Schlesinger, Parkinson Address FCC: Rescind LightSquared Waiver

Schlesinger, Parkinson Address FCC: Rescind LightSquared Waiver

http://www.gpsworld.com/gnss-system/news/schlesinger-parkinson-address-fcc-rescind-lightsquared-waiver-11952


The two co-chairs of the U.S. National Advisory Board for Space-Based
Positioning, Navigation, and Timing, the Hon. James R. Schlesinger and
Dr. Bradford Parkinson, have delivered an official, strongly worded
letter today to Julius Genachowski, chairman, Federal Communications
Commission. The letter "formally requests that the Federal
Communications Commission rescind the conditional waiver approving
LightSquared terrestrial operations in the MSS radio band from 1525-1559
MHz, and instead select an appropriate band that would avoid the
substantial collateral
damage in its understandable quest to bring broadband to the American
public."

The two writers add that "The proposal would radically change a primary
space-to-earth radio band to allow high-power terrestrial broadcasts. As
shown by comprehensive industry and government testing and analyses, if
this proposal were allowed to proceed, it would have the unavoidable
consequence of adversely impacting current and planned Federal and
private sector infrastructure. The costs would be tens of billions of
dollars per year. Such a loss would impact our nation's national
security, international standing and have a notable economic impact. It
is not an acceptable alternative to impose this burden on behalf of a
single company."

Dr. Schlesinger is a former chairman of the U.S. Atomic Energy
Commission, director of the Central Intelligence Agency, U.S. Secretary
of Defense, U.S. Secretary of Energy, member of the Homeland Security
Advisory Council, current consultant to the United States Department of
Defense and member of the Defense Policy Board, and chairman of the
Board of Trustees of The MITRE Corporation. His word has been known to
weigh heavily in Washington circles.

Dr. Parkinson was the manager of the NAVSTAR GPS development program and
became the first director of the GPS Joint Program Office. He has
continued to advocate tirelessly for GPS and interoperable GNSS for more
than three decades.

The full text of the PNT Advisory Board letter by Schlesinger and
Parkinson is available here.

Among other points, the letter states:

See:
http://www.gpsworld.com/gnss-system/news/schlesinger-parkinson-address-fcc-rescind-lightsquared-waiver-11952