Late last week, a key federal committee charged with testing the LightSquared network, said there would be significant interference with GPS (global positioning systems) from the mobile broadband carrier. The National Space-Based Positioning, Navigation and Timing Executive Committee (PNT ExComm), which is made up of nine federal agencies, unanimously agreed that none of LightSquared’s proposals to combat GPS interference would work.
Functioning under a waiver from the Federal Communications Commission since last year, LightSquared has been operating on weaker satellite signal frequencies, under an agreement that GPS interference issues be worked out prior to a final launch.
But after testing earlier last year and then again in November, after LightSquared modified its proposal, the PNT ExComm concluded that neither the original or modified proposals would work.
“Based upon this testing and analysis, there appear to be no practical solutions or mitigations that would permit the LightSquared broadband service, as proposed, to operate in the next few months or years without significantly interfering with GPS,” said the PNT ExComm.
AFBF told Congress last fall that any costs for resolving this issue should not be passed along to farmers and ranchers through higher GPS or equipment costs.
