LightSquared GPS Interference Reported

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Early field tests of the effects of LightSquared’s 4G signal on GPS-dependent devices showed some disruption of service when tested by first responders in New Mexico. In a letter to federal officials (PDF) last week, Bill Range, the program director for New Mexico’s 911 system, says the tests run by police and emergency medical services personnel from two counties “substantiate concerns that the LightSquared network will cause interference to GPS signals and jeopardize 911 and public safety nationwide.” In the tests, first responders reported inaccuracies and failures with GPS equipment in proximity to the LightSquared towers that persisted even after the 4G signal was turned off. As we reported Monday, LightSquared began live tests from a transmitter in the Nevada desert near Boulder City.

Meanwhile, LightSquared has submitted a progress report to the FCC on the testing so far (PDF), and the technical work group overseeing the testing according to GPS World will host a webinar May 26 to discuss the highly technical report. Also, the National Business Aviation Association has announced that it has joined the Coalition to Save Our GPS. The coalition was formed in April in response to the LightSquared proposal, which will involve the construction of 40,000 transmission towers broadcasting broadband Internet signals in a frequency band adjacent to the band used by GPS satellite transmitters. The fear is that the much more powerful broadband signals will overwhelm the weak GPS signals.

Have you flown through the test area during testing (midnight to 6 a.m.)? If so, have you noticed any effect on your GPS equipment? After telling the FAA, why not drop us a line at [email protected] and let us and your fellow AVweb readers know what you experienced?

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