GPS

Tests show LightSquared interference with 75 percent of GPS receivers

U.S. government tests conducted in November showed that 75 percent of GPS receivers examined were interfered with at a distance of 100 meters from a LightSquared base station. The report states that “No additional testing is required to confi rm harmful interference exists,” and “Immediate use of satellite service spectrum for terrestrial service not viable because of system engineering and integration challenges.” The tests showing interference by the LightSquared Lower 10 terrestrial signal with an overwhelming majority of general-purpose GPS receivers. Data from LightSquared handsets was collected, and analysis is underway, but no results were presented on December 14. The presentation of fi ndings was made to the National Executive Committee for Space-Based Positioning, Navigation, and Timing (PNT ExCom) by Lt Col Robert Erickson, U.S. Air Force, and Dean Bunce, Federal Aviation Administration, the two co-chairs of the National Space-Based PNT Systems Engineering Forum (NPEF).

Statement by Anthony Russo Director, National Coordination Office

On Behalf of the National Executive Committee for Space-Based Positioning, Navigation, and Timing, December 14, 2011 “Today (December 14), a government technical group reviewed the fi ndings from last month’s testing of LightSquared’s proposal to provide new broadband service. The fi nal test report will be sent to the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), which advises the President on telecommunications policy, and represents federal agencies to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). Preliminary analysis of the test fi ndings found no signifi cant interference with cellular phones. However, the testing did show that LightSquared signals caused harmful interference to the majority of other tested general purpose GPS receivers. Separate analysis by the Federal Aviation Administration also found interference with a fl ight safety system designed to warn pilots of approaching terrain. The fi ndings were presented to the technical steering group which represents the nine federal agencies that make up the National Executive Committee for Space-Based Positioning, Navigation, and Timing. Over the next several weeks, the fi nal analysis of the fi ndings will be completed and a fi nal report will be transmitted from NTIA to the FCC.”

LightSquared petitions FCC to confirm company’s rights to GPS Spectrum

LightSquared has asked the FCC to confi rm the company’s right to use spectrum licensed to it and that commercial GPS manufacturers have no right to interference protection from LightSquared’s proposed wireless broadband network. The company asserts that commercial GPS manufacturers are responsible for having designed and sold unlicensed devices that use spectrum licensed to LightSquared and its predecessor companies.

JAVAD urges FCC to establish guidelines for GPS receivers

In response to leaked claims that 75 percent of tested receivers failed the most recent round of testing against the LightSquared signal, Dr Javad Ashjaee, president and CEO of JAVAD GNSS, wrote a letter to FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski noting that any GPS receiver that failed the test against the LightSquared signal will also fail against many other existing transmitting systems. “The problem is in the design of the GPS receivers that were tested,” he said. “Anyone can test this. Take any low-end GPS receiver similar to those they claim ‘failed’ the test and get close to some FM radio transmitting stations, for example.” He urged the FCC to establish guidelines for GPS receivers. “The FCC should mandate that any receiver used for critical applications must show their signal-to-noise numbers, so every user can see degradations when they encounter interference,” the letter said. “Had the FCC established and enforced receiver standards to begin with, we could have avoided this entire interference debate between LightSquared and the GPS industry.”

GPS would lead mass market in 2020

Around 45 percent survey respondents of European Navigation Conference 2011 felt that in year 2020 the order in which the GNSS systems reach the mass market would be GPS-GLONASS-Compass-Galileo. This option was supported by GNSS users (62 percent) and industry/service providers (55 percent) than those in the government/ public sector (50 percent) and consultancy/ academic (43 percent) categories. The survey was conducted by Helios during the European Navigation Conference 2011 on 30 November 2011 in London. Delegates were asked 8 questions with multiple choice answers. Using handheld keypads and live electronic voting, they were then asked to vote. The survey was participated by 140 delegates and some of the results were compared with a previous survey held in 2007. Around 56 percent of the participants felt that North America would lead in innovation in GNSS and navigation industry in year 2020. Despite the launch of Galileo satellites, 43 percent of the respondents were of the opinion that the Galileo Open Service would be ready only at 2020 or later. Around 50 percent of the respondent believed that the most widely adopted solution to GNSS vulnerability would be MEMS/INS integration.

www.askhelios.com/images/stories/about_us/exhibitions/enc2011-survey-results.pdf