Earlier this month, reports came in that the wireless network for the the wholesale 4G LTE-based company LightSquared was interfering with some GPS signals in a test in New Mexico. Now LightSquared has both admitted there were indeed problems with the GPS signal while at the same time offering to fix the issue so that its 4G network can continue its construction.
Today's press release states, "Early test results indicated that one of LightSquared’s 10MHz blocks of frequencies poses interference to many GPS receivers." These frequencies are the same ones that Lightspeed was using to build its 4G LTE wireless network. LightSquared stated that it has found "that another 10MHz block of the spectrum did not create such an interference risk. This block is lower on the spectrum band and located further away from the GPS frequencies, greatly reducing the risk for interference."
The new block is free from GPS issues except for a "limited number of high precision GPS receivers that are specifically designed to rely on LightSquared’s spectrum."
Another company, Inmarsat, has access to that alternate spectrum block but LightSquared says they have reached an agreement with that company that will allow the company to launch its wireless network using that block. Lightsquared said that this should allow the company to stick to its original timeframe "and is in accordance with regulatory requirements." The company recently reached an agreement with Sprint that gives Sprint $20 billion while also letting Sprint assist Lightsquared in building its LTE network.
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