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Tag: GSA

  • Dual-frequency GNSS smartphone hits the market

    Dual-frequency GNSS smartphone hits the market

    Mobile brand Xiaomi has launched a dual-frequency GNSS smartphone.

    Fitted with a Broadcom BCM47755 chip, the Xiaomi Mi 8 provides up to decimeter-level accuracy for location-based services and vehicle navigation, the company said.

    The Mi 8 smartphone represents a breakthrough in GNSS technology as the first commercial deployment of Broadcom’s dual-frequency BCM47755 chip designed for the mass market and introduced in September 2017.

    Until now, mobile location-based applications have been powered by single-frequency GNSS receivers whose location accuracy is limited to a few meters. However, in recent years GNSS systems have been launching satellites broadcasting signals on new frequencies to open up new possibilities. Specifically, Galileo has the majority of satellites with E1/L1 and E5/L5 frequency capabilities.

    The E1/L1 + E5/L5 GNSS chip can compute location with an accuracy of up to a few decimeters.

    Leveraging Galileo for increased accuracy

    According to the company, users of the Xiaomi Mi 8 and future models with dual-frequency GNSS will benefit from better positioning and navigation experience in urban environments. This is due to the unique shape of the E5/L5 frequency, which makes it easier to distinguish real signals from the ones reflected by buildings, reducing the multipath effect, a major source of navigation error in cities and other challenging environments.

    The numerous Galileo satellites broadcasting E5 make this improvement available for users all around the world. In addition, the simultaneous use of two frequencies reduces other sources of error, such as those due to the ionosphere, and the frequency diversity is more robust to interference and jamming.

    In addition to making existing applications more accurate, the enhanced position precision offered by dual-frequency GNSS will also create opportunities for new applications in areas such as augmented reality, vehicle navigation and mapping.

    Commenting on the product launch, European GNSS Agency (GSA) head of market development Gian Gherardo Calini said that the arrival of the first dual-frequency GNSS smartphone to the mass-market represents a breakthrough for users all over the world.

    “The enhanced accuracy provided will empower developers to create new applications that meet the growing high-accuracy location requirements of users and also open up applications that previously only ran in dedicated devices intended for professional use,” Calini said.

    “Broadcom is glad to gear up Xiaomi’s flagship smartphones with the very latest dual-frequency GNSS technology,” added Alex Chou, vice president of product marketing for the Wireless Communications and Connectivity Division at Broadcom. “Xiaomi Mi 8, the world’s first smartphone with BCM47755, will take smartphone GNSS navigation to a whole new performance level.”

    ”The importance of GNSS to modern life is undisputed, and is particularly important for smartphones,” said Zhiyuan Zang, Xiaomi’s director of product marketing. “Navigation and LBS-based apps these days require greater positioning accuracy to work effectively, and dual-frequency GNSS is the key to delivering a great user experience when using these apps. Xiaomi is delighted and honored to be the world’s first smartphone manufacturer to support dual-frequency GNSS. We will continue to pursue innovation for everyone to enjoy.”

    Access to raw measurements for geolocation

    The launch of the first dual-frequency GNSS smartphone, together with the opportunities offered by the availability of GNSS raw measurements in Android, creates exciting opportunities for the geolocation community, the company said.

    Access to raw measurements opens the door to algorithms once restricted to more advanced GNSS receivers. This, in turn, allows users to fully benefit from the differentiators offered by Galileo.

    Recognizing these opportunities, in 2017 the GSA engaged with academia and industry in the areas of navigation and positioning to innovate around this new feature as part of a GNSS Raw Measurements Task Force.

    Then, in January, the GSA published a white paper on the use of GNSS Raw Measurements in Android, providing developers with in-depth information on accessing and using raw measurements to implement advanced GNSS techniques in mass-market devices.

    Building on this work, the GSA and the Raw Measurements Taskforce shared their latest updates at a dedicated workshop — “GNSS Raw Measurements: From Research to Commercial Use” — held at the GSA headquarters in Prague on May 30, where Broadcom presented its encouraging test results from the dual-frequency BCM47755.

  • Galileo Reference Centre inaugurated in the Netherlands

    Galileo Reference Centre inaugurated in the Netherlands

    News from the European GNSS Agency (GSA)

    The Galileo Reference Centre (GRC), the new state-of-the-art performance monitoring hub for the European Union’s global satellite navigation system, was officially inaugurated May 16 in Noordwijk, the Netherlands.

    The ceremony was presided by Dutch Minister of Infrastructure and Water Management Cora van Nieuwenhuizen and European GNSS Agency (GSA) Executive Director Carlo des Dorides, among others.

