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Lightsquared good or bad?

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At the back of the pack and out of the dust
In recent email from the outside (non-motorcycling) world, BoatUS sent out a call to action regarding a proposed FCC rule change that would allow use of frequencies near those used by GPS. Below is a copy of the BoatUS press release.

GPS Signal in Jeopardy

A recent FCC decision to allow high-speed internet and cell phone service to use frequencies close to existing GPS radio frequencies could disrupt GPS signals and cause severe interference to a wide range of GPS receivers, including those used by boaters. On January 26, the FCC gave conditional approval to a private company, LightSquared, to build 40,000 ground stations within the U.S. that would transmit high powered signals in the middle of the existing satellite band of frequencies. As part of that conditional approval, FCC required that additonal testing and a report be prepared on the service's potential to interfere with the GPS signals. That report was completed on June 30th and raises signficant concerns for boaters and other users of GPS.

http://www.boatus.com/gov/


The July 1st issue of Texas Agriculture reports that the initial testing shows that Lightspeed's technology impacted Deere GPS receivers from as far away as 22 miles.

Better rural internet and cell coverage would be a benefit to all of us who travel the back roads, but is the cost to GPS accuracy worth the added benefit? I've been using GPS for boating since the 90s and literally don't trust it, or the charts, any farther than I can throw a rock. Still one has to wonder how many data overloaded drivers will turn down the proverbial wrong road when the signal is compromised.
 
GPS is commonly used in airliners for all phases of navigation, including approach guidance to the runway. We've been told to expect the possibility of degraded accuracy or even failure in certain cases. There are other options to get the plane on the ground, but I believe cell phone service is a poor excuse to degrade the safety of an existing facility. Another example of the breathtaking inanity of government.
 
So do something! Write to the FCC and ask them to not approve LSq's applications., Write to your congressmen and ask them to put a stop to this.
 
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