US Communications Agency To Explore Alternatives To GPS Systems (reuters.com) 32
The FCC says it plans to vote next month to explore alternatives to GPS after national security concerns have been raised about relying on a single system crucial to modern life. From a report: "Continuing to rely so heavily on one system leaves us exposed," FCC Chair Brendan Carr said. "We need to develop redundant technologies." There have been reports of a rise in GPS interference around the world, particularly since 2023, known as spoofing raising fears of an increased risk of accidents if planes veer off-course. "Disruptions to GPS have the potential to undermine the nation's economic and national security. And the risks to our current system are only increasing," Carr said, noting President Donald Trump and a bipartisan group of lawmakers have called for action for years.
Let me guess (Score:1)
A company that belongs to president Musk will be the contractor?
Re: (Score:2)
Glonass...US being a satellite of Russia now.
"Watch me! I'm a sex[tant] machine!" (Score:5, Funny)
Re: (Score:2)
The UK has been working on this for a while, after getting kicked out of Galileo due to Brexit. It's not just for navigation, it's for timing as well. When you need to sync stuff to within tens of nanoseconds over a wide area, there isn't much else at the moment.
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
GPS-SSL (Score:2)
Time to move on... (Score:1)
If we're such good friends now with Russia... (Score:4, Funny)
Re: (Score:3)
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:1)
And now you can trust Putin more then Trump...
Re: If we're such good friends now with Russia... (Score:1)
A stoner in the Oval Office raises his hand (Score:3)
How about using Starlink?
Addicted to Opposition (Score:3)
GPS was a thing that America lead the way on, so much so that every other world power worked to get their own system up. One of the smartest moves by Reagan was to open it up for civilians and later the world, literally an act that changed how the entire world operates.
Once again the classic Trump case of accurately call out a problem (Increased interference is an issue, the age of the satellites is an issue, there is risk) but have the wrong idea of why it's a problem and the solution is pants-on-head stupid.
Of course tackling these problems would require real work, administratively, diplomatically and financially and if there is one thing for sure this admin is allergic to that. Just cut tail and run from your problems, don't worry about actually fixing anything, let's just abandon it.
It kind a gives away that Republicans for all their bluster don't actually think America can do great things anymore, at least they don't act like it.
Re: (Score:3)
Of course tackling these problems would require real work, administratively, diplomatically and financially and if there is one thing for sure this admin is allergic to that. Just cut tail and run from your problems, don't worry about actually fixing anything, let's just abandon it.
After making some sort of personal profit off it ...
You mean like Galileo or GLONASS? (Score:1)
Europe and Russia did their own things cuz they didn't want to depend on GPS. Now the US doesn't like it's own navigation system?
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
We're already working on it, some are already out there and more are getting ready for deployment: Positioning, Navigation & Timing: GPS III/IIIF Satellites [lockheedmartin.com]
- 60X greater anti-jamming to ensure U.S. and allied forces cannot be denied access to GPS in hostile environments
- Accuracy-enhancing laser retroreflector array
- New search and rescue payload
- Fully digital navigation payload
- New LM2100 Combat Bus for SV13, providing increased cyber-hardening, improved spacecraft power, propulsion and electronics.
Re: (Score:1)
All satellite systems suffer from the same problem of using low power microwave radio signals for navigation, this makes them easy to spoof or jam. When close to land there's systems like VORTAC that can guide ships and aircraft but with the limited range there's still plenty of room for messing with navigation by using relatively low power radio transmitters.
What we might need is something like the old Loran system, huge powerful radio transmitters that provided navigation aids. A big problem with these
US does not need GPS anymore (Score:2)
Since we are backing out from the rest of the world, we do not GPS. We can always ask for directions locally. Even in parts of Canada, eh? And no point going to Mexico anyway.
Dumb question (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
You can't navigate purely with a picture of the stars. You need to compare the positions of a few stars with a reference on the surface, usually the horizon. That works pretty well if you're flying or out at sea so the horizon is pretty flat. Much less well inland. And yes, it's not very precise.
Lost (Score:2)
This Musk written all over it. (Score:4, Interesting)
We had one (Score:2)
It was called LORAN, and it worked. And we stopped using it.
Re: We had one (Score:1)
Re: (Score:1)
We stopped using Loran because the system relied on the transmitters being placed in known locations. These locations would be known to any adversary. By being known locations to adversaries they were primary targets if any war broke out. This was more about how Loran worked than a limitation of radio navigation in general. We figured out in World War Two that accurate navigation could be done using high frequency (or "HF" or "shortwave") direction finding from any transmitter with a known location. Th
I know - Starlink! (Score:2)
Or, just contract Musk to put up more satellites.
Nothing like a good oligarchy...
Atomic Clocks (Score:2)
If you could put atomic clocks in cell towers, that would give a more robust to jamming RF source for accurate positioning.
Plus you might only need firmware upgrades in phones that now use SDRs to make it useable on the client side.
A return to Loran? (Score:1)
Loran was a shortwave based radio navigation system that started out in World War Two but fell out of use in favor of satellite based systems: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/... [wikipedia.org]
A large difference between Loran and satellite based systems is the level of power that can be transmitted. Land based radio transmitters have effectively unlimited power available to allow for strong signals at the receiving aircraft and ships. Being so much more powerful means it is more difficult to jam or spoof as any powerful e