Ahuja seeks to reassure authorities over Lightsquared concerns

Sanjiv Ahuja, the chief of forthcoming US wholesale carrier Lightsquared, has sent a letter to the country’s communications authority addressing concerns that the LTE and satellite-based network may interfere with GPS services. Ahuja is seeking to assure the FCC that “there will be no interference,” in order to keep its rollout plans on track.

Lightsquared is currently running trials in Baltimore, Denver, Las Vegas and Phoenix and plans to launch in the third quarter.

Industry bodies, including the National Telecommunications and Information Administration and the Department of Defense, Transportation and Homeland Security, had raised concerns that a modification of Lightsquared’s licence to allow for terrestrial as well as satellite offerings will cause interference with existing services.

“Grant of this application is an essential building block for our network and requires quick, favorable action so that we may continue to roll out our network and meet the rigorous construction timetable that the Commission has made a condition of our authorization,” said Ahuja. “The record in this proceeding, however, includes concerns from the GPS industry about possible overload of GPS devices by LightSquared base stations. Nothing in the integrated service application changes the operating characteristics of LightSquared’s network or its intended use… Like other network operators, LightSquared itself must be able to bring devices onto its network that incorporate GPS technology, so it has a strong incentive to resolve this issue,” Ahuja wrote.