LightSquared wants the FCC to officially not care if LightSquared's proposed wireless network screws up tens of millions of GPS receivers. Because those receivers are "unlicensed". So once the satellites transmit the GPS signals, it doesn't matter if they are unusable, according to LightSquared.
This is pure insanity. By their logic, they would be permitted to interfere with the reception of broadcast radio because the receivers aren't licensed. It's bullshit. We, the American taxpayers, paid to orbit the GPS constellation. We pay to maintain and operate it. Part of the reason that nobody questions the cost of doing so is that GPS is a public good. A hell of a lot of cars come with GPS, so do most cell phones. Call 9-1-1- on a modern cell phone and GPS tells the operator where you are. When you drive by a farm and you see a modern tractor out there, sowing or applying fertilizer or whatnot, that tractor is using GPS. GPS allows farmers to precisely control where they plant, fertilize and so on. Freight companies have been able to greatly improve both efficiency and their ability to respond to urgent changes because they know where their trucks are at all times, by GPS.
But the greedheads at LightSquared want to fuck with that.
Two things are going on here. First, Carl Icahn, a noted financial bottom-feeder and corporate pirate has descended on LightSquared. Icahn's bloody fingerprints have been found on the carcass of more than one now-defunct airline, so the fact that Icahn is involved does not bode well. Second, Sprint has notified LightSpeed that if LightSpeed can't fix its problems with the FCC by mid-March, then Sprint is breaking the deal.
This is where AOPA, EAA, ATA (Air Transport Assoc., American Trucking Assoc.), AFB, AAA and all of the other industry associations whose members are heavy users of GPS had better get off the dime and get to work blocking this.
(H/T)
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2 comments:
Actually when it come to licensing there are two ways its done. One is by rule CB, FRS, and WiFi are that and the radio (specifically the transmitter portion) must comply with the rules to meet that, same for CB.
The other is by grant and the transmitter(s) are specifically licensed.
In both cases there are two specific obligations. that must be met. One is the transmitters MUST NOT interfere with other services.
the other is the transmitter must meet the technical specifications for it's intended service.
If LS interferes with GPS that means the FCC on behalf of the licensed GPS transmitters (SATS)
must take action but only if the
interference is not due to the receivers inability at a practical level. Same for Broadcast TV, FM, and AM. It amounts to saying the transmit frequency is whats licensed plus some about of bandwidth around it the signal would nominally occupy for that assigned channel spacing.
In most cases it's more about misoperation, RF pirates, and interference from other sources. In all cases it amounts to the licensed signal NOT BEING RECEIVED by the intended user.
LightSquared is trying to get a modified license to go from a
low power system (quiet neighbor)
to high power and that is where the issue lies. They then become a noisy neighbor in a crowded neighborhood. That request for a rule change for their use is where the problem lies. That and their model has a high "I can't wait for transition of GPS users to newer gear." component. Lightsquared acquired access to those frequencies by acquiring old licenses and/or the companies that held them. Also Sats take time to be upgraded to newer block III gear and additional frequencies
not in most currently flying systems.
The problem with GPS is simply the vast numbers of dependent systems
using receivers that would be impacted by the use of adjacent frequencies. The FCC never guard banded those frequencies as RF real estate is expensive and scarce.
The users approved and active wer low power and limited range (quiet neighbors). They never anticipated this specific use. Also the GPS designers to meet cost demands did not include selectivity to keep those signals out of the GPS receivers. More selectivity is now possible with current tech but two things made it unneeded before. The quiet neighborhood usage of adjacent frequencies and 1989 tech could not do what can be done now
so it wasn't done in favor of inexpensive.
The cost of upgrade is high for the GPS users both civilian and federal
and as we learned from the DTV switch both costly, high environmental impact, and does not take place in short timeframes.
In the end it's a noisy bully on the block demanding every ones lunch money.
Eck!
Ah, if only the FCC cared about what it was founded to do. Instead, they care about keeping Americans from seeing bewbies and hearing pewpy words.
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