Attachment LightSquared -USGPS

This document pretains to SAT-MOD-20101118-00239 for Modification on a Satellite Space Stations filing.

IBFS_SATMOD2010111800239_862629

           |LERMAN
            SENTER
           J PLLC

    S                                                         EX PARTE OR LATE FILED
 WASHINGTON, DC
                                                                                       STEPHEN D. BARUCH
                                                                                           202.416.6782
                                                                                   SBARUCH@LERMANSENTER.COM



                                        January 24, 2011




 By Hand Delivery
 Marlene H. Dortch                                                        FILED/AccEPTEp
 Secretary                                                                                                  *
 Federal Communications Commission                                             JAN 2 4
 445 Twelfth Street, S.W.                                                              £5% 7011
 Washington, D.C. 20554                                                Federal Communications Commice;
                                                                             Office of the S:ec;et:;sm’%m

         Re:     Notice of Ex Parte Presentation in LightSquared Subsidiary LLC
                 Application for Modification of Authority for Ancillary Terrestrial
                 Component, File No. SAT—MOD—20101118—00239

 Dear Ms. Dortch:

          On January 21, 2011, representatives of the United States GPS Industry Council
  ("GPS Industry Council") and several member companies met with John Giusti, Chief of
  Staff and Legal Advisor to Commissioner Copps for Wireless, Public Safety, and
  International, to discuss the prospect of harmful interference to the installed user base of
  L—band space services from the above—referenced proposal to allow co—primary terrestrial
  services to operate in the L—band spectrum allocated to mobile—satellite services. The
. _GPS Industry Council was represented by the participants listed on Appendix 1 to this
  Letter. The application proceeding has been designated to have permit—but—disclose
  status for purposes of the Commission‘s ex parte rules.

         The participants discussed the points and issues detailed on the presentation that is
 included as Appendix 2 to this letter, including the need for the Commission to determine
 the threshold compatibility question before it considers granting even a conditional
 waiver to LightSquared.

         In accordance with Section 1.1206 of the Commission‘s Rules, 47 C.F.R. §
 1.1206, I provide two copies of this letter and its Appendices for inclusion in the
 Commission‘s files.




                       2000 K STREET NW, SUITE 600 | WASHINGTON, DC 20006—1809
                      TEL 202.429.8970 | FAX 202.293.7783 | WWW.LERMANSENTER.COM


L            Marlene H. Dortch
             January 24, 2011
S ’          Page 2


           Please direct any questions to me.

                                         Respectfully sy@mitted,




                                         Counsel   for the United States GPS Industry Council

    Enclosures

    ce: (w/enclosures):   Mr. John Giusti (by e—mail)
                          List of Persons in Appendix 1 (by e—mail)


                                                                 APPENDIX 1

 UIST OF U.S. GPS INDUSTRY COUNCIL PARTICIPANTS AND
    REPRESENTATIVES IN JANUARY 21, 2011 MEETING


U.S. GPS Industry Council:

F. Michael Swiek, Executive Director
Raul R. Rodriguez (Lerman Senter PLLC) (via teleconference)
Stephen D. Baruch (Lerman Senter PLLC)

Garmin International:

Andrew Etkind (via teleconference)
Doug Kealey (via teleconference)
Brian Poindexter (via teleconference)
Van Ruggles (via teleconference)
Micheal C. Simmons (via teleconference)
Bronson Hokuf (via teleconference)
M. Anne Swanson (Dow Lohnes PLLC) (via teleconference)

General Aviation Manufacturers Association:

Jamie Hunter (via teleconference)

Trimble Navigation, Ltd.:

Ann Ciganer (via teleconference)
Bruce Peetz
Russell H. Fox (Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky and Popeo, P.C.)


