LightSquared asks FCC to set tough standards for GPS receivers

Wireless startup LightSquared asked the Federal Communications Commission to set tough technical standards for the design of GPS devices. LightSquared has invested billions of dollars to launch a wireless broadband service, but tests last year showed its planned network could interfere with GPS devices. The company says the problem is that GPS receivers are poorly designed and are receiving signals from outside their designated frequency bands. "If GPS devices had stayed in their own lane, there wouldn't be an issue with LightSquared's network," said Jeff Carlisle, LightSquared's vice president of regulatory affairs. Carlisle accused GPS companies of making "a too big to fail argument" by saying the FCC should give them special protection because of the importance of their devices.