LightSquared Says GPS Tests Were Rigged

itwbennett writes "Would-be cellular carrier LightSquared claims that the company's LTE network was set up to fail in GPS interference tests. 'Makers of GPS (Global Positioning System) equipment put old and incomplete GPS receivers in the test so the results would show interference, under the cover of non-disclosure agreements that prevented the public and third parties from analyzing the process,' LightSquared executives said on a conference call with reporters Wednesday morning."

Comments

Really?

[Zeromous]

>old and incomplete GPS receivers

I'm not an expert in the deployment of GPS, but is this not what we would consider a real-world test? Why should they be set up to pass the test, by only testing the latest deployments of GPS?

Don't you test, in order to understand previous unknowns or to flesh out previously unforeseen scenarios?

Re:Really?

[CompMD]

It is a real world test. LightSquared has this fantasy that people replace GPS hardware like they do cell phones every two years (or less). There are LOTS of GPS receivers out there that are 10+ years old, and they can't grasp the fact that THOSE WORK FINE.

Re:Really?

[PhxBlue]

Don't be an idiot. GPS receivers don't broadcast -- that's up to the satellites, which transmit timing and location data on two separate bands (three for newer GPS-IIR and IIF satellites).

Re:Really?

[rahvin112]

And they got a steal on the residential parcel and if they can get it rezoned for the skyscraper it's worth 100X what they paid for it. This was nothing more than a gamble to try to get spectrum reallocated to ground prices. They paid almost nothing for spectrum that if it was ground based would be worth almost 6 billion (based on the last auction). The entire reason the spectrum is cheaper is that it costs $2billion minimum to put a satellite in orbit to use it.

Lightsquared is neither innocent nor deserving of sympathy. They were told multiple times the waiver they were given was for testing. It would be foolish of the FCC to not allow them a chance to prove they have developed filtering technology capable of working around the physics. When their testing showed their signal would destroy high precision GPS they had the gall to suggest that the billions of installed GPS receivers have to be replaced that's when they lost all sympathy from me. I have a feeling they've not only known from the begining that this would never work but that they thought they had the political muscle to move it through. Not only that but I don't believe they ever really intended to build a network, but their real intention was to get the spectrum usage switched then sell it 10X what they paid for it.

Fraud, sour grapes, or late complaint?

[davidwr]

If this is fraud on the GPS companies' part or the testing authority's part then there should be hell to pay.

If this is sour grapes then LightSquared just libeled the companies involved.

If, on the other hand, "old and incomplete equipment" tests were a required part of the test for good reason, then LightSquared is a bit late in its complaints - it should've made these complaints well before testing happened, and its current statement should've started off with "As we said before the tests were run, testing for old and incomplete equipment is not a valid test...."