LightSquared and GPS Cannot Coexist

That's the conclusion of a report on GPS interference caused by the broadband cellular system planned by LightSquared. The upstart's system would disrupt all kinds of GPS systems, including those intended to keep planes from flying into each other, according National Position, Navigation and Timing Engineering Forum, a multiagency group chartered to assess GPS technical issues.

The Engineering Forum provided broad details on GPS interference tests conducted with the LightSquared system last week, but the full report provided to Congress early this week said the LightSquared system "cannot [emphasis included] coexist with GPS."

The Engineering Forum -- as Rep. Mike Turner, R-Ohio, did yesterday -- recommended the FCC rescind the waiver it granted LightSquared to operate 40,000 cell towers whose signals knock out far weaker GPS signals.