FGCS 01/10/2012

LightSquared Update

Federal Geodetic Control Subcommittee Meeting

January 10, 2012

Knute Berstis, P.E.

Senior Advisor

National Coordination Office

For Space Based PNT

FGCS 01/10/2012

Presentation Overview

• LightSquared Background & Spectrum Issues

• NOAA Summary Testimony

• NOAA Anechoic Chamber Test Results

• The Way Forward

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FGCS 01/10/2012

What is LightSquared?

• New Telecom company formed Mid 2010

– Formerly SkyTerra and before that Mobile Satellite Ventures

• Company formed to create a nationwide 4G LTE (Long Term Evolution) open wireless broadband network

• First wholesale-only broadband network

• Intends to provide coverage to 92% of USA by 2015

• Key Asset

– Mobile Satellite Service /Ancillary Terrestrial Component license for 1525–1559 MHz; 1626.5-1660.5 MHz

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FGCS 01/10/2012

Illustration of Concerns with LightSquared

GLONASS

GLONASS

1525 1559 1575 1610

Situation before LightSquared

1525 1559 1575 1610

Situation with LightSquared

low power (on Earth) satcom emissions

low power (on Earth) satcom emissions

1.5 kW base station

emissions

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FGCS 01/10/2012

1525 1559 1610

L Band Satellite Downlink (34 MHz) RNSS band (GPS, 51MHz)

LTE (10) LTE (10) 1526 1536 1545.2 1555.2

3.8 9.2

LTE (5) 1526.3 1531.3

LTE (5)

1550.2 1555.2

1575.42 MHz

16.42 MHz

L1

Phase 0/1

Phase 2

1525 1559 1626.5 1610

L Band Satellite

(Uplink)

L Band Satellite

(Downlink)

Ae

ron

au

tica

l

Te

lem

etr

y

Aeronautical Radio navigation/

Radio navigation-Satellite

(GPS, 51MHz)

Big LEO

(Uplink)

1660.5

Original LightSquared Spectrum Plan

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FGCS 01/10/2012

1525 1559 1610

L Band Satellite Downlink (34 MHz) RNSS band (GPS, 51MHz)

LTE (10) LTE (10) 1526 1536 1545.2 1555.2

3.8 9.2

LTE (5) 1526.3 1531.3

LTE (5)

1550.2 1555.2

1575.42 MHz

16.42 MHz

L1

Phase 0/1

Phase 2

1525 1559 1626.5 1610

L Band Satellite

(Uplink)

L Band Satellite

(Downlink)

Ae

ron

au

tica

l

Te

lem

etr

y

Aeronautical Radio navigation/

Radio navigation-Satellite

(GPS, 51MHz)

Big LEO

(Uplink)

1660.5

Current LightSquared Spectrum Plan

End Spectrum State Undefined

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FGCS 01/10/2012

Congressional Hearings

• 23 June: House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee • 8 Sept: House Science Committee

Mary Glackin / Deputy Under Secretary for Operations at NOAA Testified

• 15 Sept: House Armed Services Committee, Strategic Forces Subcommittee

• More Hearings Likely

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FGCS 01/10/2012

Summary NOAA Testimony on LightSquared’s Original Spectrum Plan

• NOAA GPS based systems impacted by original spectrum plan:

– Ground stations that control GOES and POES spacecraft depend on GPS for accurate system timing.

– NOAA’s satellite-based search and rescue system, SARSAT uses multiple GPS receivers at ground stations to determine and maintain precise time.

– Future satellites, including NPOESS Preparatory Project (NPP) and GOES-R will use on-board GPS receivers for timing and orbit determination.

– NOAA has deployed over 23,000 environmental sensor platforms that depend critically for accurate

geo-referencing and time stamping of data.

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FGCS 01/10/2012

Summary NOAA Testimony (Continued)

• NOAA GPS based systems impacted by LightSquared’s original spectrum plan:

– NOAA’s network of NEXRAD weather radars and sea surface radar altimeters require GPS-based time synchronization to enable sharing of radio frequencies

– NOAA’s fleet of 19 ships employs a variety of GPS and differential GPS receivers for navigation and scientific use.

