[time-nuts] LightSquared asks GPS makers and users to pay for their filters.
Chuck Forsberg WA7KGX N2469R
caf at omen.com
Mon Jun 27 16:14:34 UTC 2011
As some of us know, a company called Lightsquared used political
connections and campaign contributions to short circuit established
FCC procedures to obtain a band of frequencies for the cell phone
system they are developing. Thanks to their political manipulations
they were able to avoid paying the billions for frequency spectrum
that AT&T, Sprint, Verizon and others have to pay.
But there is a fly in the ointment. These frequencies are in bands reserved
for satellite transmission. That is why Lightsquared got the allocation
without bidding and paying billions for them. These frequencies are
adjacent to the GPS frequencies used by untold millions of users.
When Lightsquared transmits on these frequencies with powerful
ground based transmitters, GPS receivers stop working for several miles.
Now Lightsquared claims it is the responsibility of current GPS users to
buy new devices so Lightsquared can leverage their frequency
allocation. These new GPS receivers have yet to be designed.
Some critical applications may never be able to avoid Lightsquared's
Chuck Forsberg WA7KGX N2469R caf at omen.com www.omen.com
Developer of Industrial ZMODEM(Tm) for Embedded Applications
Omen Technology Inc "The High Reliability Software"
10255 NW Old Cornelius Pass Portland OR 97231 503-614-0430
More information about the time-nuts