Could you live without your satellite navigation system?

[Joe CD MS 300]

Looks like we all won't need to learn CN. See the letter below from my PA congressman regarding LightSquared's proposed use of bandwidth adjacent to the GPS system. Now I can throw out all those paper charts. Oh wait, when is the sun spot activity supposed to heat up?





Thank you for contacting me regarding LightSquared. It is an honor to serve as your Representative in Congress. I welcome your thoughts on this important issue.

In January of 2011 the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) granted permission to offer wholesale broadband via its satellite and base station networks to a wide variety of mobile broadband partners, one of these being LightSquared. LightSquared is a mobile satellite service (MSS) provider with two space vessels that cover North America. These systems operate in the 1.5-1.6GHz zone, part of what the FCC calls the L-Band. In November of 2010, the company applied to the FCC for more expansive rules that would allow it greater leeway to transmit satellite broadband signals to its "Ancillary Terrestrial Component" (ATC), sometimes referred to as Ground Based Systems. One apprehension is that LightSquared's L Band frequencies may broadcast too close to the Global Positioning System (GPS) bands, and there have been concerns within the FCC and commercial GPS users about this possible interference.

The concerns that you have expressed were shared by both the Department of Defense as well as the Department of Transportation, because of the possible detrimental effects that jamming type signals could have on commercial GPS systems. Due to these concerns, the FCC instructed LightSquared to convene a study group addressing the interference concerns regarding GPS before LightSquared commenced offering commercial service pursuant to a waiver on its L-band MSS frequencies. Furthermore, the company was required to send regular reports to the FCC and the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, and submit a final report on the interference question by June 15 of this year. In response to further study, LightSquared unveiled a new plan for deploying its network using different different wireless band that is further away from the GPS band.

Thank you again for reaching out regarding this issue. If legislation about these systems comes to the floor of the House for a vote, I will be sure to keep your thoughts in mind.

If you have any questions or concerns regarding telecommunications or any other legislative matter, please do not hesitate to contact my office at (202) 225-4276. For additional information, please visit my website www.fitzpatrick.house.gov. From this site you can sign up for my e-newsletter, access statements about current events or pending legislation and receive detailed information about the many services that I am privileged to provide for the 8th District of Pennsylvania. You can also connect with me on Facebook at www.facebook.com/RepFitzpatrick, or follow me on Twitter at www.twitter.com/RepFitzpatrick.






Sincerely,



Mike Fitzpatrick
Member of Congress

[Jim Davis]

The issue is on going and LightSquared is fighting back. It looks to me like it is degenerating into a Congressional Food Fight.

Sanjiv Ahuja, CEO of Reston-based LightSquared
He said GPS receivers should have been better designed to eliminate interference from neighboring areas of the spectrum,adding that the industry’s response had been “very disappointing and in many ways irresponsible.â€

[tartansailor]

General Reported He Was Pressured on Testimony About White House-Backed Project, Sources Say
By Justin Fishel
Published September 16, 2011
| FoxNews.com

General Shelton

Sept. 15, 2011: Gen. William Shelton, commander of the Air Force Space Command, testifies on Capitol Hill.

Gen. William Shelton, head of the Air Force Space Command, told House members in a classified briefing earlier this month that he was pressured to change prepared congressional testimony in a way that would favor a large company funded by Philip Falcone, a major Democratic donor, congressional sources told Fox News.

Republicans have raised questions about whether the project pursued by the company, LightSquared, is being unduly expedited by the Obama administration, which has pushed for national wireless network upgrades.

[Joe CD MS 300]

I don't think it will be an issue. More from my Maine Congress person below:



Thank you for contacting me about LightSquared 4G LTE (Long Term Evolution) wireless service and GPS systems. I appreciate hearing from you about this important issue.



As you may know, LightSquared is a company that was approved by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to develop a primarily satellite-based wireless broadband system. However, on January 26, 2011, the FCC granted LightSquared a waiver to offer terrestrial-only devices rather than having to incorporate both satellite and terrestrial services.



