Deere & Company warns of risk to GPS satellite network in agriculture and construction equipment

Deere & Company (NYSE:DE) says a proposal under consideration by the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) jeopardizes use of the Global Positioning System (GPS) in agriculture and construction equipment.

MOLINE, Ill.

Deere is a member of the Coalition to Save Our GPS, has released a study reporting the potential of a direct negative impact on the U.S. economy of US$96 billion if the proposal before the FCC gains final approval. The FCC had required that the GPS industry be part of a working group to evaluate the proposal for possible interference to existing GPS systems.

“The use of GPS technology is vital to thousands of people who make their living with agricultural and construction equipment. It is not acceptable to allow interference to these important industries when there is no practical solution to mitigate the problem of interference,” said Barry Schaffter, senior vice president and chief information officer at Deere.

Schaffter said John Deere objects to the proposal on behalf of agricultural and construction equipment customers who depend on GPS systems. The large-scale rural broadband network currently proposed by the FCC would degrade GPS signals.

In construction, GPS technologies assist owners in maintaining equipment, lowering fuel costs and providing a means to better design and manage large construction projects such as buildings, highways and shopping centers.

DCN News Services