LightSquared Asks for, Receives Extension on Final Interference Report
June 15, 2011At the last minute of a June 15 deadline looming over the critical Technical Working Group report on interference/overload of GPS receivers by the proposed LightSquared ancillary terrestrial signal, LightSquared asked for a two-week extension. Federal regulators granted the extension — according to one source, within five minutes of receiving the request — and the final report is now due on July 1.
Knowledgable observers speculated on this basis that the results of the investigation cannot be favorable to LightSquared's case.
A spokesperson for the Coalition to Save Our GPS divulged that, indeed, "The working group results show devastating interference to GPS and no proven method of mitigation. Delay will not change these results. These results are the same results the FCC had had before it granted the waiver."
The spokesperson, Jim Kirkland, Vice President and General Counsel of Trimble, added "After pushing the FCC to order an accelerated review of the interference issues raised by its proposed service, a process that has consumed massive governmental and private resources, LightSquared has now unilaterally sought to delay the process for two weeks.
"It is disappointing that LightSquared has misused its control over the process to delay this filing. It’s time for Lightsquared and the FCC to stop squandering resources and move on to spectrum that does not impact GPS.”
Mandated by the Federal Communications Commission, the group is co-chaired by LightSquared and includes representatives from GPS equipment makers and federal agencies that rely on GPS technology.
LightSquared asked for an extension to July 1 to file the test results amid growing concern that its proposed network would jam GPS systems used for everything from aviation and military operations to public safety and consumer navigation devices.
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