Rocky Mountain Tracking » GPS Tracking Devices

NTIA Says “LightSquared is in Wonderland”

John Chapman — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 17:00:49 +0000

Let’s get the critical, boring information out of the way first: OSTP is a government organization. OSTP stands for the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy.

Here’s the scoop: a little over 13,000 documents regarding the LightSquared matter were just released by OSTP, chronicling the fascinating implosion of the $3 billion company.

What’s “the LightSquared matter?” LightSquared is a company with an ambitious goal: providing a 4G network to the entire lower 48. The company started in high spirits, with a massive investment from billionaire Philip Falcone, and jubilant courting of the FCC for the proper slices of airwaves to provide that network to data-hungry consumers.

As LightSquared designed its network, they ran into a bit of a hiccup: they needed transmitters to boost the 4G signal. As engineering went forward, they discovered they needed a lot of transmitters: over 40,000.

Testing began, and disaster struck. LightSquared’s frequencies were disrupting GPS signals all over the place. If the network went live, then airliners, government GPS trackers, cell phones, tablet computers, vehicle GPSs, and fleet GPS trackers would go wacky. The results might be cataclysmic.

LightSquared moved forward while the GPS industry cried foul. The result is a now-political mess resembling a technological and industrial Vietnam War.

Now that those OSTP documents have been released, a fascinating chronicle of LightSquared’s (doomed?) effort is publicly available. One email, from an administrator in the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), bore the subject line, “LightSquared is in Wonderland.”

And so LightSquared stands in a unique position. Its allies are beginning to ditch. Only Sprint, which partnered in the LightSquared venture early on, remains. However, they may only hold on until mid-March as the company struggles to resolve its FCC woes and build a proper network that does not shut down GPS signals.

What will remain once the LightSquared mess is over is this: a seemingly unquenchable consumer demand for wireless Internet. With consumers desiring an Internet connection anywhere, everywhere, all the time, faster than it ever was, LightSquared’s vision of capitalizing on that demand appears to be drifting off into Wonderland.

LightSquared and GPS Play the Blame Game

Marisa O'Connor — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 17:00:06 +0000

For more than a year, LightSquared has been fighting for the right to develop a nationwide wireless broadband network. The company has reserved the spectrum adjacent to the constellation of GPS satellites. The spectrum was originally designated for satellite use, but LightSquared was granted permission for terrestrial use of the space in 2005. However, before the service can be launched, the FCC is requiring that LightSquared prove their broadband signals will not cause interference for established GPS devices.

The GPS industry and U.S. military are lobbying hard to protect the existing GPS signals. Not only would interference affect thousands of citizens’ smartphone GPS signals, but more dangerously, it could affect emergency response teams, military operations and air traffic control. After recent testing showed too much interference, the FCC denied LightSquared’s request to go ahead with development. LightSquared understandably didn’t take the news well and even accused the government of rigging the testing process. Further, LightSquared is pushing responsibility for the signal interference on the GPS industry, saying that they should be responsible for adding filters to their sensitive receivers.

“While the Commission often differs to market forces rather than directly regulating receiver performance, regulation of RNSS receivers is needed because the market has failed to provide a sufficient incentive for all manufacturers of commercial RNSS receivers to ensure that their devices operate reliably in the vicinity of authorized transmitters in adjacent bands.”

The battle between the GPS industry and LightSquared seems to heat up with each passing month, and the company says it’s not opposed to taking legal action if it comes to that. LightSquared certainly has a lot at stake, including a multiyear, multibillion dollar deal with Sprint Nextel. If the company fails to get regulatory approval by mid-March, they could lose their deal.

LightSquared vs. Agriculture

Khristen Foss — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 16:58:32 +0000

After results were released by the Department of Commerce committee put in place by the FCC to decide the fate of LightSquared’s 4G LTE network, the company has fought back and is blaming the process, stating it was flawed. As we reported here at RMT last week, the committee concluded there was no need for additional testing which was conducted to determine whether or not the network interferes with the operation of countless GPS devices used all over the world.