APPENDIX 2


Interference To The Installed User Base Of L—Band Space Services
       From The Proposed Reallocation Of The MSS L—Band
        To Primary Terrestrial Services With Ancillary MSS




                                             Presentation to
        John Giusti, Chief of Staff and Legal Advisor for Wireless, Public Safety and International
                                       Office of Commissioner Copps
                                   Federal Communications Commission

                                                    By
                  The United States Global Positioning System (GPS) Industry Council

                                                    On
                                            January 21, 2011


                                                Overview
Rationale for allocation of the L—band to space services
—   Introducing Anci//ary Terrestrial Component (ATC) in the L—band
Coordination process and operating conditions proposed for the first ATC license in 2002
—   Protection criteria for GPS based on out—of—band emission (OOBE) limits
Proposing a reallocation of L—band from MSS to a primary terrestrial service
—   Introduces a different interference problem for the installed GNSS user base
—   Needs additional mitigation measures to be taken—beyond OOBE
Unanimous agreement that the treat of harmful interference to GPS is real and needs to be studied.
Possible mitigation techniques
Overview of the installed GPS user base; maximum allowed power at a GNSS receiver
— Three decades of user—driven GPS innovation have resulted in a pervasive public and private sector
    dependency on GPS position, navigation, and timing (PNT) information
Threshold question of compatibility between a new high—power terrestrial broadband service and
existing MSS services in the MSS L—band and adjacent RNSS services in the L—band
—   Resolving this threshold question is the FCC‘s obligation
— Any waiver grant is premature until a determination that the terrestrial service can co—exist with same— and
  adjacent—band low—power satellite services
The potential harm to the installed GPS user base, industries and infrastructure from harmful
interference caused by co—primary terrestrial broadband transmitters in the MSS L—band outweighs
any cognizable public interest benefit LightSquared may claim from operations prior to resolution of
the threshold compatibility question
— Given the clear direction of initial technical work, the FCC should not put itself into a position where it is
  susceptible to pressure from LightSquared not to terminate operations LightSquared would have undertaken at
  its own risk
Recommendations


                      Rationale For Allocation
                 Of The L—band To Space Services
Distinctive physical properties of the L—band include a low loss characteristic through
the atmosphere that makes it uniquely suited to space to ground communications
These physical properties are uniquely suited to the intended functions of:
— Mobile—satellite services (MSS) in 1525—1559 MHz
— Radionavigation Satellite Services (RNSS) in 1559—1610 MHz
MSS and RNSS operate in adjacent bands where the spectrum has been allocated to
space services for several decades:
— Without any terrestrial transmissions
As long as these adjacent bands remain allocated to truly satellite service operations
as the primary service:
— Their spectrum use (noise floor management) and power levels could be moderated
  to avoid interference between satellite services
— Allowing operational "harmony" between a space—based communication service
  (MSS) and a broadcast, receive—only service (RNSS)


        Introducing Ancillary Terrestrial Component (ATC)
                           In The L—band
Terrestrial and satellite operations have different physical and geometric characteristics
— Makes it very difficult for the two to co—exist without the terrestrial transmissions interfering
  with the satellite transmissions
When MSS operators added ATC to complement and augment their space—service in
2002, this augmentation created the potential for significant new interference to
adjacent space services operating in the L—band for:
— MSS operations
— RNSS operations especially for adjacent GPS operations using the L1 (1559—1610 MHz)
  + The GPS L1 is bracketed by MSS operations (1525—1559 MHz and 1626.50 —1660.50 MHz)
   «_   This bracketing raises the GPS noise floor resulting from MSS operations on both sides of
        GPs L1
According to FCC rules, ATC is a secondary allocation in the L—band allocated to MSS
on a primary basis and is required to operate:
   «_   To not cause interference
   «_   To accept interference
As adopted, FCC MSS/ATC rules took great care to ensure that ATC providers remain
bona fide satellite service providers by requiring:
   «_   MSS/ATC operators to maintain a ground spare satellite
   «_   By definition that an MSS/ATC licensee offer an integrated service that requires including
        MSS in the offering to the customer


                     The First ATC License In 2002
      Coordination Process And Operating Conditions As Proposed

