Light Squared: The Next High Tech Scandal?

The above video explains the technical aspects of this post. The Department of Defense, the aviation industry, farmers, surveyors, construction contractors and motorists are all users of GPS. GPS is in fact funded by the Air Force and all the armed services us it. The next generation of air traffic control will use GPS instead of radar. These new systems would probably have already been deployed except for a political consideration. It would drastically reduce the number of air traffic controllers needed to maintain control. Farmers are increasingly using GPS. An earlier post contained a video showing an unmanned tractor plowing a field using GPS but that still in the developmental stage. The most familiar use are the mobil mapper devices such a Garmin and Tomtom.

Radio spectrum is under control of the Federal Communication Commission. It regulates the frequencies on which radio, television, cell phones and GPS operate. The FCC has granted a conditional waiver for Light Squared to build a 4G network. Aside from individual users the DOD and the FAA have expressed concern verging on outrage at Light Squared and the FCC. The Chairman of the FCC, Julius Genachowski, apparently is viewed as friendly by Light Squared judging from the tone of this web post where ,” he also emphasized that the FCC intended to take “full advantage of the incredible economic opportunities that underutilized spectrum presents.”

The House Armed Services Committee is trying to resolve the issue and probably rein in the FCC. Gen. William Shelton, a four-star general and head of the US Space Command, was scheduled to testify before the House committee last month regarding the controversial wireless project. According to the Daily Beast the, the General's prepared testimony was leaked and he was pressured by White House to modify his testimony in a way that would show that the military was more in favor of the project than Shelton thinks they should be. The White House admits talking to the general but denies its meddling was improper. As usual, the owner of the company in question was a large Democratic donor. Mr. Falcone and his wife gave more than $60,000 in 2009 to the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee.

Shelton finally gave his testimony Thursday, and made clear the Pentagon's concern about Light Squared's project. The general told the committee that preliminary tests of a new Light Squared proposal to use only a portion of the band that it was licensed originally in 2004 would cause significant disruptions to GPS.

With the Inspector General of the Department of the Treasury, the FBI and at least on congressional committee already investigating Team Obama's close relationship with the investors in the Solyndra scandal this raises the question; can this administration do anything in an honest and upright manner?

Update: A more recent post shows Light Squared profited from the FCC waiver by $10 billion.