Millions count on a GPS device of some form each day, whether it is a navigation device in a car or a tracking device relied upon to keep rescue workers safe. The committee concluded that the interference was so bad, “no additional testing is warranted at this time” regardless of fixes mentioned by LightSquared. It was even mentioned in a letter from the co-chairs of the committee, deputy secretaries of the Departments of Defense and Transportation, that the FAA themselves determined it would interfere with their flight safety systems which rely on GPS tracking technology.

One industry making its opinion heard on the issue is the agricultural industry. If LightSquared is approved to expand access to broadband, roughly 500,000 precision GPS receivers will be negatively effected. More and more farmers rely on these receivers to guide their tractors through the fields, saving them billions in the long run. Imagine the catastrophes that could occur if the tractor tilling the fields veers off course due to interference with the device receiving the GPS coordinates.

LightSquared is quick to defend themselves, up in arms over the decision made by the DOC committee. They feel the review was “fraught with inappropriate involvement of the GPS manufacturers, lax controls, obvious bias, lack of transparency, and unexplained delays.” They go on to state that their own tests prove their solution for the interference problem, an add-on filter for the GPS device itself, “works flawlessly.” The National Association of Wheat Growers points out in numerous letters written to the FCC an agreement must be reached which deals with the interference problem, filter or no filter. If a filter is required, they feel farmers shouldn’t have to worry about shelling out their own money, but rather LightSquared should foot the bill.

The Coalition to Save Our GPS weighs in: “LightSquared has been afforded every possible opportunity to make its technical case and has failed to demonstrate that it can avoid interference to many critical GPS-based activities…At this point, there is no evidence that any further modifications to its proposal would yield a different conclusion.” One thing is quite certain as the war wages on: if LightSquared is granted the ability to take over that band of the spectrum and devices all over the world that rely on accurate GPS location begin malfunctioning, it could prove catastrophic. Agriculture is such a small piece of the larger picture that makes up the GPS device-driven world we live in today, as so many people in so many different industries rely on the technology on a daily basis. Will this decision affect you in your daily life? Share with us how this decision could affect your life by commenting below. Keep checking in here at RMT for more on this battle for broadband.

GPS Tracking Program in Santa Fe for Repeat Burglary Cases

Hillary Mayfield — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 17:00:01 +0000

With overcrowded prisons and the high cost of incarcerating a criminal, officials in Santa Fe, New Mexico have recently started a new program that they hope will ease the burden of both problems on society. Police will use GPS tracking ankle bracelets on convicted burglars in an effort to deter them from repeat crimes.

The Problem
Studies have found that burglars tend to go right back to their crimes once released from prison. Almost like an addiction, repeat incarcerations seem to have little effect, and it costs the taxpayer thousands of dollars every year. The fact of the matter is that police often note spikes in burglary type crimes whenever a burglar is released from jail. In an ABC News report, Santa Fe Police Captain Eric Wheeler said that the use of GPS technology is an alternative to re-incarceration that he hopes will prove effective in reducing the number of burglaries.

The Program
According to Chief Deputy District Attorney Doug Couler of Santa Fe, the program will focus on those convicted burglars who have long sentences, multiple convictions, or a history of juvenile burglary. District prosecutors and police will work with a defendant’s attorney to determine whether the individual qualifies for the program. In light of the current case before the Supreme Court in regards to GPS tracking and Fourth Amendment rights, the full cooperation of the defendant must be obtained to maintain the Constitutionality of the program. The individual must waive his right to privacy since the police will have unrestricted access to the data collected from the GPS-enabled tracking device put on the defendant’s person. Those enrolled in the program must also agree to obtain a job in order to be a contributing member of society.

The Procedure
The tracking devices have both passive and real-time tracking capabilities. Those enrolled in the program will be monitored only passively unless there is a rash of burglaries in the area where the defendant lives or if the crimes seem to reflect a particular individual’s modus operandi. In that case, police will contact the GPS tracking company to obtain the real-time data that can either place the individual at the scene of the crime or clear him of wrongdoing.