Mobile Satellite Ventures (MSV), the operator of MSS/ATC in the L—band, began
coordination of its ATC license with the Interdepartment Radio Advisory Committee.
(IRAC) and the National Telecommunications Information Administration (NTIA)
  MSV originally proposed a single protection limit (—70 dBW/MHz) for GPS operations
  in the adjacent L1 band
  NTIA and the IRAC members encouraged MSV to confer with members of the GPS
  industry on protection of GPS
  MSV was the single operator of both the proposed MSS/ATC operations in the L—
  band
  ATC operations were to be deployed as a gap—filler to augment and extend MSS
  coverage in areas such as urban canyons
  MSV planned for operation of dual—mode handsets exclusively
  As a practical matter, in making this commitment to exclusive dual—mode handset
  use, MSV had a particular interest not to overwhelm the satellite channels when
  close to an ATC base station
  None of these considerations speculated on the operation of a primary mobile
  terrestrial broadband communication service


                      Protection Criteria for GPS
                 Out—of—Band Emission (OOBE) Limits
  In recognition of the increased potential for interference to adjacent space services,
  when ATC was introduced in the MSS bands, MSV and the U.S. GPS Industry Council
  negotiated an agreement on out—of—band emission (OOBE) limits to protect GPS
  operations in the L1 band:
  — Mobile terrestrial stations must limit their equivalent isotropically radiated power
    (EIRP) to
  — —95 dBW/MHz for wideband emissions; while narrowband emissions are subject to a
    limit of —105 dBW/kHz
  — Fixed or mobile base stations must adhere to a wideband EIRP density emission
    limit of —100 dBW/MHz; and a narrowband emission limit of —110 dBW/kHz
  Subsequently, MSV‘s corporate successor, SkyTerra, approached the Council
  concerning its proposal to introduce ATC femtocells for indoor operations and the
  original joint agreement was modified for greater OOBE protection for indoor GPS use:
  — Femtocells operating indoors were agreed to limit EIRP density in the GPS band of
    —111.7dBW/MHz for one operating; and —144.7 dBW/MHz when two femtocells are in
    the same room
In each case, the underlying premise of these agreements is that the L—band operator of
  MSS/ATC (first MSV, then SkyTerra) agreed to protect GPS transmissions in the
  adjacent RNSS L—band.


             Proposing A Reallocation Of L—band From MSS
                  To A Co—Primary Terrestrial Service
«_   Application request for modification of its authority for Ancillary Terrestrial Component (FCC
     File No. SAT—MOD—20101118—00239) seeks to effectively reinterpret its ATC rules to:
     — Operate a co—primary terrestrial wireless service in urban areas:
           By deploying a densely populated network of strong signal transmitters whose emissions would effectively
           blanket entire urban areas
     — While conducting its MSS operations outside of areas where its proposed terrestrial service
       would operate
     — Thus, this application proposes to provide a primarily terrestrial wireless service with anciliary
       MSS, which is the opposite of the original premise of the service embodied in the current rules
       and its L—band license
     — Instead of offering an integrated MSS/ATC handset exclusively as required in its existing ATC
        license, it proposes an integrated MSS/ATC service for which its retailers could choose to offer
        terrestrial handsets only to end—users
+    The Applicant "estimates that the capacity of its fully deployed terrestrial network across all
     base stations will be tens of thousands of times the capacity of either of the Sky Terra
     satellites:"
     — Consequently, the physics and dynamics of this newly proposed terrestrial service would radically change
       and degrade the environment in which the adjacent GPS L1 signal operates; the ultimate effect would be
        a loss of GPS service
+    In comments filed in FCC ET Docket No. 10—142 (page 12, para. 1), LightSquared
     specifically requests the "Commission could, however, make it substantially easier to
     implement ATC domestically in the future by expanding the definition of MSS in its rules to
     include ATC and thus rendering ATC a primary service."


       Introduces A Different Interference Problem
            For The Installed GNSS User Base
                     In The RNSS L—band

Broadcast satellite signals are very low power at the Earth‘s surface.
Reallocation of the MSS L—band from a primary space—based service
to a primary terrestrial service introduces a fundamental, difficult,
interference problem at the GPS receiver because its ability to filter
strong signals transmitting in nearby bands, while trying to listen to
weak signals, is limited.

