LightSquared is crying foul. Saying tests of its service were “rigged”, the company has called on the National Telecommunications and Information Administration to objectively re-evaluate this initial round of testing and also to evaluate mitigation proposals the company has proposed. LightSquared is charging that the process used to test GPS devices by Air Force Space Command on behalf of the Space-Based Positioning, Navigation, and Timing Executive Committee was rigged by manufacturers of GPS receivers and government end users to produce bogus results.

Jeff Carlisle, LightSquared’s Executive Vice President, Regulatory Affairs and Public Policy; and Geoff Stearn, LightSquared’s Vice President for Spectrum Development; charge the testing was shrouded in secrecy; the testing protocol deliberately focused on obsolete and niche market devices that were least able to withstand potential interference; and the testing standard does not reflect reality.

The company has called on the Federal Communications Commission and the NTIA to conduct the second round of tests on high-precision devices at an independent laboratory to ensure objectivity and transparency. LightSquared has agreed to meet every technical guideline requested by the Federal Aviation Administration, FCC and NTIA and will continue to work in collaboration with the federal government to resolve the GPS interference issues.

Courtesy: NAFB News