Today's Wirelessweek the following:
GPS Interference Tests 'Rigged' says Lightsquared
LightSquared said today that GPS industry insiders "rigged" tests which
found its planned LTE network interfered with GPS receivers so badly that
there was no practical way to fix the problem.
"We believe the testing was rigged to make sure that most receivers would
fail," LightSquared top lobbyist Jeff Carlisle said in a call with
reporters this morning. "The conduct of the testing can only be described
as a fiasco."
LightSquared will not be allowed to move forward with its plans to build a
wholesale mobile broadband network in satellite spectrum until it can prove
the service won't knock out GPS.
A federal committee said last week that LightSquared's network would be
problematic even if it moved to a band farther away from GPS spectrum and
recommended further tests be halted.
LightSquared claims that officials in charge of the most recent round of
testing allowed GPS manufacturers to cherry pick outdated devices that
would be particularly susceptible to interference.
The receiver manufacturers then signed non-disclosure agreements with the
government to prevent "any input from independent groups," Carlisle said.
The company said it had to make repeated requests to obtain a list of
devices used in the testing, which it is required to keep private.
Agencies in charge of the testing could not be immediately reached for
comment on LightSquared's allegations, and an FCC spokeswoman said the
agency was waiting for recommendations from NTIA.
"As we have said from the outset, the FCC will not lift the prohibition on
LightSquared to begin commercial operations unless harmful interference
issues are resolved," she said.
LightSquared also claimed the tests used a "very conservative" threshold to
define failure – just one decibel above the noise floor – and didn't report
on whether that limit actually affected the accuracy of GPS.
LightSquared says independent tests prove that its network is compatible
with GPS, claims that have been repeatedly refuted by the government's
findings. The GPS industry says those tests have been skewed in favor of
LightSquared and wants the government to block the company from moving
forward with its launch plans.
When asked whether LightSquared would sue the government to get clearance
for its network, Carlisle said "we will move forward to defend our legal
rights" but stopped short of saying the company had immediate plans to file
a complaint.
The company has called on the FCC and the National Telecommunications and
Information Administration (NTIA) to conduct a second round of tests on
high-precision devices at an independent laboratory "to ensure objectivity
and transparency."
--
_________________________________________________________________
Options: http://lists.thomasclausen.net/mailman/listinfo/olympus
Archives: http://lists.thomasclausen.net/mailman/private/olympus/
Themed Olympus Photo Exhibition: http://www.tope.nl/
|