Since longer jail times and repeat incarcerations do not seem to be effective, authorities in Santa Fe hope that GPS technology and the knowledge that someone is watching will be enough to deter these otherwise harmless criminals from committing more burglaries.

GPS in Taxi Helps Australian Rape Victim’s Case

Khristen Foss — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 17:00:13 +0000

It is any woman’s worst nightmare. After a night of heavy drinking, a 24 year old woman jumped into a taxi and consequently passed out in the backseat. What she claims happened next is currently being debated in front of a jury, who must decide if the two men involved are guilty of the charges against them: sexual penetration without consent. This is indeed no easy task due to her incoherent condition, but the GPS tracking device installed inside the taxis taken by both men should make things much easier.

Prosecutor Janelle Scutt laid out the gory details in her opening statement. The victim was denied access to the Hip-E nightclub, and decided that maybe it was time to head home. As such, she hailed the cab of Amrit Pal Singh, 31. She passed out, and he called another cab driver, Prabhjit Singh Gill, 36, to meet him in a parking lot off of the Kwinana Freeway. Gill obliged, and the two men proceeded to rape the victim. Singh faces one charge of sexual penetration without consent, while Gill faces two for allegedly grabbing her head and penetrating her mouth as well.

The two men deny the charges, but the fact that the Swan Taxi Company equips their vehicles with GPS tracking devices makes it quite difficult to believe them. Upon reviewing the information gathered by the GPS tracking devices on both taxis, it was determined the two men met up at the park around the time the victim was picked up, and more importantly, they remained there for 30 to 45 minutes.

As if the GPS location information isn’t incriminating enough, DNA swabs taken the day following the alleged rape are confirmed to match Singh’s DNA.

Of course, with all of the evidence stacked against the men, they will likely jump to the “she gave consent” he-said-she-said defense. Scutt addressed this in her opening arguments: “It was without her consent. She couldn’t provide consent…at the time she (the victim) was at best in a state of semi consciousness.” In other words, she may not have said no, but she definitely did not say yes.

The trial is slated to go on for at least five days.

GPS Tracking Device Critical in Boat Accident Rescue

RMT GPS News — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 21:00:31 +0000

GPS tracking devices have been responsible for scores of happy endings, from lost dogs being returned to their owners to stolen possessions being recovered to Alzheimer’s patients being found after wandering away from home. Perhaps one of the most exciting of these stories occurred off the coast of Sydney, Australia when a GPS-equipped EPIRB beacon saved the lives of four people after their fishing boat sank.

Two boys and their dads were out on a fishing excursion when, for unknown reasons, the boat was compromised and began sinking rapidly. In less than a minute, the four passengers were left floating in icy water, kept afloat by their life jackets and a cooler. Scott Smiles, one of the dads, also grabbed an Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon (EPIRB) which alerted rescuers that they needed help. The beacon sent a signal to the NSW Police marine area personnel, pinpointing the group’s location and ensuring their rescue in less than an hour.

EPIRB beacons are safety beacons which, when activated, broadcast the beacon’s location to search and rescue teams. They are commonly installed on boats, with many countries requiring commercial ships to carry them. Owners of pleasure boats and yachts often take advantage of the safety reassurance offered by the devices as well. While not all EPIRBs have GPS tracking devices installed, those that do can broadcast an exact location to a network of search and rescue satellites, enabling rescuers to identify the position of the beacon and send help immediately. This information often proves vital in reducing the amount of time needed to find survivors and increasing the chances of survival. Without the technology, a rescue such as the one near the Australian coastline could take days.

Search and rescue teams credit GPS-equipped EPIRBs with enabling them to perform their jobs more efficiently. By pinpointing the location of the carrier, the beacon can give rescuers the information they need to save lives while reducing search time by hours or days.

