LightSquared says GPS has to accept interference

While the petition LightSquared filed on Tuesday seeks a declaratory ruling asserting its right to use the spectrum, it as well calls on the U.S. Federal Communications Commission to say that GPS receivers don't have a right to protection from interference in its band, according to Jeff Carlisle, LightSquared's executive vice president of regulatory affairs and public policy.

LTE (Long Term Evolution

LightSquared seeks to build an LTE (Long Term Evolution, latest standard in the mobile network technology) mobile data network that uses the so-called "L band" then and there to GPS, which today is restricted to satellite-based services. An LTE (Long Term Evolution, latest standard in the mobile network technology) network would transmit at much higher power nearly to navigation devices on the ground than satellites do.

Interference between LightSquared's network and GPS is caused by GPS receivers that, in seeking satellites to lock onto and collect location data, scan many adjacent frequencies should the contingency arise to their assigned band, Carlisle said in an interview on Wednesday. That amounts to GPS vendors claiming "an incontrovertible right to use all of our spectrum," he said.

Nevertheless, LightSquared continues to downplay the interference. Most recently, the company said that though about 16 percent of general navigation devices in tests last month may have suffered interference according to the standards used, their performance wouldn't as a matter of fact be affected by the network.

The outcome or timing of an FCC ruling on it

Whatever the outcome or timing of an FCC ruling on it, the petition may have been a move by LightSquared to prepare for a possible lawsuit if it does not receive clearance to build its network, analyst Tim Farrar of TMF Associates said on Tuesday.

LightSquared has said it intends to launch its network commercially then year. Its total capital and operating expenses for the network will be about US$14 billion over eight years, Carlisle said. On top of the in broad outline $4 billion it has already raised, the company will need another $3 billion to $4 billion previously its business becomes self-sustaining, he said on Wednesday.

Stephen Lawson covers mobile, storage and networking technologies for The IDG News Service. Follow Stephen on Twitter at @sdlawsonmedia. Stephen's e-mail address is stephen_lawson@idg.com