Concerns about this waiver have been expressed by some users and providers of global position systems (GPS), including the United States Air Force, the operator of the GPS system, because it would transmit strong ground-based communication signals on radio bands adjacent to GPS signals. Testing has shown that the ground-based LightSquared signals are so strong that they may interfere with GPS systems' weak satellite signals.



The FCC has required LightSquared to create a working group to address these technical GPS interference issues. After performing a study, the working group recommended that to avoid interference issues LightSquared should operate at lower power than permitted by FCC authorization, agree to a "standstill" in the use of its radio bands adjacent to the GPS band and begin commercial operations only on a small portion of its radio spectrum.



The FCC held a 30-day comment period on the working group's recommendations, which concluded on July 30th, 2011. Now, LightSquared cannot begin to operate its commercial 4G LTE service until the FCC consults with National Telecommunications and Information Administration and determines whether the working group's recommendations would adequately protect GPS users from LightSquared interference.



I have contacted the FCC and asked that they stay on top of their review of LightSquared and resolve these technical interference issues. I am also glad that the House Committee on Science, Space and Technology, and the Armed Services Subcommittee on Strategic Forces will be holding hearings on the impact of the LightSquared network, and will be monitoring this issue closely.



Many of us here in Maine frequently rely on GPS systems. They are crucial not only to those who work in the outdoors or on the sea, but also to everyday cell phone users and drivers. It is important that we protect existing GPS systems from outside interference. Again, thank you for contacting me about this important issue and I hope to hear from you soon.


Sincerely,
Chellie Pingree
Member of Congress

[chase]

Mine used to cut of all the time unexpectedly, and often would not re-aquire satellites. It takes more effort and is a little harder to relax but glad I can do without if I need to.

Great story Como No.

Chase

[Troy Scott]

When I started sailing, LORAN was the fancy electronic navigation system. I never had one on a boat. I did have a database LORAN in an airplane for a few years. I find that GPS works very well almost all the time. I've used it flying, driving and sailing. I love it. BUT, I found my way around long before we had it, and I still can if necessary. Paper charts, binoculars, a compass, and a little calculating works very well, especially near shore. Does anybody remember RDF (radio direction finding)? I haven't mastered celestial navigation by a long shot, but I know the night sky pretty well. Sailors should at least learn the basic constellations. It's not just a good back up for GPS..., it's beautiful!

[captzigzag]

I wouldn't own my boat without a GPS or an auto-pilot. I can get by without until they're fixed, but on a 3/4 day cruise why fight it.

I really don't have a home port. Keep on the move and fly back and forth to the boat. If the boat stayed on the Chesapeake or say Lake Champlain I wouldn't see a need to have either one.

[rtbates]

Well sure. I'm old and have been sailing long before E nav aids. BUT it would be very similar to going back to the days of no computer/internet.. Not as much fun/ease...

Oh and I'd most likely go back to spending a few scary moments trying to figure out where in the heck I am while I take sights on something, hopefully on the chart..

[minke]

I've always regarded slashdot.org and eweek as credible.

http://it.slashdot.org/story/11/10/13/0 ... amming-gps

"A major NATO exercise off the coast of Scotland has been ordered to stop using GPS jamming technology after complaints that to do so would endanger the lives of fishermen and disrupt civilian mobile phones. The exercise — called 'Joint Warrior' -planned to disrupt GPS for 20 miles around each warship"

http://www.eweekeurope.co.uk/news/mod-h ... ints-42074

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-h ... s-15242835

[Neil Gordon]

"A major NATO exercise off the coast of Scotland has been ordered to stop using GPS jamming technology ..."

Wow... the last NATO exercise I was involved in, the navigator was using a sextant, with time provided by redundant chronometers. Hard to mess with that (although in the North Atlantic, seeing sun, stars and/or horizon isn't always that easy).

[Jim Davis]

LightSquared is still fighting tooth and nail. So far the tests are coming in against them, but with the Billions involved they are pressing on. This is going to be interesting.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000142 ... lenews_wsj

http://www.businessweek.com/news/2011-1 ... tests.html