LightSquared today outlined their solution to the problem of interference with GPS receivers.
Early test results indicated that one of LightSquared’s 10MHz blocks of frequencies poses interference to many GPS receivers. LightSquared planned to use that block for their initial launch of its nationwide wireless broadband network.
Now LightSquared says they’ll use another 10MHz block of the spectrum, located further away from the GPS frequenciese. In its original plan, LightSquared planned to move into this other frequency block, controlled by Inmarsat, as its business grew over the next two to three years.
“LightSquared’s supposed solution is nothing but a ‘Hail Mary’ move, said the Coalition to Save Our GPS (pdf). “Confining its operation to the lower MSS band still interferes with many critical GPS receivers in addition to the precision receivers that even LightSquared concedes will be affected.
As part of this revised plan, LightSquared said it will modify its FCC license to reduce the maximum authorized power of its base-station transmitters by over 50%. This action will limit LightSquared to the power it was authorized to use in 2005, which will provide additional protection to GPS, said the company.
This new plan will give LightSquared enough spectrum to serve its growing customer base for the next several years, says the company. During this time, LightSquared will not use the spectrum it originally planned to use for the launch of its network.
The Lightsquared press release did not mention any deals with Sprint. Billionaire Philip Falcone’s LightSquared has reached a 15-year deal with Sprint Nextel to share network expansion costs, and to provide high-speed wireless service to the phone company, reported Bloomberg last Friday.
Falcone told Harbinger Capital Partners hedge fund investors about the accord in a letter obtained by Bloomberg News. The companies were discussing a deal valued at as much as $20 billion, people familiar with the matter said earlier this month.
“LightSquared and Sprint will jointly develop, deploy and operate LightSquared’s 4G LTE network,” according to the letter. “Sprint will become a significant customer of LightSquared’s 4G LTE network.”
The critical issue is when Inmarsat will make this spectrum available. Tim Farrar suggests it won’t be possible for a year or so. Perhaps a partnership with Sprint (at 2.6 GHz) may enable LightSquared to reach the FCC’s timeline for coverage. But without a revenue stream from a terrestrial 1.6 GHz network, the whole proposition looks dubious.
Sprint’s new “Network Vision” model will deploy multi-mode base stations and phase out its iDEN network beginning in 2013. Sprint’s cellular network was built around PCS frequencies (1900MHz), which is near (but not too close), to Lightsquared’s 1.6 GHz frequencies. LTE might also be supported on Sprint’s 2.6 GHz spectrum, currently used for WiMAX.
New America Foundation asks, can the FCC convert satellite spectrum into wireless competition? Their panel of advocates say “yes”. Larry Krevor, VP of Sprint Government Affairs, expressed interest in using their towers for LTE public service broadband. Who cares if Motorola controls 80% of the handset market. It’s not about public access. The government can just print more money.
Sprint has not made any formal announcement about support for LTE. But they’ll need LTE eventually for first responders, for Lightsquared and for Sprint’s commercial customers. Perhaps one LTE basestation in their “Network Vision” might handle all the baseband processing in the 700 MHz, 1.6GHz and 2.6 GHz bands. One box. One solution. Wouldn’t that be nice.
LightSquared controls up to 59 MHz in the 1.6 GHz band, near GPS frequencies, and was granted a conditional waiver by the FCC (pdf) for their Ancillary Terrestrial Component (ATC), which is proving to be problematic, in that the terrestrial towers interferes with the weak GPS satellite signals.
The FCC ordered LightSquared to file monthly progress reports with a final report submitted on June 15, 2011.
Lightsquared plans to spend $14 billion over eight years to build the terrestrial network component, an undertaking it says would create 15,000 jobs. LightSquared has already announced partnerships with Cellular South, Best Buy and other companies.
Sprint could be a big winner as an infrastructure partner. It’s just speculation, but Lightsquared, Dish Networks and Clearwire LTE might all be folded into Sprint’s Network Vision. Sprint as a platform for a nationwide, 700 MHz first responder radio network – with dual-mode satphone functionality baked in – also makes a certain amount of sense. With Lightsquared power now down by 50%, TerreStar could also pile on.
Related DailyWireless Space and Satellite News includes; Lightsquared + Sprint Deal Done?, Lightsquared Gets 2-week Extension, Charlie Ergen’s Spectacular Triple Play, Lightsquared Interference: No Immediate Fix?, LightSquared: GPS Interference Found, Lightsquared: Plan B from Outer Space?, Harbinger: 59MHz or What?. Time Warner Cable + Lightstream?, Lightsquared Signs Cricket Wireless, Another Rumor: Lightsquared + Sprint?, Lightsquared + Sprint?, Charlie’s Big Play, LTE Spectrum: It’s War, Lightsquared: What GPS Interference?, Harbinger Sells Inmarsat Shares, FCC Green Lights Lightsquared, LightSquared: In Trouble?, Lightsquared Unfurled, MetroPCS Eyes TerreStar and Charlie Ergen’s Spectacular Triple Play
