New hyperlocal business directory ZoomBusiness designed to help Main Street businesses across North America engage with local residents
GIS Planning has launched an online tool that enables local businesses across North America to communicate with customers for free in real time.
ZoomBusiness, created in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, is an interactive, mobile-responsive mapping directory for communities that ensures customers can find open restaurants, stores and services in their region at no charge.
Businesses can list themselves for free on their local ZoomBusiness site, hosted by economic development organizations like cities, towns, counties or chambers of commerce. The businesses can provide customized details including websites, modified hours, delivery or curbside pickup options, promotions and gift card stimulus programs.
Residents can search for area businesses by categories, including grocery stores, pharmacies, banks, health facilities, hardware stores, pet stores and automotive shops, among others.
North America deployment
Local ZoomBusiness sites have already been deployed in more than 20 communities across North America during its soft launch, including regions of eastern Pennsylvania;, the City of Columbia, South Carolina; the state of Wyoming (which has listed more than 600 businesses on the directory); and Abbotsford, British Columbia.
“We created ZoomBusiness after realizing that small businesses need new, accurate ways to communicate that they are still open to their customers, given that social distancing requirements, product availability and operating hours are changing by the day,” said Pablo Monzon, managing director and co-founder, GIS Planning. “Our development team has created an intuitive tool to index and map business information across North America in real-time, and we believe it will be an enormous resource for the communities we serve.”
ZoomBusiness is a simple-to-use data tool, powered by Google Maps, using various layers for precise queries. Businesses are prompted to directly enter information on their current status and the content is verified by the organization hosting the GIS tool.
GIS Planning also added free map layers, including a COVID-19 case map updated daily by the New York Times, and a job-loss vulnerability index using recent employment data from Chmura.
Screenshot: GIS Planning
Columbia, South Carolina
The city of Columbia features 180 businesses on ZoomBusiness, helping residents discover delivery and curbside food options. That number is expected to quickly rise to more than 300 as business owners input data. Columbia will continue to promote safe and responsible “Shop Local” practices, Coleman added, in hopes that residents will take advantage of the service and support local businesses.
“Through our work with GIS Planning, we’ve been able to take our list of open restaurants and businesses and integrate it into the available properties map on our website,” said Ryan Coleman, director of the City of Columbia Office of Economic Development. “During this crisis, local businesses need every advantage we can give them, and this is another tool in their arsenal in helping to mitigate the negative impact of COVID-19.”
Abbotsford, British Columbia
The new solution has also made an impact in Canada, including the City of Abbotsford, British Columbia, which is promoting 130 businesses ranging from grocers to auto shops and medical suppliers.
“This is a resource that fills an urgent need. The long-term health and security of our businesses depend, in part, on the decisions we’re making right now,” said Kim O’Sullivan, City of Abbotsford’s economic development coordinator. “ZoomBusiness allows owners to communicate directly with their customers, many of whom would frequent these businesses, even online, if they knew they were able to do so.”
ZoomBusiness clients are given a unique link to their region which is then shared across organizational websites and social media to reach residents.
“Main Street businesses are truly the lifeblood of a community,” said Alissa Sklar, vice president of marketing for GIS Planning. “According to FEMA, up to 40% of small businesses never reopen after a major disaster. With ZoomBusiness, we want to help make sure the local restaurants, retailers and service providers that define local communities are still there to serve area residents when this pandemic is over.”
GIS Planning has made its ZoomBusiness tool free for its existing economic development clients (those using its investment attraction map, ZoomProspector); it is also available to new clients for a nominal fee. Prices are indexed to population size to keep them affordable for all communities. New clients can also be set up and ready to launch the tool within one day.
Following the COVID-19 recovery, data experts at GIS Planning forecast continued use of the directory to promote small and medium-sized businesses across North America.
The Esri User Conference, which usually takes place in San Diego in July, will this year be held virtually.
“As a result of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) crisis, we are making the decision to move the 2020 Esri User Conference in San Diego to a virtual format. This is a great disappointment to me personally, as I know it will be for many of you,” Esri CEO Jack Dangermond told those planning to attend in an April 22 e-mail.
The following is an outline of Esri’s current plan, with more information available in the Esri UC FAQs:
The event will take place July 13–15, 2020.
The plenary session, technical workshops and Esri Showcase will be virtual, featuring many demonstrations and live discussions during the conference.
There will be many opportunities for networking, collaboration and real-time interaction with Esri experts and staff.
User presentations and the map gallery will be featured digitally.
A library of recorded sessions and demos will be created and kept available as an ongoing resource.
Registration will be complimentary for all Esri customers who are current on their maintenance or subscription.
“Forty years ago this month, we had our first User Conference in Redlands, California, with only a handful of participants,” Dangermond wrote. “While initially no one was quite sure of what the outcome would be, the event started an ongoing tradition where Esri and our users would come together, share our work, learn and create a community of common interests.
“That first meeting on the Esri campus provided the groundwork for the annual event at which thousands of professionals from every corner of the globe meet one another, share inspiring examples of work and learn from each other’s experiences.
“While we can’t replicate the experience of being together in person, we will do our best to create an amazing event that will continue to move you and our community forward. One of the benefits of going with a virtual format will be that organizations will be able to send an unlimited number of attendees.”
In March, the U.S. government received an unusual inquiry about GPS disruptions. It was from a user in Iran reporting what appeared to be “circle spoofing” — a phenomenon that had only previously been observed in China.