Depending on the interference source, the effect on GPS receivers‘
performance can result in desensitization, which prevents the
receiver from functioning properly, and thus constitutes harmful
interference.


                  Additional Mitigation Measures
                 Need To Be Taken Beyond OOBE

+« When ATC was first authorized, the OOBE limits were negotiated to
   protect GPS
« These limits were established with the understanding that the
  business and operations plan for ATC was strictly as an infill service
  for where the MSS satellite signal did not reach
  — With this understanding, GPS got an additional measure of protection
    because areas not served by MSS satellite signals were highly limited in
    scope, and GPS protection would be partly achieved by the interest of MSS
    operators in protecting the integrity of their own satellite signals
  — With the reallocation of the MSS L—band from a space—based service, to a
    primary terrestrial broadcast, this protection and the incentive for it,
    disappears
+« Thus, additional mitigation measures will need to be taken beyond the
   established OOBE limits in the existing ATC authorizations


                       Possible Mitigation Techniques
«_ Possible techniques to mitigate harmful interference to RNSS from the introduction of
   widely—deployed terrestrial transmitter on a primary basis:
  1. Introduce new terrestrial broadband transmitters as far from mobile satellite applications
     as possible, especially from the RNSS L—1 band at 1559—1610 MHz:
    — Migrate the satellite services closer together and allocate terrestrial services at the
       edge of the satellite grouping as the bands get cleared
    — The objective of this approach is to keep the two types of distinctly different (space—
      based versus terrestrial) services separate and have an acceptable amount of margin
      around the edge of all satellite services to protect their fundamental operations and
      utility to long—established installed user base of the adjacent L—band RNSS services
      and devices
  2. Establish a power limit for the newly—proposed terrestrial transmitters based on their
     frequency proximity to the satellite bands (in particular to the broadcast RNSS bands
     allocated to GPS/GNSS operations):
     — Terrestrial transmitters close in frequency to the GPS band would have to be limited to
       less than the current limit of 31.9 dBW in proportion to their proximity to the GPS band
  3. Establish a power limit for the newly—proposed terrestrial transmitters in the MSS band
     based on the density of installations
     — While this approach does not eliminate the potential effect of new terrestrial
       transmitters overcoming GPS receiver selectivity, it does reduce the probability of this
       occurring
                                                                                                  10


                   The Installed GNSS User Base

For purposes of this technical discussion, we developed an overview of today‘s
existing installed GPS user base who will be potentially adversely affected by the
proposed reallocation of the MSS L—band to primary terrestrial wireless use. This
technical input was developed based on analysis and test data for installed GNSS
receivers.
This overview represents a composite of receivers that serve a wide variety of
markets: E911; police, fire, paramedic response; consumer applications; precision
construction; structural deformation monitoring; machine control; survey; mapping;
geographic information systems (GIS), including MSS—delivered correction services.
Receiver sensitivity to signals across the L—band is shown with respect to the receiver
antenna. Proposed co—primary terrestrial wireless service signals transmitting above
the level shown on the graph, may, depending on the receiver type, jam the receiver.
This graph can be used to establish a sphere of Jamming from a terrestrial transmitter
of a specific frequency and power.
This overview, produced on short notice, serves to illustrate the extent of the problem.
A thorough technical study of the effect on GPS receivers in the public and private
sector from the newly proposed terrestrial L—band transmissions is required for
definitive decision—making.




                                                                                          11


                                  Maximum Allowed Power At A GNSS Receiver (Mask)
                                                                              Maximum Allowed Power at GNSS Receive Antenna




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                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           12


           Technical Discussions With LightSquared

To date, the Council has had two technical discussions with
LightSquared, including:
«To facilitate an understanding of the different technical problem at the
GPS receiver created by the proposed terrestrial wireless service, the
Council developed a technical overview of the existing installed user
base of GPS that shows the:
  — Potentially adverse effect at the composite GNSS receiver
  — Additional technical mitigation that would be needed to ensure that
    this existing installed user base continues to receive the GPS
    signals
«LightSquared provided technical input on the proposed operating
conditions (our discussions have not been conducted under a non—
disclosure agreement)


