LightSquared, a Virginia-based company that plans to build a nationwide wireless broadband network, is proposing to adapt its network so as not to interfere with GPS systems. The company plans to move some of its operations to a different slice of airwaves and to transmit signals at lower power levels to ensure that its network would not interfere with GPS systems that rely on nearby wireless spectrum.
The company outlined its plans Monday amid mounting concern that its new network would cripple GPS systems used for everything from aviation to public safety to military operations. The announcement follows the recent release of government test results showing that LightSquared’s wireless signals interfered with GPS receivers used by the Coast Guard and NASA, and caused Federal Aviation Administration GPS receivers and GPS receivers used by state police, fire and ambulance crews to lose reception.