“Some of GPS devices received fake signal and show the fake valid location. Yesterday I test a device, it can get signal and give real position. After 10 minutes the device show moving around a big circle in tehran by 35 km/h speed. I can’t fix this problem by restarting the device.
“The GPS module time is correct but the location is not. I attach Excel file of data and map of the track. I can’t get any response from Communications Regulatory Authority (CRA) of The I.R. of Iran. Do you know about this?”
Here is one of the images provided by the reporting source:
GPS spoofing device in operation at Iran’s Army Command and Staff College. (Screenshot courtesy of Dana Goward)
A little internet research showed that the spoofing was taking place at or near Iran’s “AJA University of Command and Staff,” formerly called the “War University.” It is the staff college for Iran’s Army.
Reports to the U.S. government about GPS disruption are normally listed on the U.S. Coast Guard’s Navigation Center website. This one has not been posted. Coast Guard officials said that it is because the report was received by another agency and did not contain sufficient information. Attempts by Coast Guard personnel to contact the reporting source for more information to enable the report to be posted were unsuccessful.
GPS spoofing is often easiest to detect in maritime areas. Ship automatic identification system (AIS) transmissions include location data and are detected by satellite. The data is then aggregated and used by various companies for a number of applications. Viewing ship location reports over time has revealed thousands of ship receivers spoofed to airports in Russia, and hundreds spoofed into circles (presumably around the spoofing device) in China.
Clearly, though, any system that aggregates and displays GPS location data can help detect wide area spoofing activity.
Strava is a mobile app for runners and cyclists. The company aggregates location data and displays it on a heat map to highlight athletes’ favorite routes.
The Strava heat map for Tehran shows that circle spoofing has also been employed in at least one other location. The below screenshot shows GPS-enabled fitness trackers circling a government complex that houses offices for several defense and technology-related organizations.
This heat map shows GPS spoofing at a government complex in Tehran,which houses the Ministry of Defense, Communication Regulatory Authority, Telecommunications Infrastructure Company, and Ministry of Telecommunications and Technology. (Screenshot: courtesy of Dana Goward)
Iran was the first nation to publicly announce it had the ability to spoof GPS signals and seems to have used it to great advantage.
In 2011, a CIA drone that had been operating across the border in Afghanistan landed at an Iranian airfield. Iran’s government claimed that its forces had sent false signals to the drone’s GPS receiver in order to capture it.
At first, U.S. government officials said that this kind of spoofing was not possible. Several months later, Prof. Todd Humphreys demonstrated how it could be done to a drone at the University of Texas football stadium.
U.S. officials then admitted that spoofing was possible, but said it wasn’t what happened to the CIA drone. At the same time, they offered no alternate explanation of how the drone was captured.
In 2016 Iranian forces captured two U.S. Navy boats that had strayed into Iran’s territorial waters. This was just after President Obama had succeeded in pressing that nation to give up nuclear weapons research, and was on the same day as Obama’s last State of the Union address. There was little reason for the U.S. Navy boats to have veered so far off course, and it was clear that the Iranian Navy was waiting for them.
Many speculated that Iran had spoofed GPS signals to lure the U.S. Navy boats into Iranian waters. U.S. officials have denied that this was the cause of the incident, but have not publicly offered an alternate explanation other than “mis-navigation.”
During heightened tensions in the Persian Gulf in 2019, Iran shot down a U.S. surveillance drone and President Trump seemed ready to launch a retaliatory strike. This was called off at the last minute. According to some reports, the strike was canceled because of the likelihood the drone was in Iranian airspace at the time.
At about the same time British intelligence was warning merchant vessels in the area that Iran was attempting to use GPS spoofing to lure them into Iranian waters as a pretext for seizing the ships.
While the Middle East has been a hotbed of jamming and conventional spoofing for years, these recent circle-spoofing incidents are the first of the kind we know of in the region. It may well be that Iranian forces have recently received equipment from China and are experimenting with it. They could also be using it to deter GPS guided drones and disrupt other surveillance systems in the vicinity of sensitive government facilities.
Traxens has introduced new pricing for its smart containers tracking system to help global partners manage the challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The COVID-19 pandemic is affecting supply chains across the globe. In a volatile market, supply chains must be resilient and able to adjust quickly and efficiently. Changes to global trade agreements and other factors always create some degree of uncertainty in supply chains,” Traxens stated in a press release. “This year however, COVID-19 has taken supply chain uncertainty to a whole new level.”
Traxens’ smart-container solutions provide real-time visibility into global shipments. Its smart containers and data services give customers key data insights about when, where and why disruptions or delays occur. With accurate insights provided, customers can make quick decisions and collaborate with partners and customers to minimize costs, delays and backlogs.
“If everyone across the supply chain has access to these vital insights, the industry will be better placed to return to normal once the pandemic has been brought under control.”
CAST Navigation LLC has developed the capability to support development and implementation of the Modernized Navstar Security Algorithm (MNSA). The U.S. Department of Defense granted in January CAST MNSA security approval, enabling its simulators to test M-code.
The new software will support M-code using the classified security algorithm. M-code is an updated GPS military signal that is part of the modernization of the current GPS constellation.
The CAST-MNSA is a significant addition to CAST Navigation’s suite of classified signal capabilities and is available on all of the company’s simulators. The feature will be instrumental in the effort toincorporate MNSA capability into GPS receivers. CAST provides development, integration and testing life-cycle support for the next generation of navigation systems.
