LightSquared sees no obstacles left blocking LTE network

After the July 28 announcement of a network sharing deal with Sprint, LightSquared chief marketing officer Frank Boulben said all the pieces have fallen into place for the launch of its long-term evolution launch in the fourth quarter -- all of the pieces save one. LightSquared still needs final Federal Communications Commission approval to move forward with its terrestrial network plans. That’s no minor obstacle.

Opposed to LightSquared stands the might of the GPS industry, which has provided substantial evidence that the operators LTE network would cause massive interference problems with GPS receivers. If the millions of devices and applications that depend on GPS signals for their location data were in jeopardy, the FCC would have a difficult time approving LightSquared’s plans. But Boulben said LightSquared has done its due diligence before the regulators. Though it didn't win the support of GPS vendors, LightSquared has demonstrated that it can field a network that won't harm the vast majority of GPS receivers; the interference issues that remain with high-precision filters can be solved with retroactive filters, Boulben said. The public comment period will be contentious, but Boulben said LightSquared is confident that the FCC will green-light its plans in mid-December, paving the way for its initial deployment next quarter and a commercial launch next year.