> NEWS RELEASE
>
> NATIONAL COORDINATION OFFICE for
> SPACE-BASED POSITIONING, NAVIGATION, and TIMING
> www.PNT.gov
>
> July 7, 2011
>
> FEDERAL AGENCIES RECOMMEND KEEPING WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS NETWORK AWAY FROM GPS RADIO BAND, CITING PROVEN INTERFERENCE CONCERNS
>
> WASHINGTON -- The United States Departments of Transportation and Defense, on behalf of the National Executive Committee for Space-Based Positioning, Navigation, and Timing, sent a letter on June 14, 2011, to the Administrator of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), clarifying their position on the proposal of LightSquared Subsidiary LLC to operate a nationwide broadband service within the spectrum immediately adjacent to the Global Positioning System (GPS) signals.
>
> The Departments asked the NTIA Administrator to advise the Federal Communications Commission to continue to withhold authorization for LightSquared to commence commercial service per its proposed deployment of a terrestrial service within the 1525–1559 MHz bands. LightSquared's proposal is to deploy a network of 40,000 base stations along with some satellite coverage over 139 major markets in the United States.
>
> The Departments' position follows an interagency review of the findings of the National Space-Based Positioning, Navigation, and Timing Systems Engineering Forum (NPEF), which was tasked to assess the GPS impacts of LightSquared's deployment plan as originally filed. The NPEF determined that, if permitted to operate as originally planned, LightSquared's signals would significantly interfere with GPS users and, as a result, impact national security, economic security, and public safety nationwide.
>
> The NTIA Administrator forwarded the letter and report to the FCC Chairman on July 6. These materials can be found at www.PNT.gov. The Departments continue to support the National Broadband Plan, but cannot do so at the expense of a global, ubiquitous utility such as the Global Positioning System. The Departments encourage further assessment of any alternative spectrum and/or signal configuration plans.
>
> For additional information, contact Mr. Anthony Russo at the National Coordination Office for Space-Based Positioning, Navigation, and Timing at 202-482-5809.
:good: :good: :good: :beer: :clap: :pizza:
RIP LightSquared... Hello Sprint?
It's a little too early to get overly excited, but this is most definitely good news.
Here is what I think might happen.
Lightsquared may go ahead and build their system anyway, just not turn it on. They said they were going to do that. Then they will sue the fed. for damages for not being able to use the band that they claim they are entitled to use. There will be billions of dollars at stake and all it takes is one judge to rule against the FFC, if in fact the FCC doesn't permit them to operate.
I think the FCC already has played that scenario in their heads and is trying to avoid the mother of all law suits.
Sounds like a plan to me.
Jim
Well, the FCC granted lightsquared a conditional permit to proceed, the condition being that they'd have to show they will not interfer with GPS. Lightsquared accepted that claiming they would not interfer with GPS, and over the past few months have changed their position from not interferring with GPS to claim GPS is actually stepping on their bands ...
But, I do agree with your point that these guys are probably not going away quietly, I too see a Federal suit in the future.
Maybe someone can explain why Lightsquared doesn't seem willing to move their service to "terrestrial" bands, since they are now proposing to build 40,000 terrestrial towers (where the prior approved proposal was all satellite based) and using satellites very little.
From my past experience is that the FCC feel that they do not answer to anyone.
The FCC play the middleman between big business and the public and the public usually pay an extreme price for a little service and never get everything that is available.
I am still waiting for someone in the congress or senate to step up and start building the wall that will turn Lightsquared around.
LightSquared: Let's hire all the lawyers!
Tim Farrar, a long-time commentator on the MSS (mobile-satellite services) spectrum, blogged about the possible sue-the-FCC scenario on 24 June and on 05 July.
The concluding paragraph of the second blog post touches on the fact that just this year DISH Network (and its EchoStar subsidiary) has picked up 40 MHz of 2.0-GHz S-Band frequency spectrum from bankrupt DBSD and TerreStar and could emerge as a possible competitor to LightSquared if DISH can get the so-called ATC waiver for their newly acquired spectrum. Or, LightSquared could conceivably enter into an agreement with DISH to use DISH's spectrum. Since DISH has always operated from satellites there are those who believe DISH is not interested in building a terrestrial network themselves.
I recommend reading through Tim's blog posts (search for LightSquared) if you want to learn more about spectrum valuation, the workings of the FCC, and other things that we did not worry about until the LightSquared thing raised its ugly head.
GB
> Maybe someone can explain why Lightsquared doesn't seem willing to move their service to "terrestrial" bands, since they are now proposing to build 40,000 terrestrial towers (where the prior approved proposal was all satellite based) and using satellites very little.
The simple "why" is billions of dollars.
Terrestrial spectrum is finite, being actively used (Verizon and AT&T dropped their "unlimited data" plans partly due to capacity issues), and extremely valuable.
Satellite spectrum is also finite, but the companies trying to establish satellite services have been more notable for their business failures than anything else. The ones that hang on have a lot of excess bandwidth.
The National Broadband Plan states an objective to convert 120 MHz of underused/underutilized satellite spectrum to wireless broadband.
Harbinger Capital Partners simply read the clear and open signals from the FCC, picked up a struggling satellite company (complete with the L-Band spectrum adjacent to GPS L1) and renamed it LightSquared, and is now swinging for the bleachers.
If they connect they'll make billions, but probably more important to the main players they'll be the "smartest guys in the room" for pulling off this trick of establishing an LTE network for a fraction of what it would cost if they purchased terrestrial spectrum.
GB