“Our GNSS/INS simulators and test equipment are critical tools used to validate and verify the performance of navigation systems, and this feature ensures that our customers can keep pace with advances in technology and capability,” said Susan Gove, president and CEO of CAST Navigation.
“The classified product feature continues our 38-year history of innovation as anindustry leader whose products are critical to the support of numerous government, military, prime contractors and U.S. Department of Defense programs,” Gove said.
Image: ChakisAtelier / iStock /Getty Images Plus /Getty Images
By Eric Colard
Head of Emerging Products, Frequency & Time Systems
Microchip Technology
Mobile operators are investing heavily in the deployment of LTE-Advanced and 5G networks that will transform cellular communications and connectivity.
They face big risks, though: the high-performance mobile services delivered over these networks are extremely dependent on precise time from GPS and other similar regional constellations broadly known as GNSS so they can synchronize radios, enable new applications and minimize interference.
If GPS/GNSS becomes unavailable due to jamming, spoofing, failures or other events, the resulting service disruption would have a catastrophic impact on system performance.
Just like the energy grid is extremely vulnerable to climate, heat, winds and dry vegetation that can lead to fires on a large scale as seen in California recently, 5G networks are vulnerable to disruptions in the distribution of precise time that can lead to total systems outage.
New technologies enable mobile operators to protect their networks from these threats. These technologies make use of existing deployments while creating new architectures for distributing very high-precision time over long distances. They minimize additional costs while offering the necessary performance to meet the demanding requirements of 5G.
Technology landscape
The latest LTE-Advanced and 5G mobile networks bring tremendous capacity and bandwidth gains that are being used to deliver new services to consumers, industries, cities and specific market segments. From high-bandwidth video delivery for smartphones to autonomous vehicles, smart cities and the internet of things (IoT) for smart factories, these new services all rely on the synchronization of numerous sensors, base stations and other devices.
Accomplishing this requires the delivery of very precise time over long distances. Without it, mobile operators cannot maximize deployment investments by minimizing disruptions and risk.
They also must devise plans they can leverage in case of GPS/GNSS malfunction. At the same time, they need to take advantage of optical networks and other existing infrastructure so that they don’t require expensive new investment in dark fiber.
Photo: iStock.com/NicoElNino
Meeting stringent requirements
Standards bodies have defined stringent requirements for precise time and synchronization such as Prime Reference Time Clock (PRTC), which includes 100-nanosecond (ns) PRTC Class A (PRTC-A), 40-ns PRTC Class B (PRTC-B) and 30-ns enhanced PRTC (ePRTC) performance specifications.
To meet these requirements, a high-quality source of time is an absolute must and a very resilient, efficient and performant distribution mechanism is required to transport time from the source to the various devices consuming time (for example, base stations, sensors and vehicles).
The problem with relying on GPS/GNSS for meeting these requirements is that its deployment can be expensive given the increasing densification of endpoints. There is also a technical vulnerability associated with GNSS receivers located at cell sites.
If the GNSS receiver cannot track satellites properly for whatever reason, the radio must be removed from service quickly to avoid interference issues due to the short holdover period of the oscillator technologies used in the radios. Because of these technical and financial considerations, operators are very motivated to find solutions where GNSS dependency is reduced or even eliminated at many locations.
Another set of considerations for operators includes:
the distribution of time from the source to the endpoints using the network;
the network nodes; and
the various synchronization capabilities these network nodes can support.
Typically, a precision time protocol (PTP) grandmaster is located at the beginning of the timing chain and complies with 100ns PRTC-A or 40-ns PRTC-B so it can deliver precise time to the end of the chain within +/-1.5 microseconds. The network nodes on the path typically embed a Time Boundary Clock (T-BC) capability that meets either Class A (50-ns) or Class B (25-ns).
A new type of time-distribution architecture is needed to address these requirements and considerations so operators can protect their mobile network against GNSS disruption and distribute precise time over long distances for national coverage. This architecture must also deliver the necessary performance to meet end-to-end budgets for 5G needs.
A different time-distribution architecture
There are multiple capabilities a high-precision time-distribution architecture should feature so that operators can most effectively mitigate GPS/GNSS vulnerabilities and solve other challenges in their 5G networks. The architecture should:
leverage the existing optical network (thus avoiding high cost dark fiber expenses)
use a dedicated lambda in order to transport time in the most rapid manner
protect, to the utmost level, a redundant source of time that meets the highest, 30ns ePRTC performance and uses a combination of Cesium and GNSS as the source of time
have two directions for the flow of time (East and West) so that a redundant path can be leveraged in case of any issues along the way from source to endpoint
have a chain of high-precision boundary clocks (HP BCs) that can meet the highest level of performance defined by today’s standards (T-BC Class D 5ns)
A multi-domain architecture of this type offers the redundant, sub-microsecond end-to-end timing capabilities that are required to affordably deliver the high performance, 5-nanosecond per node distribution of precise time over hundreds of miles.
An example of this type of solution is Microchip’s TimeProvider 4100, which can be configured as either an ePRTC at the source of the timing chain with PRTC-A and PRTC-B time-delivery capabilities to various end nodes, or an HP BC on the optical network path.
This type of product can also be configured for application-specific requirements, end to end, with up to nanosecond precision time-delivery capabilities over long distance.
Assuring precise timing
The success of a coming generation of high-performance mobile services will depend on how well operators address today’s critical GPS/GNSS vulnerabilities. Jamming, spoofing, failures or other events can disrupt the precise GPS/GNSS timing that 5G networks need for synchronizing radios, enabling applications and minimizing interference.
