Global Navigation Satellite Systems Engineering, Policy, and Design
Gil Klinger, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Space and Intelligence. DoD photo.As part of an effort to control costs, the U.S. Air Force will be shifting the GPS III program to a fixed-price contract, a Pentagon official told members of a House subcommittee recently.
By Inside GNSS
In a last-ditch effort to salvage its wireless broadband system from official rejection due to interference to GPS, LightSquared Inc. has filed a lengthy rebuttal to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) notice of its plan to withdraw the agency’s conditional approval of the proposed high-power terrestrial network.
By Inside GNSS
U.S. Air Force Gen. William Shelton , commander of the Air Force Space Command (AFSPC), told a recent House Armed Services subcommittee hearing that the LightSquared controversy at the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) underlined the need to protect GPS spectrum “Whether it is by policy within the FCC or whether that is by legislation. . . “
Shelton’s comments came during March 8 testimony on the Fiscal Year 2013 National Defense Authorization Budget Request for National Security Space Activities before the Strategic Forces Subcommittee.
By Inside GNSS
Republican leaders of the U.S. House of Representative’s Energy and Commerce Committee have requested additional information regarding the procedures followed by federal agencies in the interference dispute between LightSquared and GPS.
The inquiry also asks about the government plans to develop GPS receiver standards that would prevent interference from “future deployment of terrestrial service in spectrum near or adjacent to the GPS bands.”
By Inside GNSS
The details of President Obama’s 2013 budget have been gradually filtering out and, in general, the GPS system and those programs closely linked to satellite navigation, have escaped deep cuts.
On the hardware side the White House has requested $58.2 for GPS IIF satellite procurement. According to Air Force budget documents, the plan is to then wrap up the total IIF procurement of 12 satellites with a request for $77.6 million in FY14 and $7.3 million in FY15.
By Inside GNSS
Sanjiv AhujaLightSquared announced today (February 28, 2012) that Sanjiv Ahuja has resigned his position as chief executive officer of LightSquared, Inc. He will continue to serve as chairman of the board.
Ahuja’s resignation is the latest development in the company’s attempt to establish a nationwide terrestrial wireless broadband network in spectrum adjacent to that used by GPS and other GNSS L1 services. No explanation was given for his departure.
By Inside GNSS
Charging the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) with a “rush to judgment,” LightSquared Inc. is seeking an extension of more than a month to comment on the FCC’s intention to prohibit the company from building a high-powered wireless broadband network in RF spectrum next to GPS and other GNSS services.
By Inside GNSS
Following up on the “strategic guidance” on defense spending that the White House laid out last month, President Obama has proposed a Fiscal Year 2013 (FY13) budget that continues funding for GPS modernization efforts.
By Inside GNSS
Moynihan Courthouse in ManhattanNo sooner had the Wall Street Journal published an article today (Feburary 17, 2012) about Harbinger Capital hiring lawyers to consider suing the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) over the agency’s latest action on LightSquared, but its principal now finds himself the subject of class action suit.
A New York City law firm today filed a class action lawsuit against Philip Falcone and his Harbinger Capital LLC on behalf of the hedge fund’s limited partners, citing the Falcone’s investment in LightSquared Subsidiary LLC.
By Inside GNSS
As previously announced, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) International Bureau invited comment today on its proposal to vacate its January 2011 conditional waiver order permitting LightSquared Subsidiary LLC to establish a terrestrial wireless broadband network as a result of demonstrated interference to GPS signals and receivers.
By Inside GNSS
[Updated February 15, 2012] The GPS community received a Valentine’s Day message from U.S. regulators today (Feburary 14, 2012): there is “no practical way” to mitigate potential interference posed by terrestrial transmissions from LightSquared’s proposed wireless broadband network.
By Inside GNSS
John Porcari, US DoT Deputy SecretaryU.S. Deputy Secretary of Transportation John Porcari told a congressional committee today (February 8, 2012) that the expenditure of “substantial federal resources” in assisting LightSquared to gain approval for its terrestrial wireless broadband system was “unusual” yet “merited,” but that “further investment cannot be justified at this time.”
By Inside GNSS
Russia’s GNSS program plans to launch three more satellites in the first half of 2012 as part of a 20.55 billion ruble (US$655 million) federal target program budget for the coming year, the Roscosmos space agency announced on January 17.
By Inside GNSS
