AEM voices GPS concern

The US-based 2627 Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) has joined a variety of industries and companies in forming the Coalition to Save Our GPS. This group aims to resolve a serious threat to the Global Positioning System (GPS).

The threat stems from a recent highly unusual decision by the US 2115 Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to grant a conditional waiver allowing the dramatic expansion of terrestrial use of the satellite spectrum immediately neighbouring that of GPS. There is a risk it could potentially cause severe interference to millions of GPS receivers.

The conditional waiver was granted to a company called 2628 LightSquared. AEM in late February hosted a Washington, DC briefing of industry groups and member companies regarding the FCC interim decision and continues to provide leadership on the issue. The Coalition to Save our GPS includes representatives from a broad range of industries, including agriculture, aviation, construction, transportation, engineering and surveying, as well as GPS-based equipment manufacturers and service providers.

The unusual waiver granted in January to LightSquared by the FCC allows it to use its satellite spectrum for high-powered ground-based broadband transmissions if the company can demonstrate that harmful interference could be avoided.  The usual FCC process of conducting extensive testing followed by approvals was not followed in this instance. Instead, the process was to approve first, then test. Additional safeguards are needed, according to the GPS coalition.

The FCC must make clear, and the NTIA must ensure, that LightSquared’s license modification is contingent on the outcome of the mandated study. The study must be comprehensive, objective and based on correct assumptions about existing GPS uses rather than theoretical possibilities.  The views of Lightsquared, as an interested party, are entitled to no special weight in this process. The FCC should make clear that LightSquared and its investors should not proceed to make any investment in operating facilities prior to a final FCC decision (or at least make it explicit that they do so at their own risk).  While this is the FCC’s established policy, it failed to make this explicit in its order. Further, the FCC's, and NTIA's, finding that “harmful interference concerns have been resolved” must mean “resolved to the satisfaction of pre-existing GPS providers and users." Resolution of interference has to be the obligation of LightSquared, not the extensive GPS user community of millions of citizens. LightSquared must bear the costs of preventing interference of any kind resulting from operations in LightSquared’s frequencies. GPS users or providers should not have to bear any of the consequences of LightSquared’s actions.

In addition to AEM, coalition members to date are:

• 5554 Aeronautical Repair Station Association

• Air Transport Association

• 5555 Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association

• 4944 American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials

• 5556 American Rental Association

• 5557 Associated Equipment Distributors

• Case New Holland (5561 CNH)

• 5551 Caterpillar

• 5553 Edison Electric Institute

• 50 ESRI

• 490 Garmin

• 5559 General Aviation Manufacturers Association

• 5560 John Deere

• 5562 National Association of Manufacturers

• 5558 OmniSTAR

• 1985 Trimble

Additional members are expected to join in the near future.

The Coalition to Save Our GPS is working to resolve a serious threat to the Global Positioning System (GPS). The FCC granted a conditional waiver for a proposal to build 40,000 ground stations that could cause widespread interference with GPS signals - endangering a national utility which millions of Americans rely on every day. The conditional waiver was granted to a company called LightSquared. The coalition’s website is www.SaveOurGPS.org.