John Deere welcomes GPS test results

19 January 2012

US-based equipment manufacturer John Deere has welcomed test results that reveal a proposed new wireless network would cause "harmful interference" with many GPS receivers.

The controversial plans by LightSquared to transmit ground-based radio signals have been opposed by John Deere and the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) because it was feared that the network could drown out current GPS signals used in construction applications, as well as in military and aviation applications.

An independent test was carried out for the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NITA). "It is the unanimous conclusion of the test findings that both Lightsquared's original and modified plans for its proposed mobile network would cause harmful interference to many GPS receivers," the NTIA said in a statement.

The NTIA added that there appeared to be, "No practical solutions or mitigations," that would allow the Lightsquared plan to go ahead as proposed without significantly interfering with GPS.

A John Deere spokesman said, "We believe independent testing by such agencies as the NTIA should be considered as the standard on this important issue.

"We are supportive of these test results. John Deere is among many companies and organisations that continue to oppose approval by the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) of the new broadband network proposed by Lightsquared."

Construction equipment manufacturers are concerned that the proposed network would impact on surveying equipment, machine control systems and machine telematics, among other systems.

Tests 'rigged'

However, Lightsquared has claimed that the tests were manipulated. The company claimed that the process used to test interference was, "Rigged by manufacturers of GPS receivers and government end users to produce bogus results."

Lightsquared has called on the NTIA to objectively re-evaluate the tests.