If GPS service becomes unavailable or unreliable along U.S. coasts and waterways, NOAA vessels will be unable to perform many operations and missions.

– NOAA’s radiosondes and dropsondes (attached to weather balloons or deployed from aircraft) are entirely dependent on GPS for accurate position and

velocity.

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FGCS 01/10/2012

Five Major NOAA Systems or Functions that Require Wideband GPS Equipment

• Six-satellite COSMIC system that observes the Earth’s atmosphere

• Monitoring sea level trends to protect natural and human communities

• Ground –Based Meteorology (GPS-Met) project which measures atmospheric moisture

• Total Electron Content (US-TEC) product to inform users about space weather conditions

• Maintenance of the National Spatial Reference System to insure compatibility among geospatial products.

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FGCS 01/10/2012

LightSquared Modified Spectrum Plan (Continued)

• LightSquared has proposed to commence terrestrial commercial operations only on the lower 10 MHz portion of its spectrum in the near term.

They have coordinated and shared the cost of testing with GPS manufacturers of legacy precision measurement devices that may be at risk.

A filter solution for the Lower 10 MHz band has been tested by Javad and other manufacturers in partnership with LightSquared for high precision receivers.

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FGCS 01/10/2012

Javad Filter Response to Mitigate the Lower 10 MHz LightSquared Signal

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FGCS 01/10/2012

New NPEF Testing at WSMR Oct. 31 – Nov. 4, 2011

• Targeted Testing

– Navigation/Cellular Devices

– Low 10 MHz

– Handset (LSQ Cell Phone) simulation to be included

– NOAA Participants • NOS / NGS – 4 Precision survey /geodetic receivers

• NOS / Office of Coast Survey – 4 marine navigation receivers

• NWS – 3 general location / navigation receivers and 1 timing receiver

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FGCS 01/10/2012

NPEF Testing at WSMR Oct. 31 – Nov. 4, 2011

• Testing focused on General Navigation / Location receivers and Cellular Devices

• 37 other receivers (including high precision receivers) were also tested

• NGS objective in participating in the White Sands Missile Range (WSMR) testing was to:

Test the best and worst performing receiver with a legacy “robust” antenna from the Live Sky tests (Holloman, April 2011 and Las Vegas, May 2011)

CORS management requested another receiver be added to the test suite

A Javad receiver from the NGS CORS Foundation network was also added with the possibility of testing a modified JAVAD antenna to mitigate the LightSquared lower 10 MHz signal

A total of six receivers were tested (four different manufacturers and two spares)

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FGCS 01/10/2012

NOAA /NGS Configuration for the Lower 10 MHz at WSMR on Day One

(10/31/2011) of Testing

• Five high precision geodetic / survey GPS receivers connected through an eight way splitter to a “robust” legacy geodetic antenna in the Anechoic Chamber

• A single survey receiver with the manufacturer recommended geodetic antenna at a different grid location in the chamber

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15

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60

-90.0

-80.0

-70.0

-60.0

-50.0

-40.0

-30.0

-20.0

-10.0

0.0

16.4 16.6 16.8 17.0 17.2 17.4 17.6

Re

ceiv

er_

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9 S

NR

in d

B

Ligh

tSq

uar

ed

Sig

nal

Lev

el i

n d

Bm

GPS Time in Hours 10/31/2011

Receiver 339 / Ant. # 369 /SNR Degradation Re: LightSquared Lower 10 MHz Signal / Cycle # 1 / WSMR Anechoic Chamber Tests

Test nEvent TE1

PRN 2

PRN 4

PRN 8

PRN 9

PRN 12

PRN 15

PRN 17

PRN 28

1 dB SNRDegradation1 dB SNRDegradation

FGCS 01/10/2012 17

-90.0

-80.0

-70.0

-60.0

-50.0

-40.0

-30.0

-20.0

-10.0

0

25

50

75

100

125

150

175

200

225

16.4 16.6 16.8 17.0 17.2 17.4 17.6

Ligh

tSq

uar

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sig

nal

in d

Bm

GP

S A

ccu

racy

in M

ete

rs -

Po

int

Po

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on

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luti

on

GPS Time in Hours 10/31/2011

Receiver 339 W/ Ant. #369 / Radial Position Error Test Event TE1 Cycle #1/ WSMR Anechoic Chamber Tests