    GSA Executive Director Carlo des Dorides (right), Dutch Minister for Infrastructure and Water Management Cora van Nieuwenhuizen, and DG GROW Deputy Director-General Pierre Delsaux at GRC inauguration. (Photo: GSA)

    “The Galileo Reference Centre is a state of the art facility that underpins Galileo service provision,” des Dorides said. “The GRC will be instrumental in monitoring the performance of the system and of the service operator, ensuring that users benefit from the most reliable satellite data and, at the same time, disclosing new service potential.”

    “I am proud of the fact that the Galileo Reference Centre is located in the Netherlands,” van Nieuwenhuizen said. “The data provided by Galileo will enable us to navigate with an accuracy to within 20 centimeters. In rescue operations, this sharp reduction in response time is going to save human lives.”

    Independent monitoring ensures quality for users

    The GRC is a cornerstone of service provision for Europe’s Galileo satellite constellation and plays an important role in Galileo’s operations, providing the GSA with an independent means of evaluating the quality of the signals in space and the performance of the Galileo Service Operator (GSOp). In so doing, it helps ensure the provision of high-quality satellite data so users can better rely on and benefit from Galileo.

    Managed by the GSA, the GRC is comprised of a core facility in Noordwijk and contributions from EU Member States, Norway and Switzerland. From the core facility, the GRC generates performance evaluation products and reports using data collected in-house and through cooperation with Member States. The Centre also performs dedicated campaign-based analyses to support investigation of any service performance issues and reports on its findings.

    In this two-pillar approach, the GRC benefits from and contributes to maintaining long-term competence and expertise at the Member State level, and actively integrates contributions from the EU Member States, Norway and Switzerland to support daily operations and specific campaigns.

    The GSA has established agreements with two beneficiaries, one led by the French Space Agency (CNES) and the other by the Netherlands Aerospace Centre (NLR), and 23 organizations from 14 different countries. Member State contributions include data from networks of reference stations and campaigns using vehicles, vessels and airplanes, and reference products.

    The GRC is fully independent of the system and the Galileo Service Operator with respect to its operations.

    Since June 2017, GRC operations were hosted and operated from a temporary facility at ESTEC, the neighbouring ESA technical centre, which was instrumental in the swift ramp-up of competences. In April the GRC moved to its new home.

    Earlier in May, the GRC hosted representatives from US GPS, Russian Glonass, Chinese BeiDou, Japanese QIS and Galileo to discuss the creation of an authoritative international GNSS monitoring and assessment system to benchmark the performance of available GNSS. The meeting was organised through the International GNSS Monitoring and Assessment Task Force of the United Nations Office of Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA), International Committee on GNSS (ICG).

  • GSA, Joint Research Centre test automotive eCall with Spirent

    Spirent Communications plc is working with the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre (JRC) to help implement the eCall system, which is required in new cars sold in Europe starting in April.

    Experts from the JRC have been working with Spirent GNSS test equipment during the European GNSS Agency (GSA) eCall test campaign. The campaign aims to pre-test eCall in-vehicle modules and evaluate their compatibility with the positioning services provided by Galileo and the European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service (EGNOS) in accordance with the test procedures established by the regulation.

    As the eCall initiative goes live this month, the GSA launched a test initiative to support eCall device manufacturers in their preparation for type approval. In safety-critical situations, eCall must be as accurate as possible, so defining and conducting proper test procedures is imperative.

    Spirent is cooperating with the JRC to develop its own eCall test solution. “Working with JRC enabled us to develop better tests to verify that eCall devices are working properly,” said Steve Hickling, product director for Spirent’s positioning business.

    When a collision occurs, an eCall-equipped car automatically calls the nearest emergency centre. Even if no passenger is able to speak – such as because of injuries — a “minimum set of data” is sent, which includes the exact location of the crash site. eCall is expected to significantly reduce emergency service response times, leading to lives saved and injuries reduced.

    The JRC used a Spirent GSS9000 simulator to assess eCall devices’s capability to support the reception and processing of the Galileo and EGNOS signals. Using feedback from the JRC, Spirent has developed an eCall Test Suite for its automation solution, PT TestBench.

    Tested with various eCall devices, the eCall Test Suite is available for eCall device manufacturers and include, among others, positioning accuracy, time to first fix, GNSS receiver sensitivity and reacquisition performance.

    For more information on Spirent’s GNSS testing solutions, visit the website or download the company’s white paper Detecting and Protecting Against GPS Cyberthreats.

