Posted on 12/10/2011 6:43:10 AM PST by Hojczyk
Philip Falcone’s proposed LightSquared Inc. wireless service caused interference to 75 percent of global-positioning system receivers examined in a U.S. government test, according to a draft summary of results.
The results from testing conducted Oct. 31 to Nov. 4 show that “millions of fielded GPS units are not compatible” with the planned nationwide wholesale service, according to the draft seen by Bloomberg News.
“LightSquared signals caused harmful interference to majority of GPS receivers tested,” according to the draft prepared for a meeting next week of U.S. officials reviewing the LightSquared proposal. “No additional testing is required to confirm harmful interference exists.”
LightSquared, backed by $3 billion from Falcone’s Harbinger Capital Partners hedge fund, faces challenges from makers of global-positioning system devices who say the service will disrupt navigation by cars, boats, tractors and planes. U.S. regulators are withholding approval as they check on claims of interference.Why is this important? Philip Falcone is a big donor to the Democratic Party, and he has billions of dollars at stake in LightSquared’s approval. Also, Obama himself was an investor in LightSquared at one point, as were or are a number of his associates. The resounding failure in this test makes it look like the White House pressured witnesses to back off of exposing LightSquared’s product as exactly the kind of dangerous problem that critics had maintained all along — with the intent to mislead Congress into moving forward with LightSquared’s government contracts.
One amusing note: LightSquared announced two days ago that the same tests showed no problems at all. After Bloomberg reported on the draft report, the company expressed outrage over the “leak” of “preliminary results.” Yeah, we’re with you on the leak outrage, pal.
Congress needs to add this to its growing list of investigations into the Obama administration.
(Excerpt) Read more at hotair.com ...
Whistling past the cemetery? With so many of our enemies at the helm of the military and our government, we are one key stroke away from sitting ducks.
With these results even an Obama FCC cannot give LeightSquared the go-ahead.This is LightSquared's problem to solve not the millions of GPS hardware owners. Right now LS is DOA.
Problem is, the host is being killed slowly but surely.
I thought this was the whole point! That in fact LightSquared will interfere with the military gps system.
...An Air Force general testified earlier this year that the network’s signals would interfere with GPS receivers based on testing. At the time, sources claimed the general was pressured to change his testimony to favor LightSquared...
..the Pentagon has been raising concerns about a new wireless project by a satellite broadband company in Virginia called LightSquared, whose majority owner is an investment fund run by Democratic donor Philip Falcone.
According to officials familiar with the situation, Shelton’s prepared testimony was leaked in advance to the company. And the White House asked the general to alter the testimony to add two points: that the general supported the White House policy to add more broadband for commercial use; and that the Pentagon would try to resolve the questions around LightSquared with testing in just 90 days. Shelton chafed at the intervention, which seemed to soften the Pentagon’s position and might be viewed as helping the company as it tries to get the project launched, officials said.
“There was an attempt to influence the text of the testimony and to engage LightSquared in the process in order to bias his testimony,”
On the flip side - once digital transmissions hit the scene, it was inevitable that this would happen - television stations weren't about to maintain two sets of transmitters for the convenience of it. In some cases technology will not be stopped, else we would have separate roadways for those who prefer horse and buggy over automobile.
I wish it were that simple. It is a matter of front end receiver overload or receiver desensitization. The near band off frequency signal is many orders of magnitude stronger.
I wonder how many politicians’ investment portfolios just took a hit?
And I wonder how many took a windfall?
The real issue is well stated in your post. See my post at 26.
Thankfully no taxpayer funds squandered in this Light Square boondoggle. Just a lot of mafia style pressure for the Obama-trons to approve it
I’m all for ANYTHING that separates zombies from their GPS receivers. My kid works in a gas station and people that come in for directions after their GPS quits (or, more likely their cigarette lighter receptacle fails) are TOTALLY CLUELESS and barely know what state their in.
This huckster Falcone is trying to make a killing on a company (SkyTerra) that he bought for a song, to bail out a failing hedge fund that he’s used like a personal piggy bank (Jon Corzine/MF Global, anyone?). He and his high-maintenance wife went through a billion or so living high in New York, before his hedge fund plunged in value due to his incompetence, and this is a “bet it all on number 22” play to save his mini empire. Say NO to LightSquared!!
This technological conflict was known over a year ago. Unfortunately, LightSquared paid enough to get the permission. That a lot of people with GPS can’t use it is irrelevant.
Sorry, but nope. The anti-jamming capabilities are of course classified but you are simply not going to jam jam-proof military signals. Signal strength has little to do with it.
I do not agree with your position. Hardened against jamming yes. But Jam proof, no such device exists. It is only a matter of how difficult. Ratio of desired signal to undesired signal can be a key factor and that is what the whole issue with the Light Squared ground base system operating on satellite based frequencies is all about. Low powered satellite signals from 100’s or 1000’s of miles away competing with high powered ground based signals 100’s of feet away.
That’s beyond dumb. I have a backup converter box in case my cable goes out. It works fine.
Run your TV off that converter box straight, see how long before the TV gives up the ghost. The converters burn out the tuner in the TVs, had it happen to 3 so far, longest survived 90 days. Now THAT is beyond dumb!
Will not happen if the converter box is providing the proper signal to the TV. By the way did you mean one converter box fried 3 different TVs, or 3 different converter boxes fried up to three different TVs. If only one converter box was involved, I would have had it check for a malfunction.
2 different converter boxes. 1st box got 1 tv, 2nd box got the other 2. Different brand boxes as well.
I hate what the gov’t does as much as the next guy, but the writing is on the wall on this one. If you want a functioning GPS in a year or so, you will have to buy a new unit. If 25% of the units today work with the new, tighter freq spacing, the technology is already off-the-shelf.
As I mentioned, they have done the same thing WRT cutting up the radio spectrum. The Government owns the spectrum and lets whoever pays them the most to use it as they see fit. Been that way for generations. Personally, it has cost me many thousands of dollars over the years having to upgrade perfectly good equipment to keep up with the changing whims of the FCC.
How does that quote about the “Golden Rule” go? He who has the gold makes the rules..........
“But Jam proof, no such device exists.”
So far so good. Jam proof. (I do this for a living, including having C&C’d the GPS and other birds.)
Signal to Noise has everything to do with any receiver. Techster’s description is more or less correct. L^2 is a significant noise source and thus can cause interference in any GPS receiver.
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