Status Report: LightSquared/GPS Interference Issue

Status Report: LightSquared/GPSInterference Issuefor theNational Geospatial Advisory CommitteeShepherdstown, WVOctober 4, 2011Milo RobinsonSenior AdvisorDepartment of the InteriorNational Coordination Office

Outline U.S. Space-Based PNT Organization– National Space-Based PNT Advisory Board U.S. Space-Based PNT Policy LightSquared Interference Issue Questions2

U.S. Space-Based PNTOrganizational StructureWHITE NATIONALEXECUTIVE COMMITTEEFOR SPACE-BASED PNTADVISORYBOARDExecutive Steering GroupSponsor: NASACo-Chairs: Defense, TransportationCommerceHomeland SecurityJoint Chiefs of StaffNATIONALCOORDINATION OFFICEHost: CommerceNASAGPS InternationalWorking GroupNat. PNT EngineeringForum (NPEF)Chair: StateCo-Chairs: Defense,TransportationInformationCoordination andDissemination TeamAd HocWorking GroupsCo-Chairs: DOT, STRAT3

National Space-Based PNTAdvisory Board Provides independent advice andrecommendations on PNT 25 members (including 5 international members)– Co-chaired by Dr. James Schlesinger & Dr. Brad Parkinson– Gov. Jim Geringer New Member (2011) – Known to manyin Geospatial Community4

U.S. GPS Policy History 1983: President announces civilian accessto GPS following KAL 007 1996: First U.S. GPS Policy establishesjoint civil/military management 1997: U.S. law provides civil GPSaccess free of direct user feesjoint 2004: President issues U.S. Policy on Space-Based PNT 2004: Agreement signed on GPS-Galileo Cooperation 2010: New National Space Policy provides high-level PNT guidanceMaintain Leadership in the service, provision, and use of GNSS--detect and mitigate harmful interferenceAside: Broadband Policy Memo2010: “Unleashing the Wireless Broadband Revolution”5

What is LightSquared? New Telecom company formed Mid 2010– Formerly SkyTerra– FCC approved SkyTerra transfer order Mar 2010 Company formed to create a nationwide 4G LTE (LongTerm Evolution) open wireless broadband network First wholesale-only broadband network Intends to provide coverage to 92% of USA by 2015 Key Asset– Mobile Satellite Service /Ancillary Terrestrial Componentlicense for 1525–1559 MHz; 1626.5-1660.5 MHz6

LightSquared Interference to GPS 26 Jan 2011: FCC Waiver to LightSquared (LSQ) for aTerrestrial Broadband in Mobile Satellite ServiceSpectrum adjacent to Spectrum used by GPS– FCC has condition on Waiver that harmful interferenceconcerns to GPS be resolved– Technical Working Group (TWG) to examine interference issues Testing Shows Widespread Harmful Interference to GPSdevices (NPEF, RTCA, TWG) 30 June: LSQ submits TWG Report and New Plan to FCC FCC sought comments until 15 August 9 Sept: NTIA Requests further testing by NPEF 13 Sept: FCC Says Additional Tests are Necessary

Illustration of Concerns with LightSquaredSituation before LightSquaredGLONASSlow power (on Earth) satcom emissions1559152515751610L 1Situation with LightSquared LSQ base stationemissionslow power (on Earth) satcom emissions15251559GLONASS1575L 11610

LightSquared Spectrum PlansAeronauticalTelemetry152516101559L Band Satellite(Downlink)Aeronautical Radio navigation/Radio navigation-Satellite(GPS, 51MHz)1626.5Big LEO(Uplink)1660.5L Band Satellite(Uplink)L1L Band Satellite Downlink (34 MHz)RNSS band (GPS, 51MHz)1525Phase 0/11559LTE (5)1526.3LTE (5)1531.31550.2161016.42 MHz1555.21575.42 MHz9.23.8LTE (10)Phase 21526LTE (10)15361545.21555.2

Upper L Band Spectrum forGlobal Navigation Satellite SystemsGPSGLONASSCOMPASSGALILEOQZSSL 115591575.421610Frequency (MHz)10

DOI Responses to LSQ Issue Dec 16 , 2010– DOI Raised LightSquared GPSinterference concern at the NCO (email from FCC to theFederal Geodetic Control Subcommittee) Jan 3, 2011-- DOI Letter to NTIA: Interference issuesshould be investigated before a waiver is granted July 7-- DOI Impact Memo to NTIA: GPS is vitally important.DOI replacement costs estimated at 250-500 Million August 8-- DOI Position Letter from Deputy SecretaryHayes to NTIA: Do not approve LSQ plan. More testing onLow 10 MHz is needed.11

DOI responses to LSQ issue Sept 9-- Responded to NTIA request for GPS HighPrecision and Timing receiver inventoryHigh 012

DOI Surveyor Comments”my comments echo the sentiments of other surveyors– both federal and private” Survey grade GPS is a Quite alarmedcritical component of The power belted out isour every-day worksimply incompatible Invested over 200,000with low power GPSin the past 5 years Our DOI units, and GPS made it possiblehundreds of thousandsfor us to accomplishjust like them, could bemany jobs in a largerendered totallygeographic areauseless! GPS is our „bread andbutter‟, and ourlivelihood13