                                                                            13


                                    Unanimous Recognition
                   Of The Potential For Harmful Interference
There is unanimous recognition that the proposed introduction of terrestrial broadband operations in
the MSS L—band has the potential to cause harmful interference to adjacent RNSS L—band GPS
operations.
+       Since LightSquared‘s proposal for co—primary terrestrial use of the L—band MSS spectrum first
emerged on November 19, 2010, not one entity, including LightSquared, denies that the threat of
harmful interference to GPS is real.
—    Since January 1, 2011, the list of industry and government parties expressing their concerns in
this proceeding is widespread and growing.
            National Business Aviation Association; Diamond Aircraft Industries; the American Congress on
            Surveying and Mapping; Air Transport Association; General Aviation Business Manufacturers
            Association; Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, United States GPS Industry Council, etc.
            In January 12, 2011 letter, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration informed
            the FCC that the LightSquared proposal "would create a new interference environment" and "raises
            significant interference concerns that warrant full evaluation . . . to ensure that LightSquared services
            do not adversely impact Global Positioning System (GPS) and Global Navigation Satellite System
            (GNSS) receivers."
            NTIA further cites that "Several Federal agencies with vital concerns about this spectrum band,
            including the Departments of Defense, Transportation and Homeland Security, have informed NTIA
            that they believe the FCC should defer action on the LightSquared waiver until these interference
            concerns are satisfactorily addressed."
    —    LightSquared‘s January 6, 2011 letter to NTIA offering to participate in testing does not dispute
         that there is the potential for LightSquared based stations to overioad and adversely affect the
         performance of certain GPS devices.
                                                                                                                   14


                 Three Decades Of Expanding GPS Use

«_ A brief review of the evolution of GPS and its growing ubiquity can aid the
   understanding of practical and effective technical solutions to ensure that mobile
   terrestrial services are able to serve the many customers, who in all likelihood, already
   depend on GPS:
1978 —     First GPS satellite launched
1981 —     First civilian GPS product introduced for survey use by a Federal Agency
1984 —     GPS products introduced for timing infrastructure and commercial survey
1989 —     Mobile GPS handheld introduced for consumer use
1990‘s (early) — Dual—frequency GPS products introduced for scientific and commercial use in dynamic,
   high precision applications requiring a centimeter or better accuracy in real—time
1995 —     GPS system declared Full Operational Capability (FOC)
1996 —      Presidential Decision Directive (PDD) announced: "GPS provides substantial military
  advantage and is now being integrated into virtually every facet of our military operations [and]
  GPS is also rapidly becoming an integral component of the emerging Global Information
  Infrastructure, with applications ranging from mapping and surveying to international air traffic
  management and global change research."
Late 1990s — Commercial high precision GPS networks in urban and rural areas:
          — Provide to multiple, diverse range of end—users the capability to leverage the utility of
            positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT) information to increase operational productivity




                                                                                                      15


             Three Decades Of Expanding GPS Use
                                          {continued)



  2000 — The United States recognized the increasing importance of GPS to civil and
  commercial users by ending the deliberate degradation of accuracy for non—military
  signals, known as Selective Availability
  — Since this time, commercial and civil GPS applications have continued to multiply and
    their importance in critical infrastructures has increased significantly.
  2004 — President‘s Positioning, Navigation, Timing Policy declared that "services
  dependent on Global Positioning System information are now an engine for economic
  growth enhancing economic development and improving safety—of—life, and the system
  is a key component of muiltiple sectors of U.S. critical infrastructure,"
  — "Over the past decade, the Global Positioning System has grown into a global utility
    whose multi—use services are integral to U.S. national security, economic growth,
    transportation safety, and homeland security and are an essential element of the
    worldwide economic infrastructure."
  2006 — GPS—enabled cellphones were introduced, including for E911 use
  2008 — GPS—enabled mobile social networking applications introduced (e.g.,
  Foursquare; Facebook, etc.)
Increasing small, medium, and large companies, having operations that depend on the
  availability of the GPS signals, are driving complete "site integration" of the PNT
  information available from these space—based RNSS signals.

