FAA Releases Impact Report from LightSquared Interference

The FAA, as requested by the Executive Office of the President's Space-Based Positioning, Navigation and Timing (PNT) Executive Committee's National Coordination Office (NCO) Director, (what a mouthful) has delivered a report on the expected impacts from interference due to LightSquared's terrestrial broadcasts.
These impacts are big, including the estimated loss of 800 lives - or rather, lives that would have been saved by moving to GPS technologies - something that is impacted by LightSquared interference.
Here's a list of the expected impacts (from their Executive Summary):

•  LightSquared's initial operations at the lower 10 MHz channel even at "reduced" power levels would  impact  the aviation use of high-precision GPS  receivers.
• [The FAA] estimate[s] it would take 10 years to design, develop, certify and install modified equipment  in the civil aviation fleet.
• LightSquared's planned operations would  result in the loss of GPS-enabled operational, economic,  and public safety benefits  across  the National Airspace  System.
• The FAA would be compelled  to return to dependency on ground-based  navigation aids.
• Billions of dollars in existing FAA and GPS user investments would be lost.
• The FAA would also need to replan Next Generation Air Transportation  System (NextGen) investments,  which would  result in additional development costs and delays.

The last bullet references NextGen.  NextGen is the new system the FAA is planning to fly Air Traffic in more direct routes, and allow for closer spacing of Aircraft.  NextGen relies on Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) technology - a replacement for radar.  ADS-B use satellite radio navigation technology (GPS) to create and transmit positioning and velocity information from plane to plane and to the ground.  Relying on this technology means they are relying on GPS, and the spectrum on which GPS is broadcast.  LishtSquared's plans to broadcast near or in in part of that spectrum, interferes with ADS-B message creation, meaning the FAA will need to relay on older technologies, like radar and other Direct Measuring Equipment (DME).

Additionally, The FAA states that this interference would cost, over the next 10 years, an additional $70,000,000,000 ($70 Billion) and 30,000,000 (30 million) tons of CO₂ for the following reasons:

• Loss of benefits from  delayed  NextGen  technologies  and procedures
• Loss of existing GPS efficiency benefits
• Loss of existing GPS safety  benefits
• Aircraft  retrofit costs

Read the report for more information.

It's imperative that LightSquared's transmission and spectrum issues be worked out, so that it does not interfere with our global utility.  The fact that it has come this far is already beyond belief - take a stand, make sure everyone you know understands this issue and reach out to congress - let them know that you depend on GPS, and you don't want it to disappear.