BROWSING: GPS

Five connectivity challenges for drones

Amazon’s ambitions will push delivery drones’ battery lives to the limit and maybe beyond Last week, Amazon announced a partnership with the UK Government to explore how to enable the delivery of parcels by small drones. Crucially, the UK has agreed to let Amazon test “beyond...

Ligado files 5G plans with FCC, promises fair play with GPS

Ligado said it filed details of its 5G plans to tap 40 megahertz of midband spectrum to support mobile broadband deployments outside current GPS operations Ligado Networks, which earlier this year changed its name from LightSquared, is moving forward with plans to tap its 1.6...

LightSquared spectrum issues near resolution with GPS deals

LightSquared spectrum issues continue to progress with GPS deals, though challenges remain Beleaguered spectrum holder LightSquared said it reached an agreement with Garmin on spectrum use parameters for terrestrial service in the 1.6 GHz L-Band that could eventually lead to freeing up more than 50...

Reader Forum: External big data monetization – don’t miss the boat

Due to the proliferation of mobile devices, higher demand for mobile data and increased competition, communications service providers are constantly seeking new ways to monetize the immense amount of data that flows through their networks. Operators now have access to unique subscriber information that can...

Reader Forum: 5 reasons to switch from GPS handhelds to BYOD, GPS/GIS apps

You’re running late, you’re lost, you need directions. Today, all you need is your smartphone to get you where you want to go, not a dedicated GPS device. Take a look around and you'll notice professional surveyors who used to rely on clunky GPS...

Huawei antenna accesses L-band

Huawei plans initial deployment in Europe China-based hardware manufacturer Huawei announced a new L-band antenna designed to support ultra-wideband and multiband mobile connectivity. Huawei said it began research and development for the new L-band antenna last year, noting it’s the first to join UWB and multiband...

Reality Check: Today’s fast-evolving market for mobile navigation

Editor’s Note: Welcome to our weekly Reality Check column where C-level executives and advisory firms from across the mobile industry share unique insights and experiences. The market for mobile navigation and contextual search is switching gears due to new demands stemming from connected cars, wearable...

Report: Harbinger files lawsuit against federal government over LightSquared investment

LightSquared is looking to gain financial compensation from the federal government over losing its ability to offer wireless communication services. According to The Wall Street Journal, Harbinger Capital Partners, which controls LightSquared, filed a lawsuit against the government for withdrawing LightSquared’s access to its spectrum...

Reader Forum: Using location intelligence to create stellar customer relationships

For telecommunication companies, effectively managing customer relationships and delivering a critical service depends on understanding where customers are located in relation to the network they depend on.

LightSquared files for second attempt to exit bankruptcy protection

LightSquared is hoping that the second time will be a charm as the bankrupt spectrum license holder and satellite communications provider has reportedly filed a second attempt to exit bankruptcy reorganization backed by a trio of investment firms. Bloomberg reported that LightSquared has filed a...

Reader Forum: Locating opportunities for wireless carriers

The world of wireless location-based services is a marketplace in flux. In the early 1990s, when LBS first emerged as a commercial service, wireless carriers benefited from the success of in-car navigation,

Reader Forum: Moving beyond the ‘build it and they will come’ deployment strategy

With more than 50% of all American adults carrying a smartphone and tablet ownership doubling over the past year, it is clear consumers are

Reader Forum: When should a wireless carrier disclose location data to law enforcement?

Wireless carriers often receive court orders to assist electronic surveillance by law enforcement agencies. In fact, over the last decade, the number of court orders for electronic surveillance has doubled to some 3,000 per year,

Reader Forum: Enabling new revenue opportunities for LTE operators

Location service is an integral component of wireless technologies. Mobile devices, with their radio signal measurement and real‐time communication capabilities, are uniquely qualified to perform

2013 Predictions: Wireless location trends for 2013

ABI Research predicts revenues from wireless location-based services to surpass $4 billion in 2012, bolstered by consumer applications, enterprise applications and location solutions for public safety.

Reader Forum: LTE and the need for nanosecond-accurate network timing

Because LTE has been introduced in a somewhat staggered fashion and the true “4G” as defined by the International Telecommunications Union is yet to come in the form of LTE-Advanced,

Reality Check: New FCC proposed rules may lead to better location accuracy for E911 calls

Many people are unaware of the location-based services that underpin the provision of essential public safety services in the United States. The chief example is Enhanced 9-1-1 (E911) calls,

Ahuja steps down as LightSquared CEO

LightSquared’s convoluted path continued to twist today as the company announced its CEO Sanjiv Ahuja was leaving stepping down from that position, though was continuing as chairman of the board. Current chief network operator Doug Smith and CFO Marc Montagner were tapped to be...

FCC denies LightSquared’s access to spectrum

Updated: LightSquared’s attempts to become a wholesale provider of mobile broadband services appears to have come to an end as government regulators have declared that interference between LightSquared’s proposed spectrum and some GPS equipment was unavoidable. The decision comes just over a year after...

LightSquared seeks FCC action on GPS interference issue

With time now being a significant factor, LightSquared has filed comments with the Federal Communications Commission asking that the government agency develop receiver standards for unlicensed GPS devices. This issue has plagued the company, which has yet to gain access to its 1.6 GHz...

LightSquared garners 45-day extension from Sprint Nextel

LightSquared has reportedly garnered a six-week extension from Sprint Nextel to gain approval for use of its 1.6 GHz spectrum assets from the Federal Communications Commission that are currently tied up in interference issues with the GPS community. The six-week reprieve follows a month-long extension...

2012 Predictions: The battle to be your personal assistant

The enthusiastic acceptance of Apple’s Siri, with its combination of speech recognition and natural language understanding, has demonstrated the practicality and attractiveness of a voice-enabled personal assistant user interface.

LightSquared calls foul over latest GPS interference testing

LightSquared continues to cry foul in its ongoing attempt to secure governmental approval to use its 1.6 GHz spectrum assets to launch a mobile telecommunications service. Throwing together a last-minute media call yesterday, LightSquared claims that a recent test of GPS devices by the Air...

LightSquared again fails GPS interference test

Following contentious leaks of the results earlier this week, a government technical group released a report showing continued interference issues between general purpose GPS receivers, flight safety systems and LightSquared’s planned use of 1.6 GHz spectrum. “Preliminary analysis of the test findings found no significant...