I hope GPS isn't too important to anyone

[hypocritexposer]

In the past decade, millions have come to depend on the seeming magic of the global positioning system (GPS) to guide them to their destination. The navigational gadgets in cars, cell phones and other hand-held devices can even be a lifesaver. Now the system may be undermined by a Federal Communications Commission (FCC) decision last month to allow a well-connected company to exploit a slice of the airwaves in a way that potentially blocks GPS signals.

The FCC bent the rules so the Reston-based firm LightSquared could offer a new wireless Internet service that fulfills President Obama's high-profile push for public investment in broadband. Yet the FCC appears to have done its best to keep this particular deal far from the public eye. LightSquared made its formal request for a waiver on Nov. 18, and the agency opened a public-comment period the next day. Those with an interest in the matter had just two weeks to comment - a short period that included Thanksgiving.

The haste may be related to surprising laboratory test results from the world's top manufacturer of navigational gizmos, Garmin Ltd. The company's engineers found that popular consumer GPS units started experiencing dropouts when approaching within 3.6 miles of a LightSquared transmitter. A commonly used aircraft navigation unit completely lost its fix within 5.6 miles. "It's mind-boggling to us," Garmin spokesman Ted Gartner told The Washington Times. "If it's implemented as is, we've presented a pretty good case with that test that there will be some disruptions."

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2011/feb/7/obama-to-america-get-lost/


edited to add rest of article

The concern is shared by the Department of Defense, which launched the first Navstar GPS satellite in 1978 as a tool to improve the effectiveness of the military's aircraft, ships and missiles in reaching their targets. On Dec. 28, the military asked the National Telecommunications and Information Administration to ask the FCC to slow down. "DoD is concerned with the [order and authorization] being conducted without the proper analysis required to make a well informed decision," the department's spectrum policy director wrote in a Dec. 28 letter. The Pentagon wanted the FCC to "defer action" until interference issues were fully addressed.


The FCC ignored the request. According to insiders, the deal was brokered through the office of Chairman Julius Genachowski, who cut the other commissioners out of the process. The fast-paced decision-making was just what venture capitalist Philip Falcone needed to give his reported $3 billion investment in LightSquared a boost in its competition with established players including AT&T, Sprint and Verizon. LightSquared wisely harnessed a former FCC bureau chief to navigate the bureaucratic back channels, and Mr. Falcone's $38,900 in campaign checks to the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee since 2008 - and $2,300 to the House campaign of then-Rep. Rahm Emanuel, Illinois Democrat - certainly didn't hurt in bringing the firm's needs to the Obama administration's attention.

As it stands, the FCC gave LightSquared until June 15 to issue a report on the GPS problem, which, if approved, would allow the company to begin operations. Given the widespread effects that interruption of GPS service would have on the nation's commerce, this process needs to slow down and be made more transparent. Otherwise, it might be time to stock up on paper maps.

 

[per]

Hang on, no more napping or surfing the net while putting the crop in. Good thing I grew up old school and can still steer the thing and read maps for flying. Us dinosaurs just might make a comeback.

 

[VLS_GUY]

This situation is nowhere near that dire.
Light squared has a burden of proof that interference of GPS signals from light squared use of the L band will not cause degradation of GPS service to both civilian and military users. GPS also has a huge influential users base that will ensure the users concerns are addressed or the system will not be switched on. See the article from the trade journal Avionics:

GPS Interference Worry over LightSquared Satellites

By: Andrew Wood
February 3, 2011
Avionics

The U.S. Departments of Defense, Transportation, Commerce and Homeland Security, as well as the civil GPS Industry Council–of which NBAA is a member–have filed objections with the FCC over a new satellite-enabled cellular broadband service from LightSquared. According to the numerous objections, the company's two satellites will transmit in the L-Band spectrum, close enough to the GPS spectrum to cause "significant interference concerns" with GPS signals. LightSquared launched its first satellite, Sky Terra 1, on November 14, and at 72 feet in diameter it has the biggest commercial antenna in space. When Sky Terra 2 is launched next year, the two satellites will beam down 4G broadband data to a nationwide network of 40,000 cellular base stations to ensure connectivity to 92 percent of the U.S. population by 2015, with the aim of reaching 100 percent a few years later. The FCC has responded with the requirement that LightSquared may not start operations before an independent expert panel has agreed, over the next three months, that no risk of interference to GPS or other aviation or marine satellite services exists.