The latest high-precision time-distribution architectures mitigate these risks with minimal additional cost and give operators the performance they need to support demanding new 5G services ranging from IoT-based applications to receiving high-bandwidth video on smartphones.
Microchip has released version 2.1 for its TimeProvider 4100 timing grandmaster.
Eric Colard leads product line management for Microchip’s TimeProvider 4100 and Integrated GNSS Master solutions for the telecom, utility and other industries. Colard’s leadership includes product definition, customer interaction, outbound promotions and business development.
He has held successive technical and leadership roles at technology companies in the U.S. and Europe. He began his career as an engineer in the networking arena on X.25, frame relay and other protocols at companies including Alcatel and Cap Sesa Telecom. He later held successive product management and business development leadership roles in networking, security, and other areas at Novell, Tumbleweed, FaceTime and Vernier Networks.
As the industry rapidly progressed, Colard increasingly became involved in wireless data compression and TCP/IP optimization. In 2007 he joined Symmetricom and architected and built the SyncWorld ecosystem with partners Alcatel-Lucent, Ericsson, Nokia Siemens and Cisco. Through acquisition Symmetricom became part of Microsemi, which today is part of Microchip.
Colard holds bachelor of science and master of science degrees in computer science, both from Ecole Nationale Superieure des Telecommunications (now Telecom ParisTech) in Paris, France. He is a member of the Metro Ethernet Forum (MEF), Open Compute, Telecom Infra Project and Small Cell Forum. He has received an award for his industry contributions from the Small Cell Forum.
Precise timing grandmaster with gateway clock and high-performance boundary clock enhances 5G mobile network phase protection
To help 5G mobile providers, cable operators and utility providers ensure phase delivery, protection and synchronization even when GNSS is offline, jammed or spoofed, Microchip Technology Inc. has released software version 2.1 for its TimeProvider 4100 precision timing grandmaster.
TimeProvider 4100 is a 1588 grandmaster including support for the latest ITU-T G.8275.1 and G.8275.2 1588 phase profiles, complemented by extensive port fan-out for PTP, Network Time Protocol (NTP), SyncE, and E1/T1.
Software release 2.1 builds on earlier versions by adding key software enhancements providing a virtual Primary Reference Time Clock (vPRTC). Virtual PRTC provides the ability to design a redundant precise time distribution architecture for phase protection over an optical network.
Until recently the main source of precise time has been GPS and other constellations that comprise GNSS. Deployment of GNSS, however, can be costly for service providers given the costs associated with upgrading to GNSS-capable receivers and antennae as well as increasing densification of end points.
As a result, telecom, cable and utility operators deploying vPRTC benefit from solutions where GNSS dependency is reduced or eliminated. Following are key features of the new vPRTC functionality:
Leverages the existing optical network, avoiding high-cost dark fiber expenses
Uses a dedicated lambda to transport time precisely and securely
Provides a high-performance, redundant source of time through enhanced PRTC (ITU-T G.8272.1)
Allows bidirectional, precise time flows (east and west)
Chains together high-precision, multi-domain, high-performance boundary clocks that meet today’s standards (T-BC Class D, as defined by ITU-T G.8273.2)
Microchip’s vPRTC multi-domain architecture is a cost-effective solution providing a high-performance, redundant, sub-5 nanosecond distribution of precise time over regional and national networks.
In addition, Release 2.1 introduces Network Time Protocol daemon (NTPd) with Message Digest (MD5) security algorithm.
TimeProvider 4100 2.1 meets PRTC-B performance standards (per ITU-T G.8272) and supports 1G and 10G, NTP and PTP in a single form-factor system. TimeProvider 4100 2.1 is available now for both new and already deployed systems.
Small businesses, including many surveyors, are being hit particularly hard by the current economic situation caused by the measures required to fight the COVID-19 pandemic because most of them do not have large cash reserves.
The CARES Act, signed into law on March 27, contains $349 billion to keep small businesses afloat. The funds are administered by the Small Business Administration (SBA) through participating banks.
Hundreds of thousands of borrowers have been approved for, or received, aid under the so-called Paycheck Protection Program, meant to give small businesses loans that would be forgiven if they were used to pay employees, rent, or mortgage principal. The program is one of four that the SBA is administering as part of the CARES Act.
The other three are the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) loan advance, which will provide up to $10,000 of economic relief to businesses that are currently experiencing temporary difficulties; the SBA Express Bridge Loans, which enables small businesses who currently have a business relationship with an SBA Express Lender to access up to $25,000 quickly; and the SBA Debt Relief, which provides a financial reprieve to small businesses during the pandemic.
These programs — an unprecedented challenge for the SBA, which is already struggling with a surge in coronavirus-related loan applications through other programs such as its disaster loan program — were marred by technical and logistical glitches from the start.
On April 16, while many small-business owners were desperately trying to apply for loans, the SBA ran out of the relief money. Its website’s COVID-19 page announced: “SBA is unable to accept new applications at this time for the Paycheck Protection Program or the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL)-COVID-19 related assistance program (including EIDL Advances) based on available appropriations funding. EIDL applicants who have already submitted their applications will continue to be processed on a first-come, first-served basis.”
As of press time, Congress and the White House are negotiating the possible release of additional rescue funds.
The five-member Federal Communications Commission (FCC) voted unanimously to approve an order to allow Ligado Networks to deploy a low-power nationwide 5G network.