Congressional Hearings 23 June: House Transportation andInfrastructure Committee 8 Sept: House Science Committee– David Applegate DOI/USGS Testified 15 Sept: House Armed ServicesCommittee, Strategic ForcesSubcommittee More Hearings LikelyNote: Several different bills introduced in 2011 includelanguage related to the FCC's authorization of a terrestrialbroadband network that could interfere with GPSapplications.14

New NPEF Testing Targeted Testing– Navigation/Cellular Devices– Low 10 MHz– Testing facilities arescheduled /Planningunderway– Hand set (LSQ Cell Phone)simulation to be included– Completion end ofNovember/early December Testing is open for participation– DOI is making plans to participate in the Testing– Collaborating/pooling resources with USDA Anticipate additional testing for High Precision and TimingReceivers in early 201215

Where to get more GPS Tracker for Policy Makers (Monthly)http://www.pnt.gov/congress/newsletter/16

Questions?Milo RobinsonNational Coordination Office for Space-Based PNT1401 Constitution Ave, NW – Room 6822Washington, DC 20230Phone: (202) 482-0019(703) 648-5162Milo.Robinson@pnt.govmrobinson@usgs.gov17

Back-upsJust in Case18

June 2010 Space Policy Maintain Leadership in the service, provision,and use of GNSS– Provide civil GPS service, free of direct usercharges– Foreign PNT services may be used tocomplement GPS– Encourage Global compatibility andinteroperability with GPS– Support International Activities to detect andmitigate harmful interference19

2003 Versus e MobileSatellite-like servicesProvide MobileSatellite-like servicesProvide terrestrialwideband internetaccessCoverageAncillary(indoors, urbancanyons, etc)Ancillary(indoors, urbancanyons, etc)EverywhereHandsetsDual mode satelliteterrestrial onlyDual mode satelliteterrestrial onlyDual mode orterrestrial-onlyNumber of towersallowed1725 - 2415No LimitNo Limit (40,000planned)Power per antennasector245 Watts1500 WattsUp to 15,000 WattsBandwidth per sector600 kHz600 kHz20 MHzFCC Commissioner Adelstein (Jan 2003): “our decision should not allow a MobileSatellite Services (MSS) system with an ancillary terrestrial component to evolveinto a terrestrial system with an ancillary mobile satellite component”20

LightSquared’s New Plan Re-order the phasing of their system. Initiallydeploying with the lower frequency of their twochannels Reduce their power to a maximum of roughly 1500watts per tower for initial deployment. “Standstill” for operating their second, higherfrequency channel.21

TWG test results SummarizedSub-TeamImpact as plannedMitigation10 MHz lower spectrum onlyAviationIncompatibleComplete LossFilters not available to testReceiver modification takes along timeShift to a different frequencywould eliminate all concernsLower 5 Mhz likely would becompatibleLower 10 Mhz needs furtherstudyCellularCauses GPS failureSignificant number of devicesimpactedLSQ may not be able to operateWidespread HarmfulInterferenceSafety of life must be preservedPositional accuracy degradesLSQ—operation in upper bandof spectrum not viableNot possibleWithin graspFilters do not existOnly option is to shift to adifferent frequencyMany devices still impactedLSQ questions these resultsTwo points of view aboutwhat constitutes HarmfulInterference.LSQ favors a moreprobabilistic approachedbased on user experienceLSQ—data shows 10 Mhzlow is a viable optionLSQ—filters will workGeneralLocation &Navigation22

TWG test results Summarized (continued)Sub-TeamImpact as plannedHigh Precision,Timing, &NetworksHarmful Interference over longrangesHarmful co-channelinterference (Starfire and OmniStar—private GPSaugmentation services)LSQ handsets operatedclose(1m) to GPS device causesharmful interferenceInterference to GNSS andWAASGood precision measurementsrequire greater receiver bandwidthSpaceReceiversHarmful InterferenceMitigationNothing FeasibleTiming only, if LSQ restricted tohigh or low part of bandDoes not foresee anypossibility that wide band GPSreceivers would be compatiblewith LSQ signalsDifferent frequency forterrestrial LSQLSQ—receiver design at faultand causes overloadFiltering option problematicLSQ—why won’t filteringwork? No technical andoperational obstacles(especially lower 10Mhz)Not possible to mitigatereceivers in space10 MHz lower spectrum onlyHarmful InterferenceLSQ—Timing receiversperformed wellLSQ—Receiver sidemitigation needs furtherwork, options appear viableand need to be workedjointly with GPS communityLSQ –questions whatconstitutes HarmfulInterferenceLSQ—worst case testapproach exaggeratesinterference, moreprobabilistic approachneededHarmful InterferenceNeeds further study, optionsnot fully tested23

L 801600GPSUpper L BandSpectrum forGlobal NavigationSatellite SystemsGALILEOQZSSJapanL 124

International Concerns onLightSquared: Galileo “Deep Concerns” “Considerable potentialto cause harmfulinterference to Galileo” “Grave threat toproviding Galileo servicecovering US” Galileo interoperablewith GPS No Galileo receiverstested25

U.S. GPS Policy History 1983: President announces civilian access to GPS following KAL 007 1996: First U.S. GPS Policy establishes joint civil/military management 1997: U.S. law provides civil GPS joint access free of direct user fees 2004: Preside