Government Agencies Find Harmful Interference from LightSquared

Department of Defense and Department of Transportation have concluded that LightSquared signals cause harmful interference to the majority of tested general purpose GPS receivers. Final analysis of data from last month's test will take several more weeks to complete. Then a report will be filed with the NTIA and FCC.


Separate analysis by the Federal Aviation Administration also found interference with a flight safety system designed to warn pilots of approaching terrain.


LightSquared's CEO, Sanjiv Ahuja, issued the following statement: "We are pleased that the statement issued by the National Space-Based PNT Executive Committee, chaired by the Department of Defense and the Department of Transportation, validates LightSquared's compatibility with the nation's 300 million cellular phones. While we are eager to continue to work with the FAA on addressing the one remaining issue regarding terrain avoidance systems, we profoundly disagree with the conclusions drawn with respect to general navigation devices.


Separately, LightSquared filed an amended proposal with the FCC offering to limits its power on the ground by (1) eliminating the final phase of increasing power to -24 dbm and (2) extending the period during which we will maintain power at -30 dbm to January 1,2016. http://www.dot.gov/affairs/2011/dot16411.htmlhttp://www.lightsquared.com