The approval comes despite objections from the U.S. Defense Department (DOD), other federal agencies and major U.S. airlines, all of whom are concerned about near-band interference with GPS.
The FCC said the approval order included stringent conditions aimed at ensuring GPS would not experience harmful interference.
“After many years of consideration, it is time for the FCC to make a decision and bring this proceeding to a close,” said FCC Chairman Ajit Pai in an April 16 news release. “We have compiled an extensive record, which confirms that it is in the public interest to grant Ligado’s application while imposing stringent conditions to prevent harmful interference.”
Ligado is seeking to repurpose a swath of L-band spectrum for a 5G network focused mainly on connecting smart devices and other internet-of-things services. According to the FCC, the order will “promote more efficient and effective use of our nation’s spectrum resources and ensure that adjacent band operations, including the Global Positioning System (GPS), are protected from harmful interference.”
In response, members of both the Senate and House Armed Services Committees and other defense advocates are considering legislative action to overturn the order.
Two areas that rely heavily on the integrity of GPS signals include defense and transportation. The DOD issued a joint statement with the Department of Transportation (DOT) criticizing the FCC ruling.
“Americans rely on our Global Positioning System (GPS) each day for many things: to locate citizens in need of emergency assistance through our E-911 system, to secure our financial system, to order and receive shipments, to travel by car for work and leisure, to facilitate commercial trucking and construction work, and even to make a simple cellphone call. Our departments rely on GPS each day for all those reasons as well to coordinate tactical national security operations, launch spacecraft, track threats, and facilitate travel by air and sea. The proposed Ligado decision by the Federal Communications Commission will put all these uses of GPS at risk.”
House Armed Services Committee Chairman Adam Smith (D-Wash.) released a letter he sent to Defense Secretary Mark Esper and FCC Chairman Ajit Pai raising concerns about Ligado’s 5G network.
“While the United States must be a leader in the implementation of 5G networks, our creation of these networks must not hamper our military’s operational capacity in any way. China’s aggressive, global promotion of its 5G companies presents a considerable security challenge that must be addressed. However, Ligado’s proposal, which seeks a portion of spectrum adjacent to that used for Global Positioning Systems, poses an even larger security risk.
“The Department of Defense has been clear and direct: providing this license to Ligado would cause unacceptable operational impacts and adversely affect the military’s use of GPS. The military’s seamless use of GPS is vital to our national security. Our service members rely on GPS satellites for critical precision timing and navigation, and thousands of weapons systems are embedded with GPS signals.
“While I strongly support development of the world’s most robust, safe and secure network, using L-band spectrum in such close proximity to critical GPS, as Ligado’s proposal requires, carries an unacceptable risk that far outweighs the possibility of a 5G network.”
‘Risk of crippling’ GPS
Defense Secretary Mark Esper said via Twitter on Friday that the “Ligado proposal would needlessly imperil GPS-dependent national security capabilities. The Department continues to support domestic 5G options, but not at the risk of crippling our GPS networks. Nearly a dozen other federal agencies have joined us in opposing this proposal.”
“Although I appreciate the concerns that have been raised by certain Executive Branch agencies, it is the Commission’s duty to make an independent determination based on sound engineering. And based on the painstaking technical analysis done by our expert staff, I am convinced that the conditions outlined in this draft order would permit Ligado to move forward without causing harmful interference. For example, the draft order would authorize downlink operations at a power level that represents a greater than 99% reduction from what Ligado proposed in its 2015 application.”
Image: A-Digit/DigitalVision Vectors/Getty Images
The release also provided this background about the Ligado proposal, and the “conditions” under which the FCC decided to approve it.
In recent years, Ligado has amended its application to significantly reduce the power levels of its base stations from 32 dBW to 9.8 dBW (a reduction of 99.3%). Ligado has also committed to providing a significant (23 megahertz) guard-band using its own licensed spectrum to further separate its terrestrial base station transmissions from neighboring operations in the Radionavigation-Satellite Service allocation. As such, Ligado is now only seeking terrestrial use of the 1526-1536 MHz, 1627.5-1637.5 MHz, and 1646.5-1656.5 MHz bands. The Order is conditioned to reflect these technical requirements. It also requires Ligado to protect adjacent band incumbents by reporting its base station locations and technical operating parameters to potentially affected government and industry stakeholders prior to commencing operations, continuously monitoring the transmit power of its base station sites, and complying with procedures and actions for responding to credible reports of interference, including rapid shutdown of operations where warranted.
However, The decision “appears to ignore the well-documented views of the expert agencies charged with preserving the integrity of GPS, specifically on the critical issue of what constitutes harmful interference to users of Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS),” said J. David Grossman, executive director of the GPS Innovation Alliance (GPSIA). He continued,
J. David Grossman
“GPSIA has consistently advocated for adoption of the 1-dB Standard as the only reliable mechanism that provides the predictability and certainty to ensure the continuation of the GPS success story, with the support of the Department of Defense, the Department of Transportation and numerous other federal agencies. The 1-dB Standard for radiofrequency-based services is critical for GNSS. The FCC’s press release refers to conditions placed on Ligado’s application to prevent harmful interference, and GPSIA and its members intend to carefully review the details of today’s order while continuing to vigorously advocate for promoting, protecting and enhancing GPS.”
Ligado Networks President and CEO Doug Smith issued this statement in reaction to the approval.
