LightSquared lashes out following failed GPS test

Wireless broadband firm LightSquared is accusing government and telco firms of rigging a recent series of tests on its proposed network.

The company said that the US government's Positioning, Navigation and Timing Executive Committee (PNT EXCOM) was fed false results when it found that the LightSquared network would interfere with existing GPS systems and the network would not be able to function in the coming months or years.

According to LightSquared's claims, both government testers and GPS device manufacturers conspired to falsify the results of the report by using outdated equipment and improperly configuring hardware.

"GPS and government end users should have opened the process for transparent review, chosen a representative sample of devices that reflect the scope of general purpose GPS receivers in the marketplace today and applied best practice standards to the testing protocol," LightSquared said in its statements.

"And, most importantly, the tests should have been conducted by an independent laboratory rather than by the GPS manufacturers themselves, since they had a large incentive to ensure the tested receivers would not pass the testing."

If upheld, the results of the test would derail the company's plans to launch its wireless broadband network. LightSquared has been lobbying to repurpose frequencies from the Mobile Satellite Services (MSS) for use as a wireless broadband network.

The company has asked that the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) order a new set of tests on the network, which would be carried out with clearer guidelines and more transparency.

Meanwhile, the PNT EXCOM has recommended that no further tests on the matter are needed, stating "there appear to be no practical solutions or mitigations that would permit the LightSquared broadband service, as proposed, to operate in the next few months or years without significantly interfering with GPS."

At the time of publishing, the NTIA had not replied to a request for comment from V3 on LightSquared's claims or its request for additional tests.