the cost of the safety of the military and our national security.
I honestly think they should approve a “LIVE” test. Let Lightsquared start up their new network in a few select markets. Put it to the true test. If there are issues with GPS devices, then they can record what kind of devices are experiencing the interference.
The FCC should have a place for users that do experience the new LTE networks to post comments. How many people experience GPS issues, how steady is the signal, and rate the overall experience. Weigh in the good and the bad.
As for GPS companies using bands or frequencies that they are not supposed to be using… the government needs to step in and put that to a stop. It has been going on for ages, however it is something that really needs to be weeded out. It has not been looked into because there has not been a legitimate fight over it, but now there is. Time to really make a few changes, and make everybody play fair.
Public opinion = opinion of people who do not even know what spectrum means.
I don’t want my GPS to become unreliable, and I’m sure no one wants to either; however, if what the other posters are correct about the GPS companies using spectrum that they should not have, then Lightsquared deserves compensation and allotment of other spectrums if any are available.
well said.
I live in one of the largest cities in the county (top 5), and if i want fast, wireless broadband, I have two companies to choose from, both of which have have low data caps and are known as being the most expensive in the country. We obviously need more competition in this segment. I say the FCC should do whatever possible to get LightSquared up and running.
And just forget about working GPS….ummmmK. What makes you think they won’t have caps? Clear started with unlimited, went to tiered in a year.
whoaa… easy there, Stinger! I never said anything remotely close to forgetting about GPS. Simply saying it would be nice if the GPS industry had decent filters to allow them to stay within their allotted spectrum. And, I dont think Clear is tiered.. at least their website does not mention it.. says unlimited data for $35 to 45 a month. But either way, I’m not really interested in a pissing contest, just saying that competition is immensely beneficial to the consumer.
I know through Sprint, it’s now tiered. There was no grandfathering. I also know that clear throttles down to dial up speeds.
competition IS good, but they need to come to a solution that doesn’t interfere with GPS and still allows LS to have LTE. Interfering with GPS shouldn’t be something they ask the public about. The FCC needs to put their foot down and say “other companies are using compatible frequencies, you need to do so as well.”
Educate yourself BigBen7. Is all you care about is getting your fast wireless broadband? We live in a society where we want it all and we want it now and by any means necessary. I have Sprint and I’d love to get 4G LTE but NOT at the cost of the safety of the military and our national security. We all love our tech, but we need to keep an open mind and not get tunnel vision in favor of it. LightSquared threw money at the Obama administration to get everything pushed through. Are you even aware that the White House tried to force general William Shelton to LIE to Congress to falsely testify that LightSquared’s system would not interfere? Thankfully the general had the balls to stand up to the Obama administration and tell the truth, and also bring to light that they told him to lie. Why would they want him to lie? Follow the money.
Screw LightSquared. 1400 is too high to be effective indoors anyways, find another spectrum to use.
1400 too high?
Huh, that’s strange. T-Mobile’s network is mostly at 1700/2100 MHz and Sprint’s network is largely built in the 1900 MHz band. Their millions of customers are going to be surprised to learn that they have to go outside to use their cell phones.
I used the link above to tell the FCC to say hell no to lightsquared. I don’t want anything even remotely affecting GPS, even if I don’t have high-speed internet where I live
I have worked with GPS since 1991. Rolled GPS and NFS out to the military (first real world applications). Also rolled out DOCSIS 1.0 and DOCSIS 2.0 out to the private sector. I’ve been in communicatons for 25 years. GPS isn’t the problem here. Lightsquared is trying to squeeze out bandwidth where it can and quite frankly, they’ve over-extended themselves and underestimated the bands that they have leased. They should have made some type of deal early on to either split their band into two different spectrums or just gone ahead and leased a different larger band all together.
The FCC should not allow lightsquared to test anywhere near GPS ever.