“Ligado thanks the Commissioners for moving promptly to approve the order regarding our applications. We greatly appreciate their unanimous support as well as the expert engineering analysis determining that a terrestrial network can be deployed in the L-band to advance our country’s economic and security interests while fully protecting GPS. Our spectrum can be very instrumental in the transition to 5G, and we look forward to utilizing satellite and terrestrial services to deploy customized private networks and deliver innovative, next-generation IoT solutions for the industrial sector.”
Positive reactions to the decision
On April 20, the FCC released a compilation of responses to the decision, all of them in support.
Attorney General Bill Barr: “I applaud FCC Chairman Pai’s proposal to make available L-band spectrum, to be used together with C-band spectrum, for deployment of advanced wireless services, including 5G. As I said in my speech at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, swift FCC action on spectrum is imperative to allow for the deployment of 5G. This is essential if we are to keep our economic and technological leadership and avoid forfeiting it to Communist China.” (Statement, 4/16/2020)
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo: “I commend Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Pai’s draft order that would release the L-Band spectrum. Quick action on this order, in conjunction with the allocation of a portion of the C-Band for 5G, is vital to our national security and will help ensure that the United States is the global leader in advanced technologies such as AI, the Internet of Things, edge computing, and the next generation of telemedicine. Accelerating the deployment of 5G is essential to our country’s growth, and global economic security.” (Statement, 4/16/2020)
Sen. Ron Johnson (WI): “In a time when connectivity is and will continue to be more important than ever, it’s great to see @AjitPaiFCC move forward with freeing up critical spectrum resources for #5G.” (Tweet, 4/16/2020)
Sen. Mark Warner (VA): “As the U.S. works to lead the world in 5G innovation and promote wider high-speed internet coverage, it’s all the more important to put our valuable mid-band spectrum to use. I urge the @FCC to follow the Chairman’s lead and approve Virginia-based @LigadoInsights’s application.” (Tweet, 4/16/2020)
Rep. Billy Long (MO): “I applaud @AjitPaiFCC and the @FCC for taking action to unlock vital L-band spectrum that has been held hostage by bureaucratic slow-walking for far too long. Jobs and 5G is a win-win for the country.” (Tweet, 4/16/2020)
Rep. Doris Matsui (CA): “I called on the @FCC to move forward with new, innovative uses of L-band spectrum to advance 5G. Glad to see the Commission take action on this front today to encourage efficient use of our spectrum.” (Tweet, 4/16/2020)
Former Rep. Bob Barr (GA): “Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai’s decision to circulate a draft FCC Order would at long last move forward the process of opening up a segment of mid-band satellite spectrum for commercial use in 5G technology deserves praise. … If adopted by the five-member Commission headed by Pai, the draft Order would tangibly signal to the country and the world that the United States is committed to seize the leadership in deployment of 5G technology, a role China openly covets.” (Statement, 4/16/2020)
American Action Forum: “More good news from the FCC! 5G is incredibly important and this is yet another example of actions that will enable innovation in 5G and support the growing number of connected devices.” (Tweet, 4/16/2020)
American Enterprise Institute Visiting Scholar Mark Jamison: “@FCC approval of Ligado petition should accelerate 5G, bring diversity to marketplace, and increase efficient spectrum use. … Good leadership and bipartisan effort!” (Tweet, 4/20/20)
American Enterprise Institute Visiting Scholar Roslyn Layton: “Kudos @AjitPaiFCC for unlocking more vital mid-band spectrum for #5G. Record of 10 years shows @LigadoNetworks took many steps with agencies and firms to address potential issues with GPS. We must move quickly on 5G!” (Tweet, 4/16/2020)
Citizens Against Government Waste: “The FCC has the engineering expertise to determine the best use of this spectrum and whether alternative uses would cause undue interference. The adoption of the Chairman’s draft order will promote 5G and IoT development, while providing the necessary safeguards for services using adjacent bands, including GPS positioning. … The L-band would not be used at all for the foreseeable future unless the FCC takes action. Freeing up the spectrum requested by Ligado will not only expand the use of 5G, it will also help to prevent other countries, particularly China, from getting ahead of the U.S. in 5G deployment.” (Blog, 4/17/2020)
Competitive Carriers Association: “[We] commend Chairman Pai for circulating a draft order to approve Ligado’s applications, which will make much-needed mid-band spectrum, specifically L-band spectrum, available for terrestrial use. This long-awaited, positive progress comes at a critical time for all Americans, particularly those in rural areas, who are relying on mobile connections and services more than ever before. Mid-band spectrum provides real opportunities for deploying next-generation technologies, and competitive carriers are eager to access this valuable resource to expand and enhance their networks.” (Statement, 4/16/20)
Competitive Enterprise Institute: “Access to spectrum is crucial for our modern economy, connecting everything from radios, to cellphones, to satellites. But for too long, turf-wars between federal regulatory agencies have left spectrum bands largely unavailable for valuable commercial applications. Today’s FCC decision wrests spectrum away from bureaucratic waste and delivers it into the hands of people who will aide our economic recovery and resiliency in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic.” (Statement, 4/16/2020)
CTIA—The Wireless Association: “We’re pleased to see that the FCC has managed to cut through the red tape to make a decision on Ligado. This multi-year process reveals the challenges at play in our nation’s spectrum policy and the need for stronger support for new commercial wireless services. We need to all learn lessons from this process and ensure that decisions on key spectrum bands like lower 3 GHz occur in a more expedited and collaborative manner.” (Statement, 4/16/2020)
