Globalstar Passes Final Hurdle To Win FCC Approval for TLPS, Gallant Says
Globalstar’s proposed authenticated Wi-Fi terrestrial low-power service (TLPS) wouldn’t interfere with neighboring Wi-Fi networks at 2.4 GHz and could relieve congestion, Guggenheim Securities analyst Paul Gallant said in a note Wednesday. Globalstar released results of its TLPS demonstration at the…
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FCC Technology Experience Center on March 6 and 9. The test was conducted by test lab AT4 Wireless, venture fund Jarvinian Ventures and technology consultant Roberson & Associates, Globalstar said. “American consumers will benefit significantly from the provision of TLPS across 22 megahertz of additional broadband spectrum in the 2.4 GHz band,” it said in an ex parte notice posted Wednesday in docket 13-213. TLPS works well with Wi-Fi operations on IEEE 802.11 channel 11 and Bluetooth device operations in the unlicensed Industrial, Scientific and Medical band at 2400 to 2483.5 MHz, it said. Globalstar will likely win FCC approval in the first half of 2015, Gallant said. The commission asked for a technical demonstration at a Feb. 6 roundtable to address engineering concerns, and Globalstar, Bluetooth, NCTA and the Wi-Fi Alliance developed joint test plans at the commission on March 6 and 9, he said. Opponents of the system might file their own analysis of the tests, he said. The TLPS test created “meaningful improvement in existing Wi-Fi,” including a 40 percent increase in overall throughput when Wi-Fi traffic is spread across TLPS, Gallant said. “Greater congestion relief is likely in a noisier, real-world environment with many Wi-Fi access points contending for Wi-Fi channels.” Gerst Capital filed an opposition comment, questioning if any device operating on Wi-Fi Channel 14 was subject to Part 15.247 testing, to measure emissions limits at 2495 MHz instead of 2483.5 MHz. Deploying an inferior legacy standard isn't a viable option for TLPS, said manager of Gerst Capital Greg Gerst in his comment. "Publically available data refutes many key statements that Globalstar has made," said Gerst, who has an engineering background. He found discrepancies in Globalstar's tests. "I suspect there's something wrong in their test setup. They’re salesmen. All the so-called testing they’ve done is superficial at best, dubious at worst."