The remarkable rescue in Australia can be attributed both to the forethought of the boat owner in equipping the craft with the safety beacon and the quick thinking of Mr. Smiles in grabbing and activating the beacon before the boat went down. With the aid of the EPIRB, a story that could have ended tragically resulted in another happy ending that can be added to the accomplishments of GPS tracking devices.

A GPS Crime Ring in Michigan

Hillary Mayfield — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 21:00:53 +0000

Crime rings have always existed, but in this age of technology, the rings have expanded to include cell phones, laptops, and, yes, GPS units. In Troy, Michigan, police pursued a year-long investigation after a number of in-dash GPS systems had been reported as stolen; they suspected a larger operation. In late 2011, Willie Pittman, already on probation for receiving and concealing stolen goods, was arrested in connection with a large crime ring of stolen car parts. The ring extended to multiple cities in Michigan, including Detroit, Southland, Grosse Pointe Park, and Harper Woods.

In the fall of 2010, four people were arrested in Troy for stealing GPS units from cars. Investigators discovered that these people were just the tip of a much bigger iceberg. The ring included lower-level thieves who would sell their stolen goods to middlemen for about $200. The middlemen would then refurbish the items and sell them online for thousands of dollars through sites like Craigslist and ebay. They would sell to dealers both in the United States as well as overseas. When police searched Pittman’s business and warehouses, they found thirteen pickup truck loads of stolen GPS units and car parts, worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. Pittman’s so-called business was only a front for his criminal activity.

One interesting case that came to light in this investigation was a young man whose in-dash GPS unit and CD player had been stolen. After a time, he took his car to the dealer to be repaired. When he got his car back and went to program the new GPS unit, he found that his settings were already in place. Then when he pushed the eject button on the CD player, a CD with his handwriting on it popped out. The dealer had unknowingly purchased a refurbished system from a middleman working in the crime ring and installed it in the victim’s car.

Warnings have gone out about keeping GPS units as well as the brackets that hold them out of view. It has even been recommended that residue left by suction cups be wiped away. Many cars today come with built-in GPS systems as part of the package, and now the only advice police can give is to keep cars locked and report stolen property immediately; the very item a thief stole may just lead authorities directly to his location.

Navigation Apps Encroaching on Sales of Handheld GPS Devices

Khristen Foss — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 17:00:09 +0000

Smartphones have taken the world by storm, with more and more people all over the world purchasing them each day. It’s easy to see why. These little gadgets bring the power of the internet and GPS technology to the palm of your hand, wherever you may be, all by a few screen taps and swipes. Anything you can imagine doing on your computer can likely be done right from your phone.

One notable feature of these powerful devices seems to be bringing the handheld GPS device to extinction: the variety of navigational apps on the market which perform just as good as the latest dash mounted standalone navigation device. Garmin’s sales in the third quarter of 2011 dropped 11.4 percent, and their CFO blames the popularity of both smartphones and dashboard-integrated GPS in cars.

Unfortunately, not all navigation and map apps are created equal. As amazing as the smartphone may be, its GPS technology is not as reliable or simple to use as a handheld or dash mounted GPS device. With Garmin as an example, their Nuvi 3790LMT model offers 3D images of streets and voice recognition and a simple user interface that keep people serious about their navigational capabilities shelling out the money to purchase this product, whether they own a smartphone or not. Besides, who wants to strain to see the details on the map displayed on the tiny screen of your phone? It is much easier to see the handheld navigation device’s screen.

If you’re one of the many who rely on your phone to tell you how to get to where you are going, you should heed Consumer Reports’ Jim Travers’ warning: “There are plenty of free options available, but we’ve found you get what you pay for.” His advice is to pick an app developed by one of the major GPS device manufacturers like Tomtom, Garmin, Navigon and Magellan. “It’s no surprise that the companies whose GPS navigators do best in our testing also make some of the top apps for the iPhone,” says Travers. Prepare yourself to pay as much as $60, but if you are planning on using the navigational app often, this amount is well worth it.

