Posted on 09/21/2011 11:23:41 AM PDT by jazusamo
Wireless startup LightSquared claimed Wednesday to have found a solution that will prevent its network from interfering with Global Positioning System (GPS) devices, even especially sensitive precision devices.
The company said it worked with Javad, a GPS manufacturer, to develop a system that will adapt precision GPS devices so they can operate in the presence of LightSquared's network.
Martin Harriman, LightSquared's executive vice president of ecosystem development and satellite business, said the fix is affordable and "relatively simple.
The company plans to test a batch of prototypes alongside additional tests required by the Federal Communications Commission.
LightSquared intends to provide wholesale wireless broadband service, but it had to put its plans on hold after tests earlier this year revealed that its signals interfere with GPS devices, including those used by the military.
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In response to the problem, LightSquared agreed to operate its land-based cell towers on only the lower 10 MHz of its spectrum. That was no small commitment; the company says the change will cost $100 million.
But even operating on only the lower 10 MHz, the network still causes problems for some precision GPS devices.
Last week, Air Force General William Shelton told a congressional subcommittee that fixing the interference problem with precision GPS devices would cost billions of dollars and take a decade or more.
Harriman said that assertion is "simply not true" and LightSquared will be able to mass produce devices that do not interfere with its network in a matter of months.
This breakthrough is a final step toward LightSquareds goal of building a nationwide wireless network that will bring lower prices and better service to Americans from coast to coast, said Sanjiv Ahuja, LightSquared's chief executive.
The GPS industry remained skeptical that LightSquared's proposal would solve the interference problems.
LightSquared has, as usual, oversimplified and greatly overstated the significance of the claims of a single vendor to have solved the interference issue," the Coalition to Save Our GPS said. "There have been many vendor claims that have not proven out in rigorous tests and the demanding tests of marketplace acceptance."
In addition to the GPS problems, LightSquared has also run into political obstacles in recent weeks.
Republican lawmakers have called for an investigation of the company's ties to the White House after emails revealed the company had communicated with senior administration aides. Reports said the administration also asked Shelton to change his testimony in a secure congressional briefing to make it more supportive of the wireless startup.
Real simple fix. Get the president to pressure a lot of people to lie to Congress for you.
GEE WHIZ! WHILLIKERS!/S
nuff sed.
Obama has stock in this company
He refused to put his money into a blind trust
The Obama adminsitration tried to force a general to lie and clain there was no problem with interferance with military GPS systems
I dont believe a word from anyone associated with Obama
They have a simple soplution. Just give lots of money to the Democrats and get out of the way.
Are they proposing to retrofit all the millions of devices currently in use? Who pays for it?
Never mind the corruption that seems to underlie LightSquared’s deal; is not anyone worried that the GPS system is so easily jammed?
This is ludicrous, there’s millions of GPS units out there and LightSquared says it’s a simple fix. There’s no such thing.
According to Light Squared, it’s your fault for buying devices years ago that would be interfered with by tomorrow’s Light Squared transmitters. You should have been able to predict the future.
There are 800,000 DOD devices affected. It sounds more like they propose to manufacture and sell replacement devices to DOD. Let’s say they can make $100 profit per device. That would be $80,000,000 profit ~ and with Obama getting the standard 25% skim off the top, they walk away with $60 million profit before they’ve even built their cell towers!
If I read this right the EXISTING GPS units have to be modified to not be jammed by the new technology. Cool. I have to modify my equipment because of LS.
Nice.
GPS’s have to be modified to ignore this system’s interference? This is serious?
LightSquared’s fix is for others to fix LightSquared’s problem.
It’s a simple fix - just replace every GPS receiver in existence.
Probably to be paid for with a federal grant.
Right - sell this “adaption” for a big profit. Force everyone to get new gps systems as well.
How many GPS devices are there currently the continental US? 100 million? 200 million? 500 million (half a billion)?
Are we going to retrofit up to a half a billion GPS devices? Every car GPS, every cell phone with GPS, every golf GPS, every hiking GPS, every military GPS, every police or fire GPS, every one? Is that a realistic solution?
No, it's not realistic. What will happen is all of these GPS devices will immediatly become obsolete and need to be replaced. The cost to average citizens would be billions and billions. And for what? So some communication company can build their network on the cheap.
What it really is is a huge transfer of money from the general public to a private company.
Not right. Simply morally wrong.
So their “fix” is to modify all existant GPS devices? LOL!
Piece of cake!
Well, for the military equipment and weapons, we do.
That’s after all of the testing is accomplished on every system to ensure that the widget will actually work as advertised.
Who knows what the final cost will be to test, purchase and retrofit all of the military’s equipment vs. just telling LS to go screw themselves.
I bet the company that makes these widgets is affiliated with a Rat somehow.
The government will hand out coupons so everyone can get the magic device for $10.
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