Feds Again Say LightSquared Interferes With GPS - whitfieldlaysence

A second round of tests happening LightSquared's projected down-based transplantable data network again showed interference with a majority of GPS devices, demur for cellphones, ii U.S. federal departments said Wednesday.

LightSquared wants to build a network of 4G LTE (Long-Condition Evolution) base Stations of the Cross close to the U.S. that would operate along frequencies around those victimised by GPS (Global Positioning Arrangement) receivers. But the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) will not approve the company's design unless potential interference with GPS has been resolved. Tests before this year showed the electronic network could cripple umteen GPS devices.

The second round of tests was conducted last calendar month and concentrated on LightSquared operating in a lower block of frequencies farther from those in use by GPS.

"Preliminary analysis of the test findings constitute no significant preventative with animate thing phones," the Department of Defense and DoT aforementioned in a statement connected Wednesday. "However, the examination did show that LightSquared signals caused unwholesome hinderance to the absolute majority of other tested general-purpose purport GPS receivers. Separate analysis by the Federal Airmanship Administration too found interference with a trajectory safety system organized to discourage pilots of approaching terrain."

The test results were conferred connected Wednesday to a discipline steering group representing seven federal agencies, including Defense and Department of Transportation, that cause up the Space-Supported Positioning, Navigation, and Timing Executive Committee (PNT ExComm). Further analysis will pass over the next single weeks, aft which a final theme testament be presented to the FCC by the National Telecommunications and Information Disposal (NTIA), the statement said. ExComm oversees GPS, and the NTIA coordinates federal use of radio-frequency spectrum.

The latest findings could be a sharp botch up to LightSquared, which hopes to launch its network in front the end of succeeding year and faces another disc-shaped of interference testing beginning in January. On Monday, the company proposed a new set of concessions to the FCC.

Besides on Mon, the carrier slammed an plain escape of test results in a Bloomberg News article that said 75 percent of non-cellphone Global Positioning System receivers were moved by the LTE network. LightSquared aforementioned that report excluded essential analysis and that far fewer devices were affected in the test. Even those that met the essa's authoritative for hitch effects may not own suffered reduced carrying into action, LightSquared said.

LightSquared executives were not immediately forthcoming for comment.

Stephen Lawson covers raisable, warehousing and networking technologies for The IDG News Service. Follow Stephen on Twitter at @sdlawsonmedia. Sir Leslie Stephen's e-mail accost is stephen_lawson@idg.com