Disqus
It’s back to the drawing board for LightSquared after the National Telecommunications and Information Administration said LightSquared’s proposed mobile broadband network would negatively impact both consumer and aircraft GPS services. In a letter to FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski, NTIA’s Lawrence Strickling sends a crippling blow to LightSquared when he writes “that LightSquared’s mobile broadband network will impact GPS services” and adds, ”there is no practical way to mitigate the potential interference at this time.” He goes on to point out that future GPS technology could reduce this interference but it would take too much time and money to make such changes to commercial, private, and federal sector GPS systems.
The FCC responded with its own statement confirming the government agency will not “lift the prohibition on LightSquared.” This doesn’t look good for LightSquared or Sprint which was going to use LightSquared as part of its 4G network. LightSquared, however, isn’t giving up and says, in its own statement, that it will find a solution to the GPS interference issue and “fully expects the agency to recognize LightSquared’s legal rights to build its $14 billion, privately financed network.”
[Via AllThingsD, NTIA and the WSJ]
About The Author
Kelly Hodgkins
Kelly spent the last four years covering mobile technology at places like BGR, Gizmodo and The Unofficial Apple Weblog. Before writing, she spent a few years working with and teaching others how to use Adobe Flash and Macromedia Director. Even earlier than that, she spent several years as a Ph.D student in Microbiology. When she's not writing, she can be found fishing the lakes and hiking the mountains of Western Maine with her husband and tribe of children. You can follow her on Twitter @kellyhodgkins.
