LightSquared Threatening GPS Navigation

I don't know how many of you have been following the LightSquared story, but for those of you who have not let me bring you up to date.  I am going to summarize the story as I understand it and am not taking the time to offer citations, as I would do if submitting this as a college research project.  But you can find citations on both sides of the issue easily enough by doing a Google search on "lightsquared gps."

LightSquared/GPS Issue Summary as I understand it

LightSquared has purchased access to frequencies that are adjacent to the frequencies used by GPS.  LightSquared's use of those frequencies at power ranges significantly higher than those used by GPS have been shown to overwhelm GPS signals (which means your GPS won't work).  LightSquared claims that the problem is the GPSs themselves -- that they lack the proper filters to prevent jamming by LightSquared's high-power transmitters.  But the signal GPS receivers rely on is so weak that if additional filters are added reception will be severely limited.  Even if filtering did solve the problem it will mean that all of the GPSs currently in the field without the LightSquared filter will be impacted; the severity of the impact will depend on how close the receiver is to a LightSquared tower (and they intend to build thousands of them).

The GPS industry and the Department of Defense have both raised red flags to the FCC about the interference issue.  They claim that in addition to  the inconvenience LightSquared's interference will cause to casual users here on the ground the interference to aircraft could easily cause loss of life in the thousands and seriously affect our national security.  Complicating the issue are the politics surrounding it.  LightSquared's critics claim that the Obama Administration put LightSquared's application process on the fast track in payment for campaign contributions (and the fact that President Obama used to be a stockholder just adds fuel to the fire).

Will our interests or special interests win out?

Recently it was reported by General Aviation News that LightSquared has spent over $800,000 in 2011 alone trying to influence our congressmen and women to their way of thinking.  In addition, General Shelton, commander of Space Command, claims that the White House pressured him to change his testimony to make it more favorable to LightSquared.  And now LightSquared has threantened to sue the FCC if it doesn't get its way. All of this concerns me.  It makes me wonder if the final decision will be made based on science or politics.

What to do?

Since this issue has become a political one, we need to exercise our responsibility as concerned citizens and let our congressmen and women know that we are watching this very closely.  They need to know that if our GPSs stop working, we will be holding them accountable.  And forcing us to buy new GPSs is not the right answer.  To me it would be criminal to put lives and our national security at risk in the interests of LightSquared's bottom line.

Write your congressmen/women and let them know that you are concerned about the LightSquared issue and all the money they are funnelling into lobbying.  Find out where they stand on the issue and why.  Make sure they know that you watching and holding them accountable.  Afterall, LightSquared is trying to be your congressperson's new best friend.  Are you comfortable with that?

If you haven't contacted your congressperson before you can find their contact information at www.house.gov and www.senate.gov.