The National Association of Broadcasters (NAB), Sinclair Broadcast Group, and UrsaNav have introduced a new system as an alternative to GPS for precision timing. This system aims to reduce reliance on GPS, especially in the event of an attack or compromise.
The US National Association of Broadcasters (NAB), Sinclair Broadcast Group, and UrsaNav have recently unveiled a cutting-edge system that offers a viable alternative to the Global Positioning System (GPS) for precision timing. The primary objective of this innovative system is to decrease the dependency on GPS, particularly in scenarios where GPS may be vulnerable to attacks or compromised.
GPS is an indispensable tool utilized by various industries and consumers worldwide on a daily basis. Despite its widespread use, GPS remains susceptible to potential attacks that could lead to significant economic disruptions. The United States, in particular, faces challenges in ensuring reliable satellite-based timing due to infrastructural limitations.
Various industries, including agriculture, oil and gas, and telecommunications, rely heavily on GPS for its precise timing capabilities, which are essential for ensuring operational continuity across multiple sectors such as finance and communication.
In the event of a GPS failure, the economic consequences could be catastrophic. An economic study conducted in the US estimated that GPS contributed approximately $1.4 trillion in economic benefits to the private sector in 2017 alone. Another study revealed that a single day of GPS failure resulted in a loss of $1.6 billion in the US, with a cumulative loss of $58.2 billion within a month.
The collaborative system developed by NAB, Sinclair, and UrsaNav offers an alternative timing solution that complements or serves as a backup to GPS. It combines two advanced technologies – NAB’s Broadcast Positioning System (BPS) and eLoran, an innovative Position, Navigation, and Timing solution developed jointly by the US Department of Defence and the UK’s Ministry of Defence.
BPS leverages ATSC 3.0, also known as NextGen TV, which represents a significant improvement over traditional broadcasting standards. By transitioning to ATSC 3.0, broadcasters can leverage BPS to enhance emergency alert coverage, improve picture quality, and introduce interactive features that were previously unavailable with legacy systems.
Sam Matheny, NAB’s Executive Vice President of Technology and Chief Technology Officer, emphasized the resilience and terrestrial diversity offered by combining BPS with eLoran as a GPS alternative. Del Parks, Sinclair’s President of Technology, highlighted the trillion-dollar challenge posed by GPS vulnerability in the US economy and underscored the role of broadcasters in addressing this issue through the adoption of BPS and expedited transition to ATSC 3.0.
UrsaNav’s CEO, Charles Schue, advocated for the adoption of proven technologies utilized by other nations to safeguard the US domestic infrastructure and economy. Schue emphasized the reliability and sovereign nature of eLoran as a terrestrial Position, Navigation, and Timing solution that operates seamlessly in licensed spectrum areas, providing a robust alternative for users in both urban and remote locations.
(Image source: “MODIS satellite image” by NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory is marked with Public Domain Mark 1.0.)
