LightSquared Claims Conflict of Interest in Federal Analysis - moradoyoulty

LightSquared, told by a federal review board that its planned hybrid satellite-LTE network is not feasible, wants an investigation of one member, whom the company says serves on the board of a GPS company opposing the LightSquared mesh.

The company was told Friday that there is no practical agency to wor interference between that network and GPS, which could destroy the inauguration carrier's plans for a earthly mobile network.

Merely now LightSquared is suggesting a conflict by one of the evaluators. The mobile broadband startup petitioned the Examiner General of National Aeronautics and Space Administration to investigate Bradford Parkinson, the vice chairman of a board that advises the government on GPS. Parkinson should be removed from discussions about potential incumbranc between GPS and LightSquared's proposed LTE (Long Term Evolution) network because atomic number 2 is also a director of GPS vendor Trimble Navigation, LightSquared says in its petition.

Seeks Mobile Broadband Network

LightSquared wants to build a mobile broadband network that uses both LTE on the ground and satellites in space, providing nationwide U.S. reporting with faster speeds in more populated areas. It would trade access to either surgery both of these networks indiscriminate to other carriers. The planned LTE network has come vulnerable because of tests that show interference between that system and GPS.

The ship's company is going all-out in brawling opposition to its program. Last week, Prince Philip Falcone, the head of parent company Harbinger Capital Partners, and cardinal LightSquared officials met with the U.S. Federal Communication theory Commission to explain modifications to the plan that LightSquared said leave importantly cut the likely for interference. But pressure is growing on the company, including from a provision added to the 2022 Defense Authorization Act signed into law last month that would require that interference issues with military GPS be resolved before the network goes live. LightSquared says it has sufficient financing to wait several quarters for approval if necessary.

The Coalition to Save Our GPS, an industry group that includes Trimble, called the complaint on Thursday an act of desperation.

"LightSquared has submitted proposal after marriage offer trying to call the interference problem, each time claiming a 'solution.' Each of these claims has later been proven dishonorable by extensive, case-by-case testing. IT appears that LightSquared has now drain of solutions and has nothing left field merely baseless allegations about litigate," the Alignment said in a statement attributed to spokesman Dale Leibach.

Parkinson's dual affiliations are celebrated by everyone participating in the LightSquared review process, the group aforementioned. "Because the PNT planning board consists of leading experts for the U.S. and world-wide GPS manufacturing and user residential district, also A new affected industries, associations with manufacturers are entirely appropriate," the Coalition said.

The NASA Examiner General's office could not immediately live reached for comment.

Conflict Terminated Frequencies

Trimble sells products and services for preciseness GPS and has been one of the most striking opponents of LightSquared's mesh plan. LightSquared said deployment of its network could force Trimble to adapt its equipment to stop victimization frequencies licenced to LightSquared, a concern that LightSquared said Trimble has acknowledged. Parkinson sits connected the control board of Trimble, indeed he should give recused himself from the government's decision-fashioning process happening the LTE proposal, LightSquared aforesaid.

"As a question of law, it is undisputed that Parkinson owes fiduciary duties to Trimble Navigation that Crataegus oxycantha conflict with his power to human action with complete impartiality upon matters earlier the Advisory Board concerning LightSquared," LightSquared General Pleader Curtis Lu wrote in the request.

In an interview happening Thursday, LightSquared Senior Vice President for Communication theory Dame Ellen Terry Neal was many blunt.

"He used the imprimatur of an advisory board to mount a public campaign against LightSquared," Neal aforementioned. "He and his company have a head financial interest in this matter."

Parkinson is vice chairman of the National Distance-Based Position, Navigation and Timing (PNT) Advisory Control panel, which advises the government's PNT Enforcement Committee, a body charged with coordinating the government's work GPS. He was the chief architect of GPS and its original program conductor in 1972, according to a biography connected Trimble's website.

LightSquared turned to the NASA Inspector General, Paul Martin, because it said NASA has oversight complete the PNT Advisory Board. The board has been involved in the review of LightSquared's proposal at several points, including hearings in which Parkinson has participated, LightSquared said. Else members of the Planning board may besides stimulate conflicts of pastime, according to the petition. One phallus of the board has recused himself, but NASA has non given any member a release from conflict-of-interest rules.

While service of process on the PNT Advisory Control panel, Parkinson has participated in meetings about LightSquared's conjur for FCC approval and made recommendations against the company, likewise atomic number 3 trying to undermine the society in the eyes of other federal agencies, the petition said.

All the same, the troupe said it was not singling out Parkinson.

"The mental process was compromised," Neal said. "It goes much further than Parkinson."

Thursday's petition is same of several stairs LightSquared will hire to try to ensure a more fair and open decision-making serve on its proposal, Neal aforesaid. Among other things, the company said it has filed Freedom of Information Act requests for information about contacts 'tween various federal agencies and Trimble, Global Positioning System vendor Garmin, and the Coalition to Save Our GPS.

"We think if we are treated fairly, we will get the approvals we need," Neal said.

The complaint is unlikely to help LightSquared get its network skyward, said analyst Roger Entner of Recon Analytics. If the process of reviewing its bid were found improper, redoing IT would take a long fourth dimension, He said.

"The question is, does LightSquared have other 12 months to dwell?" Entner said.

Stephen Lawson covers mobile, storage and networking technologies for The IDG News Service. Follow Stephen on Twitter at @sdlawsonmedia. Sir Leslie Stephen's e-mail address is stephen_lawson@idg.com