Test results prompt new round in GPS, LightSquared fight

The government began testing whether LightSquared's proposed wireless service interferes with GPS devices after concerns were raised in Congress, agencies, and industry earlier this year. The next phase in the debate begins this month: a clash over what the results mean.

LightSquared CEO Sanjiv Ahuja will begin to present his company's findings on the interference issue on Capitol Hill on Wednesday in a briefing with staffers. But the results from government tests won't arrive until later this month when federal agencies send their findings to the Commerce Department.

LightSquared's effort to get a jump on the government tests is an early attempt to shape the conversation about the results, which the company hopes will move it forward to winning approval to launch its wireless operations.

"Both the government and LightSquared would agree that this round of test results are very important to the company,'' LightSquared spokesman Chris Stearns said.

But the tests will be spun with just as much effort by a lobbying group working against LightSquared's regulatory interests: Save Our GPS. The coalition of companies that rely on or make GPS devices is worried LightSquared will interfere with their offerings.

"It's all about the testing right now," said Jim Kirkland, general counsel for GPS-maker Trimble, a founding member of Save Our GPS. He downplayed the significance of the test results from LightSquared, which a spokesman said were collected independently.

"The people protecting aviation safety have to be a little more rigorous than them," Kirkland said.

The government test results will be revealed in two rounds, according to Save Our GPS and LightSquared representatives. A test of problems for consumer devices is expected to become public mid-month, while a test of high-precision GPS devices used by industry is expected next year.

The government results will land at the Commerce Department, which is expected to present a recommendation on the issue after it sees the findings.

But the Federal Communications Commission will ultimately decide what happens, since LightSquared's government approval is contingent on the company satisfying the FCC that it has resolved its inference issues.