Using Broadcast Technology to Enhance U.S. Infrastructure Security

You likely depend on GPS service (or Global Positioning System) to drive from one place to the next. But beyond convenience, GPS is critical for our nation's safety.

While most people might think of GPS solely as a navigation tool, it also plays an important role by serving as a universal clock that provides precise timing vital to the power grid, first responders, wireless communications and financial transactions - to name just a few. A GPS failure could be catastrophic to our nation, putting public safety at risk and costing hundreds of billions of dollars in potential damages. An outage could cause the energy grid to fail, telecommunications systems to go down and transportation systems to grind to a halt.

And this threat is real. GPS uses satellite signals that are vulnerable to jamming and spoofing, key components of a cybersecurity attack. NAB Chief Technology Officer Sam Matheny recently wrote about some of these threats on the NAB PILOT blog.

Our nation's system of broadcasting has a strong, reliable infrastructure. Using a new technology standard known as ATSC 3.0, broadcasters can transmit precise timing signals known as the Broadcasting Positioning System (BPS) from their towers.

BPS is a reliable, complementary service to GPS, and broadcasters are already working with the government to keep our nation safe. It works independently of GPS, internet or cellular connectivity. If GPS is compromised, BPS still works. NAB's technology team has deployed a BPS test station at WHUT in Washington, D.C., with promising results.

"BPS is an innovative use of the ATSC 3.0 standard that continues television broadcasting's long history of community service by helping to address a multi-billion dollar national and economic security issue," said Matheny.

The broadcast infrastructure is already built out with broadcast towers across the country, and we're asking policymakers to work alongside broadcasters to deploy the new ATSC 3.0 technology standard nationwide as quickly as possible, ensuring BPS can help defend our nation's critical infrastructure, economic security and public safety. Learn more about why BPS is a reliable, complementary service to be GPS at nab.org/BPS.