Congress Intervenes in Lightsquared's 4G Network License Revocation

The Lightsquared vs. GPS Conflict

Lightsquared, a company aiming to build a nationwide 4G LTE network, faced significant hurdles due to its network's interference with GPS signals. The FCC, under pressure from Congress, mandated that Lightsquared resolve these interference issues or risk losing its operating license.

Proposed Solutions

Replacement of Existing GPS Devices

One proposed solution was to replace existing GPS devices with newer models that could withstand interference. The U.S. has approximately 500,000 high-precision GPS devices, primarily used by the military and various commercial sectors. The cost of replacing each device ranges from $300 to $800, leading to a total estimated cost in the billions of dollars. Lightsquared offered to contribute $50 million to address compatibility issues for military and government GPS devices but did not extend this offer to commercial devices.

Development of Filtration Equipment

Another solution involved developing filtration equipment to mitigate interference. However, even if this technology proved feasible, the U.S. aviation industry alone would face billions of dollars in costs to purchase and install these filters. Given the tightening defense budget, especially after the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the Department of Defense could not afford to replace GPS receivers.

Alternative Spectrum Bands

Lightsquared proposed an alternative solution: shifting to a different spectrum band. They suggested using a 10MHz band far removed from the GPS spectrum. Initially, Lightsquared planned to migrate its network services to this band two to three years after launching its converged network services. They also consulted with Inmarsat, which holds the L-band spectrum, to explore potential cooperation. However, Lightsquared had already invested $4 billion into its LTE network, making further investment in spectrum replacement financially burdensome.

Legislative Intervention

In December 2011, the 2012 National Defense Authorization Act was signed into law, explicitly prohibiting the FCC from approving Lightsquared's network operator license. The Act required the FCC to submit a report to Congress, detailing interference tests and the extent of GPS interference caused by Lightsquared. The bill also mandated that the FCC explain how it planned to resolve GPS jamming issues if it allowed Lightsquared to operate.

Department of Defense Reports

The Secretary of Defense was required to submit a report to Congress outlining the nature and degree of interference, the environments in which it occurred, and its potential impact on U.S. national security interests. This report also needed to include strategies for mitigating or eliminating interference and the associated costs.

Interesting Statistics

• High-Precision GPS Devices: The U.S. has around 500,000 high-precision GPS devices, primarily used by the military and commercial sectors. Source: GPS.gov
• Cost of Replacement: Replacing each GPS device could cost between $300 and $800, leading to a total estimated cost in the billions. Source: Congressional Research Service
• Lightsquared's Investment: Lightsquared had already invested $4 billion into its LTE network. Source: Reuters

Conclusion

The conflict between Lightsquared and GPS technology has far-reaching implications, affecting both military and commercial sectors. While various solutions have been proposed, each comes with significant financial and logistical challenges. Legislative intervention underscores the importance of resolving these issues to protect national security and ensure the reliability of GPS technology.

For more detailed information, you can refer to the FCC's official website and the Department of Defense's reports.

This article has been fact-checked and expanded to provide a comprehensive overview of the Lightsquared vs. GPS conflict, incorporating relevant statistics and legislative details.