GPS Publicity Efforts Haven’t Hurt Working Group Meetings, Says LightSquared Exec

Recent GPS industry efforts to drum up support and interest in the LightSquared proceeding aren’t expected to hurt the LightSquared working group process, said LightSquared’s executive vice president of regulatory affairs Jeff Carlisle in an interview. GPS interests announced Thursday they would form a new group to increase awareness of potential interference problems and a Trimble Navigation executive will take up the issue in Congressional testimony Friday (CD March 10 p7).

So far, GPS companies have participated constructively and haven’t raised during the meetings some of the public complaints, he said. LightSquared will reply on Monday to some of the criticisms raised in petitions for reconsideration and in an application for review filed at the FCC, he said. GPS companies and groups have asked the FCC to review the International Bureau’s decision to waive mobile satellite spectrum rules to allow LightSquared to use its spectrum for terrestrial-only service (CD March 1 p5). GPS interests have said the International Bureau (IB) overstepped its authority and that the LightSquared service could impair GPS use in neighboring spectrum.

The working group has had two meetings which have been focused on devising a testing process, he said. The agreed upon testing process will be the subject of the group’s first official report, due to the FCC Tuesday. The working group was one of the conditions included in the IB waiver.

Much of the first two meetings was spent exchanging engineering information to begin the process, he said. The meetings were “very collegial” and while there are some differences of opinion, “everybody is coming to the table in good faith,” he said. A solution to the interference concerns is in the interest of everyone involved, he said. “We understand that service is absolutely crucial,” said Carlisle. It is used in numerous applications around the country and we stepped up without hesitation. We are happy to do this because it’s important.”

Government involvement is coming from NASA, the U.S. Air Force, the Federal Aviation Administration, the Departments of Defense, Homeland Security, Transportation, Commerce, Agriculture and Interior, said Tony Russo, the director of the National Coordination Office for Space Based Positioning, Navigation and Timing. There are 8-10 government officials directly involved at the meetings with another 50 or so government employees also involved, said Russo.