                                                                                            16


                    FCC ET Docket No. 10—142
           Proposed The Standard Regulatory Approach
              For A Change In Spectrum Use (2 GHz)
The FCC‘s proceeding on MSS Broadband has two distinct parts:
1.The first part is a Notice of Proposed Rule—making (NPRM):
     — Proposes to allow use of secondary market leasing rules that already apply to terrestrial
        mobile systems in the context of MSS/ATC in the L—band, Big LEO, and 2 GHz MSS
       spectrum;
     — Other provisions are as proposed, but at its core this NPRM proposes a "relaxation" of the
       MSS/ATC rules to promote use of this spectrum for broadband applications;
     — Nevertheless, the NPRM is clear that the existing MSS/ATC rules will continue to govern the
        service, specifically noting the continued application of the OOBE in the authorizations of
        each of the licensed MSS/ATC systems.
2. The second part is a Notice of Inquiry (NOl):
     — The FCC invites comments on a potential later NPRM to consider allowing co—primary
       terrestrial use of only the 2 GHz MSS spectrum;
     — The significance of this NOI is that the FCC considers it premature to have an NPRM on the
       subject of the reallocation of the 2 GHz MSS spectrum to terrestrial use.
The issues raised by the FCC in this NOI are precisely the types of issues that need to be
addressed when contemplating a change in use of spectrum, particularly when adding a
co—allocation of a terrestrial use to space—based spectrum use.

                                                                                                      17


         FCC File No. SAT—MOD—20101118—000239
          But, The Standard Regulatory Approach
 Is Not Proposed For The Same Change In Spectrum Use
                 In The L—Band (As 2 GHz)
«_ However, this is not how the FCC is proceeding in contemplating the
   proposed waiver of the MSS/ATC L—band applicant‘s existing ATC
   authorization to effectively allow co—primary terrestrial use of the L—band
   allocated to primary MSS use:
  — What the FCC considered too premature for the MSS Broadband NPRM
    (reallocation) (ET Docket No. 10—142), is now being proposed in the L2
    waiver (FCC File No. SAT—MOD—20101118—000239) without first seeking
    public comments first in an NOI followed by an NPRM.

+« Thus, the FCC is now proposing an effective co—primary allocation to
   terrestrial use in spectrum allocated to a primary space service (MSS) which
   is not only without precedent, but also not following the FCC‘s regulatory
   approach that the Commission has set out in its own companion proceeding
   (ET Docket No. 10—142).


                                                                                 18


                    Two Critical Questions



« If LightSquared already has authority to provide terrestrial
  service under its MSS/ATC license, why is the waiver needed?


+ If a waiver is needed to provide the service they are
 proposing, why is the Commission not treating it for what it
 really is — a reallocation of spectrum — and using the same
 process as under the NOI in the MSS Broadband proceedings
 (ET Docket No. 10—142)?




                                                                19


                  The March 2010 Orders
   Do Not Address The Current LightSquared Proposal To
   Introduce A Co—Primary Terrestrial Wireless Broadband
                Service In The MSS L—Band

<— A review of the March 2010 orders confirm:

  — A national broadband network of MSS/Anci//ary Terrestrial Component
  — No discussion of the currently proposed reallocation of MSS spectrum to
    co—primary terrestrial wireless broadband service in the MSS L—band
+« The November 18, 2010 waiver request for a co—primary terrestrial
   broadband service in the MSS L—band further confirms that this proposed
   spectrum reallocation was NOT addressed in the March 2010 orders
«_ Further, if this co—primary terrestrial wireless broadband service was decided
   in March 2010, this waiver request would not be needed to be authorized




