ATIS Launches GPS Interference Initiative
By Jeffrey Hill | July 20, 2012
[Satellite TODAY 07-20-12] ATIS has launched an effort to identify technologies that could provide a backup to the Global Positioning System (GPS) for time, frequency transport and delivery, the organization announced July 19.
ATIS said the initiative aims to address the need to free North American communications networks from critical dependence on GPS-derived timing.
ATIS’ Copper/Optical Access, Synchronization and Transport Committee will consider alternatives to the current GPS-based system, including fiber-based time and frequency transfer solutions and terrestrial radio technologies operating in a spectrum less subject to interference.
“This initiative is a proactive, industry-driven effort to assist the U.S. Department of Homeland Security in its investigations on this issue,” ATIS said in a statement. “GPS facilitates the precise synchronization of networks operated by different network providers and provides a means of meeting national and international telecom network synchronization standards. Yet, GPS is subject to potential compromise by jamming, spoofing or interference from other radio-based technologies.”