Radial Position Error_LT

Radial Position Error_RT

LightSquared Test Signal (Ramp)

1 dB SNR Degradation

1 dB SNR Degradation

-42.4 dBm

FGCS 01/10/2012

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-90

-80

-70

-60

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-40

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-10

17.9 18.1 18.3 18.5 18.7 18.9 19.1

Receiv

er 3

69

SN

R in

dB

Lig

htS

qu

ared

Sig

nal Level in

dB

m

GPS Time in Hours 10/31/2011

Receiver 369 / Ant. #369 / SNR Degradation / LightSquared Lower 10 MHz Signal / Test Event TE1 /Cycle # 2 / WSMR Anechoic Chamber Tests

Test Event TE1

Signal

PRN 2

PRN 4

PRN 5

PRN 9

PRN 12

PRN 17

PRN 25

PRN 28

PRN 29

1 dB SNR

Degradation

1 dB SNR

Degradation

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FGCS 01/10/2012 19

-90.0

-80.0

-70.0

-60.0

-50.0

-40.0

-30.0

-20.0

-10.0

0

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17.9 18.1 18.3 18.5 18.7 18.9 19.1

Ligh

tSq

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Bm

GP

S A

ccu

racy

in M

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Po

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on

GPS Time in Hours 10/31/2011

Receiver 369 / Ant. # 369 / Radial Position Error / Test Event TE1 Cycle #2 / WSMR Anechoic Chamber Tests

Radial Position Error

LightSquared Test signal (Ramp)

1 dB SNR Degradation

1 dB SNR Degradation

-33.7 dBm

-42.2 dBm

FGCS 01/10/2012

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-90.0

-80.0

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18.4 19.4 20.4 21.4 22.4R

eceiv

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SN

R in

dB

Lig

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ared

Sig

nal in

dB

m

GPS Time in Hours 11/02/2011

Receiver 219 / Ant. #369 / SNR Degradation/ Test Event TE 10 / All Cycles / WSMR Anechoic Chamber

Tests

Test Event TE 10 Signal

PRN 2

PRN 4

PRN 5

PRN 9

PRN 12

PRN 15

PRN 16

PRN 17

PRN 18

PRN 25

PRN 28

PRN 29

PRN 31

FGCS 01/10/2012

-90.0

-80.0

-70.0

-60.0

-50.0

-40.0

-30.0

-20.0

-10.0

0.0

0

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18.4 18.9 19.4 19.9 20.4 20.9 21.4 21.9 22.4

Ligh

tSq

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sig

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m

GP

S A

ccu

racy

in M

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Po

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GPS Time in Hours 11/02/2011

Receiver 219 / Ant. #369 / Radial Position Error / Test Event TE 10

All Cycles / WSMR Anechoic Chamber Tests

Radial Position Error

All Three Cycles

FGCS 01/10/2012

Anechoic Chamber Conclusions • Preliminary Test Results indicate that the legacy

“robust” antenna combined with a number of high precision receivers is not sufficient to mitigate the LightSquared lower 10 MHz signal

Significant degradation to point position accuracy during all cycles of the LightSquared ramp test signal

A filter solution developed specifically for the lower 10 MHz is required and needs to be independently tested

Javad modified filter was not available for WSMR Anechoic Chamber testing

Filter will be tested when and if the federal high precision testing phase is scheduled

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FGCS 01/10/2012

The Way Forward

• The NPEF test report focusing on General Location and Navigation devices is under review and there are a number of issues that need to be resolved

• Until the interference issues for General Location / Navigation receivers are resolved, high precision receiver testing has been delayed

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FGCS 01/10/2012

Questions?

Knute Berstis

National Coordination Office for Space-Based PNT 1401 Constitution Ave, NW – Room 6822

Washington, DC 20230

Phone: (202) 482-2007

Knute.Berstis@pnt.gov Knute.Berstis@noaa.gov

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FGCS 01/10/2012

Backup Slides

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FGCS 01/10/2012

US Space-Based PNT Organization Structure

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FGCS 01/10/2012

JAVAD & TOPCON Filter Results Alcatel Lucent Bell Labs

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