Are we doing enough to fix GPS vulnerability?

The US military developed the Global Positioning System (GPS) to improve navigation, weapon guidance and communication. Just a few decades later, it found its way into civilian use. Fast-forward to 2024, and GPS has completely changed how we travel, work and live.

Society has become so dependent on the positioning navigation and timing (PNT) information provided by GPS and other parts of the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) that we now have a major problem - our infrastructure isn't yet adequately backed up with solutions that ensure PNT continuity when GPS fails.

GPS satellites orbit the Earth at an altitude of 12,550 miles (20,200 km), but this doesn't make them invulnerable. As noted in this recent New York Times interactive article, both the US and China have developed advanced technology that enables them to destroy each other's satellites or interfere with their operations. And then there's the relative weakness of GPS signals.

What are we doing to make PNT systems more robust?

GPS users regularly fall victim to jamming and spoofing attempts. The former blocks signals, the latter fakes them. Both are bad news for anyone reliant on PNT data. Aviation and shipping, for example, use navigation systems that are susceptible to cyberattacks and the spillover effects of international conflicts. In recent years, the Black Sea and Eastern Mediterranean have seen a spike in GPS blackouts and scrambled satellite signals.

The vulnerability of our satellite systems has become an urgent issue. China has almost finished deploying more than 20,000 kilometers of optical fiber to distribute timing information as a backup to its GPS equivalent, BeiDou. While the US isn't going down the same route, we do have stronger military code (M-Code) signals, and then there's the government's Project NITRO (Nationwide Integration of Timing Resiliency for Operations). However, this isn't anywhere near achieving full national coverage.

Thankfully, there are commercially available options that can help solve our GPS dependency issue.

Low-earth orbit (LEO) satellites deliver encrypted PNT services. The constellation provides global coverage, and because it transmits from a lower altitude, signals are stronger than GPS and less vulnerable to jamming attempts. Signals can also penetrate inside buildings. GPS cannot do this. Our OSA 5405-S, developed in collaboration with Iridium®, features a satellite time and location (STL) module that receives encrypted LEO PNT signals. The device, which fits in the palm of your hand, also functions as a GNSS receiver, providing a fallback primary source of PNT information.

Atomic clocks are a scalable and flexible backup resource for the timing element of PNT. Our most advanced optical cesium clock leverages an innovative technique called optical pumping to deliver UTC traceable timing of 100nsec accuracy for 100 days at a minimum. What's more, the device has a longer lifetime than those that use legacy magnetic cesium technology, making it a strategic investment in long-term PNT security.

Zero-trust PNT networks

Being dependent on GPS alone makes you dependent on a single point of failure. Our assured positioning navigation and timing (aPNT+) portfolio features solutions that combine to create a zero-trust multi-source PNT network with intelligent threat detection and mitigation capabilities.

Operators can select technology based on their individual requirements. For 5G, that could mean leveraging our OSA 5405-S to deliver increased signal strength in urban canyons or indoor environments. For aerospace and defense, our optical cesium technology ensures incredible levels of accuracy and the long-term continuity of crucial PNT services when GPS is unavailable.

When the US launched the first constellation of GPS satellites in 1993, we couldn't have imagined the incredible advances the technology would make possible. But now, with threats to its reliability multiplying, we must begin accelerating the deployment of backups and alternatives. There has never been a better time to upgrade your PNT-dependent network with technology that renders it more robust, resilient and secure.

For more information on our aPNT+ portfolio, visit www.oscilloquartz.com/en/products-and-services/technology/what-is-assured-pnt

Sources:

https://www.gpsworld.com/china-finishing-high-precision-ground-based-timing-system-a-worry-for-the-united-states/
https://www.gpsworld.com/defending-america-and-saving-lives-with-nitro/
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2024/07/02/world/gps-threats.html