LightSquared: First LTE Launch Next Year

Field Trials in Baltimore, Las Vegas and Phoenix in Q3

by Karl Bode Wednesday 18-May-2011

As recently as April LightSquared had insisted that interference concerns would not delay a commercial launch, originally slated for trials to begin sometime in the second half of this year. Martin Harriman, executive vice president of LightSquared tells Light Reading that the company is already installing gear in Las Vegas, and plans to conduct field trials in the third and fourth quarter this year in Baltimore, Las Vegas and Phoenix. According to a letter (pdf) by first responders in New Mexico, LightSquared's 4G signal does impact on GPS-dependent devices. As we noted earlier today, LightSquared has begun their own GPS interference testing this week in Nevada.

Update: Corrected: LightSquared tells us they've always planned their first commercial launch to be in early 2012.

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LightSquared: First LTE Launch Next Year

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r81984
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Katy, TX

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This is going to get very bad.

Lightsquared - 1525 MHz—1559 MHz
GPS - 1559—1610 MHz
The FCC relaxed its own laws just to give lightsquared that spectrum. No GPS receiver has been designed to filter out the bands that lightsquared will be on. Also, electronics are not 100% perfect. There is always leakage outside of your range.

Testing using a Garmin Nuvi.
3.57 miles - Jamming Started
1.79 miles - loss of service in urban areas
0.66 miles - loss of service in open sky

Testing with FAA receiver
13.7 miles - Jamming Started
9.85 miles - 10dB loss of signal
5.60 miles - loss of signal in open sky

Lightsquared solution is to 'work' with GPS manufactures to filter out their signals which means all current GPS device would be jammed for sure and all future GPS equipment would be less powerful/sensitive and more expensive.

Lightsquare is really going to screw up GPS with this.
It just is not worth letting them use those frequencies.
--
Your behavior is inconsistent with your desire to be treated like everyone else.

permalink · 2011-05-18 19:45:38 · Print ·

rlharris02 join:2009-02-06	Re: This is going to get very bad. Are you in the test markets? If so how did you test it when they havent turned it on ? Also LightSquared can stop well before 1559mhz and give it a guard band and that would solve there isues, and give time for GPS manufactures to fix the issues on there end ( which they should have done years ago)
	permalink · 2011-05-18 22:04:00 · ·

r81984
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4 edits

Re: This is going to get very bad.

Graph showing current GPS filtering by John Deere

Study was by Garmin
»www.saveourgps.org/pdf/Wide_Area···stem.pdf

They conducted the test at 1555 mhz as that is what Lightsquared said they would go up to.
Even with the 4MHz padding it causes the interference described above.
GPS signals are very weak compared to the lightsquared transmitters and are easily drowned out. Higher sensitive GPS for airplanes, farming, etc will be way more prone to interference than personal gps like for a car.
Lightsquared knows their signal destroys GPS signals.
Lightsquared already spent 1 billion this project and even though it does not work they will bribe everyone they can to build this network to make their money back.

Their plan right now is to make a "filter" on their transmitters to ensure they do not leak into GPS range. Filters do not work to prevent the overload caused when near a high powered lightsquared transmitter.
This also works the other way as all GPS receivers would need a filter to ensure they do not recieve anything below GPS's range. Current GPS filters do not filter out all the signals from the adjacent bands. So all current GPS will still be affected and all new devices would need a filter to help prevent interference with no gaurantee it will work.
Lightsquare is just trying to finish their network after they already lost 1 billion dollars, they do not care about GPS.

John Deere has it even worse as they use GPS, plus their own "Star Fire" gps like signal that operates on the exact same frequecies as Lightsquared. John Deere uses this for to get 4 in accuracy. This will cease to work with lightsquared so farmers would be screwed.

All the interference is not worth letting lightsquared use this spectrum.
--
Your behavior is inconsistent with your desire to be treated like everyone else.

permalink · 2011-05-18 22:39:24 · Print ·

HIPAR

join:2005-11-10
Tannersville, PA

I'm not in the 'test market' and certainly I haven't tested it. I can cite what's been posted by those who were there and observed what happened when an actual Lightsquared tower was turned on. So look here:

»www.gpsworld.com/government/emer···gency-se

The National Space-Based PNT Executive Committee [ExCom] looks after GPS issues. Reference:

»www.insidegnss.com/node/2589

'The National Space-Based PNT Executive Committee met Wednesday (May 11, 2011) to consider the analysis of early results from tests ordered by Russo [ExCom Chairman] separate from those undertaken in as a condition of the January 26 FCC order granting LightSquared a waiver on ATC limits. The ExCom has requested a meeting with White House, FCC, LightSquared, and other federal agency officials to discuss the situation'.

If there isn't a Lightsquared/GPS problem, why would a high level meeting that includes the White House be required to discuss the 'situation'?

--- CHAS

permalink · 2011-05-19 12:32:27 · Print ·

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