                                                                                20


                                         Threshold Question
      The FCC Must Answer Before The Grant Of A Waiver
The FCC must determine, as a threshold question, whether co—primary terrestrial services can be
operated in the MSS L—band adjacent to the RNSS L—band without causing harmful interference to
GPS operations before it permits the introduction of co—primary terrestrial operations in the adjacent
MSS L—band:
«When a threshold question exists as to the compatibility of two services, the FCC has the obligation to
successfully resolve the compatibility question before allowing any new service to risk causing harmful
interference to authorized users of the bands in question (including both the service band and adjacent or
impacted bands)
»If the FCC were to permit or even conditionally authorize LightSquared to conduct operations in advance of a
successful resolution to the threshold compatibility question, the FCC abdicates its responsibility in a way that:
—undermines confidence in the FCC‘s spectrum allocation scheme and rulemaking processes
      o   creates a precedent for the reallocation of spectrum use on a fast—track waiver
—creates massive and untenable regulatory and investment uncertainty for both
      o   mobile broadband
          =   the extent of the mitigation measures needed to protect GPS operations are unknown
      o   GPS and the industrial and civil infrastructures of this country
«An analysis using public and private sector operating scenarios, conducted under the auspices of NTIA with
participation from industry and government technical experts, could enable a determination of the potential for
interference to be made within 90 days. Deferring action on LightSquared‘s waiver proposal until the analysis
is complete and subject to public review and comment is the only course that satisfies the FCC‘s statutory
mandate


                                                                                                                21


                The U.S. GPS Industry Council Supports
     An Independent Testing Program, On An Accelerated Time Table,
            To Resolve The Threshold Compatibility Question

   On January 7, 2011, the U.S. GPS Industry Council has proposed to the FCC the following testing program to
   allow the FCC to successfully resolve the compatibility question before allowing any new service to risk
   causing harmful interference to authorized users of the bands in question (including both the service band
   and adjacent or impacted bands):
 . Based on the 2002 precedent established by NTIA/IRAC resulting in the joint industry agreement to protect
   GPS, NTIA/IRAC to be asked to conduct an analysis including industry and government technical experts to
   examine the potential for interference using public and private sector operating scenarios within a
   reasonable timeframe (not to exceed 90 days).
 ._In consultation with all affected parties, including technical experts from the US GPS Industry Council
   member companies and LightSquared, participate in a review of NTIA/IRAC methodology and work
   program, including contributing technical analysis and ensuring that the operational use scenarios are
   realistic and well represented.
 . Non—proprietary data on receiver sensitivity to overloading will be made available from several of the US
   GPS Industry Council member companies. Test conditions under which the data were taken will be stated
   with the data.
 . The analysis process should include appropriate means for public input and comment.
5. Final action on the LightSquared waiver application will be deferred until the NTIA analysis is completed and
   transmitted to the Commission.

   Approval of this program, with NTIA/IRAC at the helm, will allow rapid and independent determination of
   the capability of a non—ancillary terrestrial broadband service to be established in the MSS L—band
   compatibly with GPS — without any regulatory uncertainty.                                               23


                                     Recommendations

To avoid creating a setback for the Nation‘s broadband agenda and potential harm to the
national GPS utility:
1.Do not introduce regulatory and investment uncertainty for both mobile terrestrial broadband
operations and GPS operations in the L—band, including the adverse impact on the United States
economy from the potential loss of GPS signal reception by granting the waiver request, including
conditionally, before conducting interference testing.
2.Consider the application for modification of the MSS L—band ATC license (FCC File No. SAT—
MOD—20101118—00239) under the FCC NPRM/NOI on broadband (FCC ET Docket No. 10—142) to
allow adequate development of the public record and robust public comment, especially to fully
understand the potential for harmful interference to adjacent MSS and RNSS services in the L—band.
3.Ensure that a comprehensive technical analysis of the potential for harmful interference is
undertaken by the appropriate representatives of the United States Government (USG) having
technical expertise, including specialized technical expertise, relevant to the broad range of
operational scenarios in the RNSS L—band today; such as: FCC OET; NTIA; IRAC members.
4.Establish a process for independent analysis by an NTIWNIRAC—led group of the question whether
co—primary terrestrial broadband services can be offered on a co—coverage basis in the MSS L—band
frequencies compatibly with GPS and other low—power satellite services that operate in the same or
nearby frequency bands.
5.Ensure that all appropriate mitigation are identified and enabled prior to authorizing terrestrial
service in the L—band.



                                                                                                       23



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Document Modified: 2019-04-22 20:38:31

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