This is a new one on LightSquared!!

[PTK]

Remember LightSquared and GPS interference?

The news is that our Commander in Chief, Mr. Obama has apparently urged and pressured Gen Shelton to change his testimony before the Congress in ways that would favor LightSquared.  

To his credit, Gen Shelton in his testimony before the House Armed Services Subcommittee refused to play along with the White House. He blew the whistle on the WH and on LightSquared testifying that it does interfere with GPS and it is of major concern to the FAA and the military.

So... let's see...  our Commander in Chief, Obama is looking out for his chronies and donors at LightSquared by pressuring a four star General to trash his career and reputation by committing perjury. And at the expense of air safety and National Security.  Folks, I'm not a lawyer but I do know this is criminal! It is a felony for which people are sitting in prison right now!

That's nice and refreshing isn't it !! 

[Piloto]

I don't think Mr. Obama ever played with GPS or any other navigation system where his life depended on it. Not having this experience and other important ones gives you an idea of his competency for the job.

José

 

[Cruiser]

Is there evidence that Obama was involved? I understand the pressure was from the "Administration" (whom ever that is).

I'm no Obama supporter but lets stick to the facts. Facts are that our US Military is very clear about LightSquared interference with the GPS system. It is also very clear that the FCC has suspended but not withdrawn the approvals for LightSquared to continue.

You don't have to sniff very hard to know that something really stinks in this deal.

[PTK]

Obama himself is probably not involved.  I think there are others in his Administration who are.  They are taking advantage of his inexperience. Just like the Solyndra deal. 

To be fair, the President, in this case Obama, is getting blamed for everything that happens on his watch. Especially around election time.  As he is getting hounded about the economy and unemployment.  Fact is the economy would be the way it is under any President.  It is an animal of global dimensions. The President can't change it, it has to take its course and it will cycle back. It always has.

[Ncbosshoss]

 

He (read the head man in charge) should be blamed for anything that happens on his watch. The buck stops with him. We've all heard the saying crap rolls down hill, but in reality, it rolls up hill, too. Let somebody down the line go afoul and there will be a head hunt for somebody up the chain. Sometimes, it the head honcho!

 

Chris

[M20F]

Whether LightSquared gets their license or somebody in the Obama Administration is fired, the unresolved portion will still be GPS can be easily interferred with and we have no suitable back up to it.

[Jerry 5TJ]

The FCC granted LightSquared its license to operate terrestrial transmitters in the L band spectrum adjacent to GPS in --- wait for it --- November, 2004.  

LightSquared's assertions make technical sense -- it is operating within the limits of its license, and adjacent channel users, GPS to wit, have poorly-designed receivers that can not tolerate LightSquared's FCC-compliant transmissions.   Why the Bush administration allowed even an experimental terrestrial licensee to operate those channels is what I can't understand.

It is hard to imagine what FCC engineering evaluation made anyone think terrestrial transmitters radiating adjacent to GPS channels would work without disturbing GPS systems.  The GPS satellite transmitters are about 12,000 miles up, and down here on earth the receive signal levels are tiny, in the -150 dBm range.   Even with LightSquared's reduced transmitter power of -27 dBm the selectivity demands on the GPS receiver are huge.  Plus, there are, oh let's guesstimate here, a billion or more GPS receivers that were designed with pre-2004 allocation rules in mind, receivers that can't tolerate the new (2004) adjacent channel signal levels.

I'm not sure how this will play out.  I can imagine a whole flock of NOTAMs for GPS service interruption.

 

Ref:  http://transition.fcc.gov/Daily_Releases/Daily_Business/2011/db0126/DA-11-133A1.pdf