Globalstar TLPS Assertions Leaves Big Questions, Gerst Capital Says

Globalstar has yet to respond to Bluetooth and Wi-Fi channel 11 interference evidence about its proposed terrestrial low-power Wi-Fi service (TLPS), Gerst Capital said in an ex parte filing posted Thursday in docket 13-213. According to the filing, Greg Gerst, principal at the hedge fund and a frequent TLPS plan critic (see 1503190025), met with International Bureau and Office of Engineering and Technology staff to lay out what Gerst considers unresolved technical issues and urge the agency to terminate the proceeding. Globalstar's claim that only very specialized equipment could detect any negative effect from TLPS interference on hearing aids using Bluetooth Low Energy is faulty, since neither Globalstar nor consultant Roberson & Associates has experience in testing techniques for evaluating interference's effect on speech intelligibility, Gerst said. Tests also show increased interference on channel 11 from TLPS, and more tests are needed so the FCC can "understand how much and in what manner TLPS will interfere with Wi-Fi," as previous Globalstar tests using noncommercial, network-layer-only test tools gave insufficient data, Gerst said. Various reports have shown a significant percentage of access points and consumer device software would need modifying to allow TLPS, and that TLPS impairment could vary notably from device to device because of manufacturing variations, as well as hour-to-hour on a single device due to "temperature motion" of the filter, Gerst said. Meanwhile, Globalstar's own March demonstration -- aimed at showing how TLPS would not materially interfere with Bluetooth or channel 11 -- involved access points operating below maximum transmit power level, which doesn't reflect what often happens in the real world, Gerst said. Globalstar has dismissed Gerst criticisms in the past as coming from a short seller trying to sow doubt.