Boaters Stand to Lose GPS?

Saltwater Offshore Discussion
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NEWS From BoatUS
Boat Owners Association of The United States
880 S. Pickett St., Alexandria, VA 22304
BoatUS Press Room at http://www.BoatUS.com/pressroom

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Press Contact: D. Scott Croft, 703-461-2864, SCroft@BoatUS.com
Photo Available at: http://www.BoatUS.com/pressroom/previewImg/hiRes/699.jpg
Photo Caption: Without reliable GPS to help boaters navigate, BoatUS fears more vessels could end up on the rocks like this sailboat, and put crew safety at risk.

Boaters Stand to Lose Critical GPS Navigational Aid

Voice Your Opinion: Comment Period Closes July 30

ALEXANDRIA, Va., July 13, 2011 - As a result of a proposal by a private company to use radio frequency bandwidth right next to the existing GPS radio bandwidth, the future reliability of the GPS system across the United States is now in question. The nation’s largest recreational boaters group, BoatUS, says boaters could have a hard time avoiding treacherous shoals or simply finding their way home if GPS signals are interfered with, and is urging boaters to speak out during a 30-day comment period.

“This is a remarkably short comment period for an issue that has such dire consequences for America’s boaters and every other GPS user in the country,” said BoatUS Vice President of Government Affairs Margaret Podlich.

At issue is an unusual conditional waiver granted in January by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to a broadband wireless communications provider, LightSquared, to permit the dramatic expansion of land-based use of mobile satellite spectrum. This spectrum, or frequency bandwidth, is directly adjacent to the frequencies used for Global Positioning System (GPS) communications.

The company has proposed to build 40,000 ground stations. LightSquared’s high-powered ground-based transmissions from these stations have shown to cause interference in hundreds of millions of GPS receivers across a wide range of uses, including aviation, marine, emergency response and industrial users such as delivery

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Sent

Mark
Mako 262 Twin Yammaha F200s
Yeah, but do you consider a dog to be a filthy animal? I wouldn’t go so far as to call a dog filthy but they’re definitely dirty. But, a dog’s got personality. Personality goes a long way.

“Life’s tough…It’s even tougher if you’re stupid” John Wayne

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I really can’t see this happening, what with out reliance on the system, from everything from mariners to military aircraft.

Russ B. Formerly known here as “Top2Bottom1”
www.joinrfa.org
God is great, Beer is good, People are crazy

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Just a new spin on yet another fishing closure. Think about it, youll never find the bottom fish now!

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wouldn’t find the bottom fish??? I bet alot of people who don’t know how to read charts and a compass wouldn’t find their way home.

If you’re not effecting the world around you in a positive manner…you’re taking up too much space.

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There were a lot fish caught before gps and there will be a lot of fish still caught if it were to go away.

Let’s Fish
www.carolinaaeromarine.com

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Just some more FYI…

The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association is fighting to prevent, or at least postpone implementation of the broadband use of the frequencies for the very same reasons.

A couple of times this past year I posted some Notices to Airmen from the FAA regarding GPS outages that affected the CHS area as the DOD tested parts of the GPS system for suseptibility to error as this project ramps up. I guess I ain’t been cryin’ wolf now.

The more we just complain…the more things stay the same.

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I’m sure the GPs companies (Garmin Furano) are well in control of preventing this (at least I would hope).

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On a much grander scale, it affects surveying, engineering, GIS, construction, aviation, marine navigation, all State DOT’s and many Federal entities. The entire construction industry would be negatively affected by this.

A company called LightSquared has developed a plan to create a nationwide 4G broadband coverage. The plan causes interference with high precision GNSS receivers. The frequency range for the LightSquared network is right next to the frequency range occupied by GPS L1 signal. Even though they are different frequencies, testing and research shows that the signal is powerful enough to degrade GPS performance and even jam some high precision receivers.

It is my understanding that the Lightsquared network would knock oiut all carrier-phase GPS within several miles of every tower. This would not affect offshore marine GPS under this scenario in my opinion, but could affect anything inland.

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From Tim Scott:
Thank you for contacting me to express your concerns regarding LightSquared’s proposals and 4G LTE (Long Term Evolution) wireless broadband communications. I always appreciate your input and the opportunity to share my thoughts with you on this important issue.

As you may know, in January 2011, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) granted a conditional waiver to LightSquared to build tens of thousands of ground stations that may affect neighboring Global Positioning System (GPS) signals. Several federal agencies with strong concerns about LightSquared’s frequencies, including the Departments of Defense, Transportation and Homeland Security, believe the FCC should defer action on the LightSquared waiver until these interference concerns are satisfactorily addressed. The National Defense Authorization Act that passed the House on May 26, 2011 states that the FCC shall not provide final authorization for LightSquared operations until the Defense Department’s concerns relating to GPS interference have been resolved.

Please know that I will certainly keep your thoughts in mind should pertinent legislation come to the House floor for a vote in the future. If I can ever be of assistance, please do not hesitate to contact me or a member of my staff.

For more information from Washington, please visit my website at www.timscott.house.gov and subscribe to my monthly e-newsletter.

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Z-Man Pro Staff
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