FreedomWorks: “Freeing up broadband spectrum will make America a global technological leader and will lead to innovations and developments that will improve quality of life across the country. Chairman Pai and the FCC should be applauded for their work resolving these matters[.]” (Blog, 4/15/2020)
Free State Foundation: “Chairman @AjitPaiFCC has made a commendable decision to act on @LigadoNetworks’ proposal to put L-band spectrum into use for next-gen wireless services. This move takes seriously the @FCC’s responsibility and the urgent need for more commercial spectrum.” (Tweet, 4/16/2020)
Georgetown Law Institute for Technology Law & Policy Distinguished Fellow Gigi Sohn: “This decision was a long time coming, but it’s the right one. … Kudos to @AjitPaiFCC for having the fortitude to move this forward.” (Tweet, 4/16/2020)
Information Technology & Innovation Foundation: “Great to see @FCC taking steps to finally approve @LigadoNetworks waiver for terrestrial use of their spectrum. This will be a boon to industrial IoT connectivity, bringing more productivity, safety, and resiliency for users of the network.” (Tweet, 4/16/2020)
International Center for Law & Economics: “Promoting deployment of 5G & next-gen IoT devices means finding new ways for incumbents to responsibly operate in ever-closer proximity. The @FCC’s Ligado order does that. Credit to @AjitPaiFCC for finding a way fwd that promotes innovation while limiting the risk of interference.” (Tweet, 4/16/2020)
Lincoln Network: “Access to spectrum is an essential feature in any working 5G plan. Frankly, one key barrier in opening up this vital resource is government’s stronghold on ‘beachfront’ spectrum whether they own it or not. … This proceeding has been in regulatory limbo for several years due in large part to government stakeholders’ speculative interference claims regarding GPS-applications. … The FCC’s draft order in this proceeding provides enough protection for incumbents in adjacent bands, adds more competition into the 5G-IoT space, and allows consumers to have more access to broadband. Everybody wins.” (Blog, 4/16/2020)
Mercatus Center Senior Fellow Brent Skorup: “Too often new tech is stalled by FCC regulation and incumbents. Chairman Pai pledged to breathe new life into Sec. 7. It’s great to see Chairman Pai and the FCC act on that pledge, liberalize spectrum, and expedite the deployment of new wireless services.” (Tweet, 4/16/2020)
National Security Institute: “Big move by @FCC Chairman @AjitPaiFCC today to support US 5G availability. This is a key nat sec issue w/ threat posed by China + econ benefits of broad 5G deployment in US.” (Tweet, 4/16/2020)
New America Foundation’s Open Technology Institute: “Kudos to @AjitPaiFCC @FCC for again standing up to Fed agencies trying to hoard spectrum they are not using – or, in this case, which is licensed to @LigadoNetworks! A big plus for #5G wireless ecosystem if it’s built out.” (Tweet, 4/16/2020)
R Street Institute: “If you can change your business model to be more productive and profitable, without hurting anyone else, then regulations shouldn’t stand in your way. Well done, @FCC!” (Tweet, 4/16/2020)
Progressive Policy Institute: “We applaud the FCC’s ongoing efforts to accelerate the deployment of 5G. Repurposing this commercial spectrum for a mobile broadband network is another step in the right direction.” (Tweet, 4/16/2020)
Public Knowledge: “The Chairman’s proposed Order reveals how the FCC has worked to both protect incumbent GPS users while allowing for pro-competitive commercial licensing of spectrum. … Congress has entrusted the FCC to strike the proper balance between the needs of incumbents and the potential benefits to new entrants or new users, and here, the FCC gets it right. In approving Ligado’s license, the FCC has taken an important step forward in its role as the sole arbiter of spectrum disputes and, in this instance, has correctly sided on behalf of the public interest to help deliver the potential of 5G to more Americans.” (Statement, 4/16/2020)
Technology Policy Institute: “Allowing the Ligado spectrum to lie fallow would represent a waste of valuable resources that could provide substantial benefits for consumers in the form of new Internet of Things and other uses. … Failure to approve the Ligado license modifications would have the opposite effect, transferring a large block of spectrum from the commercial sector back to the government. The Commission’s action today will avoid that outcome.” (Statement, 4/16/2020)
Wireless Infrastructure Association: “WIA applauds Chairman Pai for circulating a draft order to approve Ligado’s plans to deploy a nationwide network that would primarily support 5G and IoT services. After years of diligence, study, and discussion, today’s action is further evidence that the FCC bases its decisions on science and engineering. Freeing up more spectrum, especially mid-band spectrum, is vital to 5G deployment. Ligado’s proposal offers an enormous opportunity for infrastructure investment, deployment, and connectivity for Americans across the country right when we need it most.” (Statement, 4/16/2020)
The National States Geographic Information Council (NSGIC) has released a joint statement on the value of GIS during the COVID-19 pandemic, alongside its partners the MidAmerica GIS Consortium (MAGIC), Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC), Urban and Regional Information Systems Association (URISA), and American Association of Geographers (AAG).
Joint Statement on the Value of GIS in the Pandemic
The spread and effects of COVID-19 can be best understood considering space and time.
As governments are responding to COVID-19, more leaders are recognizing the value of “knowing the where.” The importance of knowing where the outbreak is growing, where high risk populations are, where the hospital beds and important medical resources are, and where to deploy resources is essential. “Knowing the where” informs better decision-making.
In an effort to better understand the where, governments are recognizing the value of geospatial information and technologies and are engaging geospatial professionals to help them better understand the where to help them in their decision-making and response.
