I am hoping that Billy from wireless one will comment on this. All of the articles I have read say that there is interference with GPS systems. It looks like only automobile GPS and plane GPS systems have commented. Why has the marine industry not commented? Will these transmitters cause outages on the coast? I don't have the expertise to evaluate the possible problems this would cause but it seems that it could cause issues in coastal navigation.
This is the link that stated my thinking process>
http://www.saveourgps.org/
Recently, a company called LightSquared applied to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for a waiver allowing it to repurpose the satellite spectrum immediately neighboring that of the Global Positioning System (GPS) for use in extremely high-powered ground-based transmissions. This has caused serious concern within the GPS industry and user community since this planned use is fundamentally incompatible with existing GPS uses. Initial technical analyses have shown that the distant, low-powered GPS signals would receive substantial interference from high-powered, close-proximity transmissions from a network of ground stations.
The consequences of disruption to the GPS signals are far reaching, likely to affect large portions of the population. Therefore, it is imperative that the LightSquared system not be deployed unless it can be conclusively guaranteed that the GPS system is fully protected from radio interference. The problem LightSquared's plans pose and additional steps the FCC needs to take are explained below.
LightSquared plans to transmit radio signals that would be one billion or more times more powerful than GPS signals as received on earth, potentially causing severe interference and rendering useless millions of GPS receivers - including those used by U.S. Federal and Local Government agencies, first responders, airlines, agriculture, and everyday consumers in their cars and on hand-held devices.
•Initial technical analyses show that GPS signals, which are low-powered and emanate from distant satellites, would receive substantial interference from LightSquared's network of high-powered, close-proximity ground station transmissions.
•LightSquared's planned use of these high-powered terrestrial networks in the frequency immediately adjacent to the GPS frequency is unproven and unprecedented and may be found to be fundamentally incompatible with existing GPS uses.
•Any technical arguments regarding the ability of the two systems to co-exist are unproven and require independent, authoritative, verified and thorough analysis and testing prior to any transmissions being made.
The usual FCC process is to conduct extensive testing followed by approvals. For LightSquared, the process was approve first, then test. The unusual waiver recently granted to LightSquared allows it to use its satellite spectrum for high-powered ground-based broadband transmissions if the company can demonstrate that harmful interference could be avoided.
•Issues of interference should have been addressed before the waiver was granted.
•The waiver was granted just two months after it was requested. Even with such a short window, the U.S. GPS Industry Council (USGIC), the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) - along with some federal departments, concerned state and local governments, public safety authorities, and GPS commercial users - all voiced strong objection to LightSquared's plan to reposition the spectrum.
•The FCC's conditional waiver puts LightSquared in the conflicting position of assessing whether or not its own system will interfere with GPS transmissions.
This is the link that stated my thinking process>
http://www.saveourgps.org/
Recently, a company called LightSquared applied to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for a waiver allowing it to repurpose the satellite spectrum immediately neighboring that of the Global Positioning System (GPS) for use in extremely high-powered ground-based transmissions. This has caused serious concern within the GPS industry and user community since this planned use is fundamentally incompatible with existing GPS uses. Initial technical analyses have shown that the distant, low-powered GPS signals would receive substantial interference from high-powered, close-proximity transmissions from a network of ground stations.
The consequences of disruption to the GPS signals are far reaching, likely to affect large portions of the population. Therefore, it is imperative that the LightSquared system not be deployed unless it can be conclusively guaranteed that the GPS system is fully protected from radio interference. The problem LightSquared's plans pose and additional steps the FCC needs to take are explained below.
LightSquared plans to transmit radio signals that would be one billion or more times more powerful than GPS signals as received on earth, potentially causing severe interference and rendering useless millions of GPS receivers - including those used by U.S. Federal and Local Government agencies, first responders, airlines, agriculture, and everyday consumers in their cars and on hand-held devices.
•Initial technical analyses show that GPS signals, which are low-powered and emanate from distant satellites, would receive substantial interference from LightSquared's network of high-powered, close-proximity ground station transmissions.
•LightSquared's planned use of these high-powered terrestrial networks in the frequency immediately adjacent to the GPS frequency is unproven and unprecedented and may be found to be fundamentally incompatible with existing GPS uses.
•Any technical arguments regarding the ability of the two systems to co-exist are unproven and require independent, authoritative, verified and thorough analysis and testing prior to any transmissions being made.
The usual FCC process is to conduct extensive testing followed by approvals. For LightSquared, the process was approve first, then test. The unusual waiver recently granted to LightSquared allows it to use its satellite spectrum for high-powered ground-based broadband transmissions if the company can demonstrate that harmful interference could be avoided.
•Issues of interference should have been addressed before the waiver was granted.
•The waiver was granted just two months after it was requested. Even with such a short window, the U.S. GPS Industry Council (USGIC), the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) - along with some federal departments, concerned state and local governments, public safety authorities, and GPS commercial users - all voiced strong objection to LightSquared's plan to reposition the spectrum.
•The FCC's conditional waiver puts LightSquared in the conflicting position of assessing whether or not its own system will interfere with GPS transmissions.
Actually from what I have read so far it seems like none of the manufacturers have done anything, and the cost per unit to correct it is about a nickle.