According to Consumer Reports, some extra savings are available by selecting a limited region when downloading maps, or watching for sales. If you plan on using this technology on a daily basis, you might want to invest in a handheld GPS device you can mount to your dashboard to ensure ease of use, reliability, and most of all, sanity.

LightSquared Wins Additional Month to Get Green Light From FCC

Khristen Foss — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 16:50:25 +0000

LightSquared, looking to become a national LTE data service provider by using Sprint’s Network Vision infrastructure already in place, has been granted extra time to win over the FCC by Sprint itself. Partnering with Sprint, rather than building their own network, will save LightSquared approximately $13 billion in costs. They are looking to use what is called the “L band,” which happens to be next to the band used by GPS satellites. The problem is that certain GPS devices, in attempts to lock onto a satellite to gather location data, scan multiple frequencies rather than just their assigned band. Because the LTE network is much more powerful than the measly GPS device, interference to the GPS device is an obstacle.

“[GPS vendors] are asserting the right to be able to continue to build these grossly inefficient receivers forever,” said LightSquared’s Jeff Carlisle. LightSquared is attempting to get the FCC to state that these GPS devices shouldn’t be granted interference protection when they are in LightSquared’s band.

Sprint’s deadline change comes after December 31, the day the initial 15-year partnership agreement drafted in July was set to expire. Sprint, in the agreement, offers to host LightSquared’s band on its own Network Vision network for $9 billion and the use of a bit of LightSquared’s space. Sprint has said they still plan on implementing their Network Vision plan whether or not they can reach an agreement with LightSquared, which is simply to grow their network. They plan on reaching 120 million US customers by the end of 2012, and 250 million at the end of 2013. They are giving LightSquared until the 30^th of January to impress the FCC.

The FCC is conducting interference tests and complaints keep coming in from GPS device vendors, making it unlikely LightSquared will win. Some experts, like Roger Entner of Recon Analytics, feel that the only way the FCC will approve their plan is if they change everything, which has them starting from Point A all over again. That will make it quite difficult to meet the January 30^th deadline.

There is still hope Sprint will extend the deadline in the event an agreement is not reached by the current deadline. If not, it won’t hurt Sprint’s feelings in the slightest, as they intend on sticking with growing Network Vision regardless of the outcome. LightSquared isn’t big in the financial picture of growing Sprint’s network, so postponing the agreement won’t affect them at all. “It doesn’t cost them anything to extend the deal with LightSquared,” Entner said.

GPS Devices Used to Protect Electoral Integrity in India

Khristen Foss — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 17:00:18 +0000

Transparency International, a corruption watchdog operating out of Berlin, conducted a study in 2005 which showed 55% of Indians have either paid bribes or done favors to make things happen politically. In fact, back in 2008, there were a whopping 120 members out of India’s 522 person parliament were facing some form of criminal charges. It doesn’t just begin when one is elected to office, but can be traced back to election day as well. There are often bribes handed out at polling places to get a voter to cast a vote in your favor, bribes of things such as liquor or money.

The District Election Office (DEO) of Ramabai Nagar has taken a step to eradicate incidents such as this by affixing GPS devices in polling officers’ vehicles. The Chief Electoral Office would like to see this program in place all over, but they don’t believe it will happen in other districts until after the next election.

Officials feel GPS devices will be most useful on election day itself, protecting against a host of problems that can arise. As soon as a disturbance at a polling booth is reported to the DEO, officials will be able to alert the appropriate authorities.

Not only will the GPS devices help direct police to problem areas, it will also alert DEO officials of problems with the voting machines themselves. District Election Officer Mayur Maheshwari says, “GPS-installed vehicles will enable us to control any situation in the shortest possible time. The sector officers and police officials will be rushed immediately to the problem area.”

The vehicles receiving the devices include the vehicles of every sector officer, returning officer, and district magistrates, as well as any other vehicle that relates to the department. They only hope these devices aid in controlling polling problems, such as defective equipment or corrupt candidates and their representatives, to restore credibility to the election process in India.