Geospatial professionals bring unique analytical and visualization skills to the table that help responders and decision-makers visualize where the pandemic is spreading more quickly and can make the important decisions regarding where response and resource needs need to be focused. The value of telling the story through a map coupled with a geospatial dashboard provides a view of the event not readily seen in a table such as a spreadsheet.
Beyond visualizing existing data, we can connect data from a location perspective, which enhances the value of the data sources being integrated. Equally important in this event is data on COVID-19 cases and testing packaged and shared in a way useful to scientists.
GIS (geographic information systems) is experiencing an unprecedented level of use. Historically, GIS was deployed following a disaster to help respond and recover. Today, GIS is used as a disaster is unfolding. The COVID-19 event is an outstanding example of how effective GIS is when robust data is available. Governments are realizing the value of investing in these systems and the people who run them.
The information necessary to empower all partners already exists.
Current nationwide models and response efforts may not benefit from the details of local geographic parameters. Local or statewide models and response efforts may not fully take advantage of the data from other areas of the country. Hospitals are surveyed by both federal and state agencies, and the results of those surveys are not readily available to the hospitals working together to care for patients. Nationwide geospatial data will empower a coalition of participants with a better understanding of the spread and impacts of COVID-19 and improve mitigation actions.
The same data can be made available in different forms to empower people playing different roles in the response. Researchers — epidemiologists — will benefit from nationwide COVID-19 testing data and data describing factors impacting the spread. This data needs to be as disaggregated as permissible under HIPAA and in a form readily digestible in models.
The case data could be aggregated to the same units of geography as a wealth of existing demographic data (Census tracts), which could explain and quantify local variances in the spread. Policy makers and those in emergency management can benefit from map and tabular dashboards, harnessing the power of the where by integrating data for analytics.
The emergency response, public health and geospatial communities must come together to understand COVID-19 in the U.S. and mitigate its spread and overall impact.
By geo-enabling public health and emergency response data, we can better:
understand the spread — with COVID case data, movements of people, and symptoms
understand the impact on individuals — with data including age, disease, obesity, and medical treatments
understand how to tailor outreach — by age, language, engagement with government, and lifestyle choices
understand the needs of the healthcare industry — by facility, day, bed capacity, type of care, ventilators, and PPE
understand the impact on the local economy — by county, day, unemployment, and bankruptcies
understand the societal impacts — by census tract, domestic violence, alcohol consumption, child abuse, animal abuse, elder abuse, mental health crises, 3-1-1 calls and firearm sales
We are committed to beginning the national conversation about leveraging the best available data to better understand the spread and impacts of COVID-19.
Verizon will integrate TomTom’s Maps application programming interfaces (API) and software development kits (SDK) into its location-services offering, making it easier for the developer community to build upon and integrate the platform. The developers’ portal is available at developer.tomtom.com. More information from
The agreement is an expansion of the existing TomTom and Verizon agreement, where TomTom provides location-based services to enhance Verizon’s current suite of location-based data, navigation, and intelligence.
“We look forward to continuing to build upon and evolve our product suite with TomTom’s technology,” said Jeff Frantz, executive director, Verizon Location Services. “By expanding our agreement, we are furthering our commitment to providing best-in-breed location technology for Verizon and our customers.”
“We’re determined to make it as easy as possible for developers to have access to our Maps APIs and SDKs so we’re delighted that Verizon is offering TomTom products to their location-services customers,” said Anders Truelsen, managing director, TomTom Enterprise.
5G and HD Maps. In the last quarter of 2019, the companies also announced an innovation project using Verizon 5G Ultra Wideband and TomTom HD Maps to help make intersections safer for emergency vehicles.
New tests instituted to stop COVID-19 infection at crew change in response to new European Union and and International Maritime Organization (IMO) guidelines
The European Union and International Maritime Organization (IMO) have issued new guidelines requiring ship operators to implement pre-boarding screening of seafarers.
To assist ship operators comply with these important new guidelines and help protect their vessels from an outbreak of COVID-19, Martek Marine has launched the CoronaSafe finger prick antibody screening test.
From a single drop of blood, CoronaSafe will detect IgM antibodies within 5-7 days of infection. It is particularly useful for detecting infections among subjects who show no symptoms and would otherwise embark undetected.
A study into the COVID-19 outbreak on the cruise ship Diamond Princess estimated that 20.6%-39.9% of cases were asymptomatic, while a study published in the British Medical Journal concluded that up to four-fifths of cases are asymptomatic.
The CoronaSafe test is approved and certified by the European Union as meeting the safety, quality and performance requirements of Standard IVDD 98/79/EC — the highest standard applicable for these devices. It is also in wide-scale use by authorities and corporations in Japan, China, Germany, Poland and Indonesia, and is formally certified by CFDA, Philippines FDA and Singapore Health Sciences Authority.
“Screening crew before boarding is a critical step to prevent avoidable transmission from an asymptomatic crew member,” said Martek CEO Paul Luen. “It’s also an important diagnostic tool for re-screening after leaving or if someone shows symptoms. The effect of an outbreak on a ship could be catastrophic in both business and human terms.”
Major corporations worldwide are rushing to adopt these occupational screening tests to help control the spread of this deadly virus, with demand rising rapidly as the crisis deepens.
Martek, which has limited supply of the tests, are urging shipowners to act quickly to define their policy for crew screening, to maintain the health of their employees and ensure continuation of their shipping operations.
