COGO Submits Comments to FCC on LightSquared.

COGO, of which MAPPS is a member, has commented to the FCC that the application by LightSquared will adversely affect activities of the geospatial community.

MAPPS urges member firms and geospatial professionals to submit comments to the FCC. The deadline to submit is tomorrow, July 30.

GPS is Being Threatened, LightSquared Update

GPS is being threatened. An application to the Federal Communications Commission by the firm LightSquared, to gain spectrum access for a planned wholesale 4G LTE (Long Term Evolution) wireless broadband communications network integrated with satellite coverage across the United States, has raised concerns from a broad cross-section of GPS users due to LightSquared’s interference with GPS.

Earlier this year, MAPPS filed a comment with the FCC in opposition to the LightSquared application.

Additionally, MAPPS was active in gaining unanimous approval of the Coalition of Geospatial Organizations (COGO) for a letter in opposition to LightSquared and FGDC or NGAC

An excellent resource for information on this issue is the Coalition to Save Our GPS.

While FCC previously granted LightSquared a conditional waiver, the FCC also directed that

LightSquared conduct tests to determine the extent of the interference with GPS.

The Technical Working Group (TWG), which consisted of LightSquared and representatives from the GPS user and manufacturer communities tested more than 100 different GPS devices. The tests, conducte in several test environments, found network deployment proposed by LightSquared would indeed cause interference to millions of GPS users. FCC released the report on June 30 and issued a new call for comments. Such comments are due July 30.

MAPPS has again submitted comments. Individual geospatial professionals, as well as MAPPS member firms, are encouraged to submit comments of their own.

Meanwhile, Congress is moving to prevent FCC approval of the LightSquared application. The appropriations bill to fund the FCC for fiscal year 2012 (which begins October 1, 2011) includes a provision limiting FCC’s funding until it resolves the concerns of possible widespread harmful interference to the GPS system before giving final approval to the application.

MAPPS Advocacy on Precise Geolocation Information Highlighted in Analysis of Filed Comments to the FTC

The Information Law Group has been monitoring privacy regulations at the State and Federal level, including the recent draft from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). MAPPS, along with other geospatial associations and private firms, submitted comments addressing the use of "precise geolocation data". MAPPS is concerned with this term as it "would result in a number of unintended consequences by severely limiting information collected by the geospatial community".

The Information Law Group has released their findings in a post titled What's Next for the FTC's Proposed Privacy Framework? 

Within the five points made by the group, Point #5 – FTC will define 'Precise Geolocation Data' in its Next Framework.

The independent group focused on the response from geospatial associations and private firms that submitted comments on this threat. MAPPS was diligent through this blog and outreach to the geospatial community about the potential threat this could pose to the profession. This was identified in the post:

"This serves to highlight how closely the reports of agencies with regulatory and enforcement authority, like the FTC, are scrutinized by groups and associations. More likely the FTC's inclusion of “precise geolocation data” was a placeholder nod to location-based tracking and information increasingly sent out by GPS-enabled smartphones. But words matter. Definitions define. And entities are wary of any governmental action that could effect their industry."

This is only the beginning to what is sure to be evolving debate at the Federal and State level with regards to consumer and internet privacy. MAPPS will continue to help educate officials about the benefits and broad use of geospatial and geolocation technologies.  This is noted at the end of the post, the broad concerns of our profession will be subject to scrutiny from a lack of understanding:

"In short, expect the FTC to address geospatial and geolocation issues further within any broader online privacy framework moving forward, though as noted above, the State Attorneys General, like the FTC, appear to have completely missed the broader concerns of this group. "

In addition, MAPPS mobilized geospatial organizations including COGO, FGDC and The Centre for Spatial Law and Policy (Spatial Law) to submit comments to the FTC. The geospatial market “flooded” both the FTC and FCC with comments. MAPPS will continue to monitor the FTC’s recommendations and update the community.