  • GSA and Thales launch EDG²E for aviation navigation with Galileo

    GSA and Thales launch EDG²E for aviation navigation with Galileo

    The European GNSS Agency (GSA) has officially launched the equipment for dual frequency Galileo, GPS and EGNOS project (EDG²E) with a consortium led by Thales. The four-year project intends to develop a dual-frequency multi-constellation receiver, enabling enhanced navigation capabilities, support standardization and certification preparation, and facilitate the expected increase in air traffic, both in Europe and globally.

    The prototype EDG²E receiver use GPS and Galileo signals as well as those from the European SBAS multi-constellation EGNOS. The project aims to achieve a prototype demonstration by 2021. At the end of the EDG²E project, the first SBAS dual-frequency GPS+Galileo receivers for aviation will be ready for final development and use in the aviation sector and in other safety-critical applications. Fully achieved receivers are foreseen to be installed in commercial aircraft by 2025.

    EGNOS, certified for use in aviation since February 2011, is developing its own next generation, called EGNOS V3, to further enhance performance by complementing both the EU Galileo and the US GPS satellite navigation constellations.

    “EGNOS v3 will provide aviation users with an increased quality of services, better accuracy and extended coverage area among other key performance indicators” said Jean-Marc Pieplu, GSA head of the EGNOS Services Programme. “Fundamental Element Programme is a medium that supports development of terminals and antennae fostering use of E-GNSS in all domains. In this perspective,EDG²E is an important step for GSA as it will contribute to availability of high technology products on the aviation market, taking benefit of Dual Frequency Multi Constellation feature offered by EGNOS v3.”

    The consortium includes Thales, Thales Alenia Space and ATR, as well as contributions from Dassault Aviation and the French Civil Aviation Authority.

    Feature image courtesy of the European Space Agency (ESA).

  • GSA in Prague brings benefits to Czech Republic

    The Galileo headquarters in Prague.

    The European GNSS Agency (GSA) in Prague, Czech Republic, has brought financial benefits to the country over the past five years — 1 billion crowns, according to a report by Czech Radio. The GSA is the only European-wide government agency sited in the country.

    The GSA moved from Brussels, Belgium, to Prague in 2012.

    The Prague agency – employing around 200 – deals with the programs that will turn the satellite network and signals into applications can be used by companies and the public at large.

    One of the main benefits for the Czech Republic of having the headquarters in Prague is that the country is now on the doorstep for many Czech companies. The number of Czech firms are now receiving research and development funds linked to navigation services has increased ten-fold, with 44 Czech companies directly active in the navigation sector.

    Read more at the Czech Radio site.

  • System of Systems: Second QZSS Signal on Air

    System of Systems: Second QZSS Signal on Air

    QZS-2 L-band spectra, July 18, 2017, Weilheim, Germany. (Courtesy DLR)

    Second QZSS Signal on Air

    The successful launch of the Michibiki No. 2 satellite of the Quasi-Zenith Satellite System (QZSS) on June 1 has been followed by broadcast initiation. Researchers at the German Aerospace Center, Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt (DLR), have been observing the satellite from their ground station in Weilheim. They will provide a written analysis in the September issue.

    The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency launched first Michibiki satellite of the anticipated four-satellite constellation in September 2010.

    Air Force to Recompete GPS III Follow-on

    The U.S. Air Force will launch multibillion-dollar competition between current GPS III contractor Lockheed Martin Corp. and former GPS Block I and Block II contractor Boeing Co. for as many as 22 new GPS III satellites. At press time, an industry day in was scheduled for July 20 in El Segundo, California, to solicit company input, according to a new draft Request For Proposals.

    In 2015 the Air Force undertook the first phase of a now two-year process to determine whether to put the next block of satellites up for competition. An initial review “has determined that viable, low-risk, high-confidence sources exist to conduct a full and open competition” for a second phase starting in fiscal 2018, according to the draft.

    Lockheed Martin is assembling the first 10 satellites of the Block III program. Formal delivery of the first satellite was scheduled earlier this year, delayed by of a series of now-resolved problems with the navigation payload, cracked capacitors and a subcontractor gaffe last year that resulted in the wrong part being tested.

    The satellite, which passed all of its qualification testing and verification, has been placed in storage pending the results of an unrelated review of the propulsion systems used to boost military satellites into orbit. The plan remains to launch the first GPS III satellite by spring of 2018.

    “Lockheed Martin is working closely with the Air Force on resolving any concerns about the mission readiness of SV01’s Propulsion Subsystem,” Eschenfelder said in February. “We are confident that this review will not delay the Air Force’s planned spring 2018 Initial Launch Capability (ILC).”

    NAVIC Clock Failures Resemble Galileo’s

    The seven orbiting satellites of the Navigation Indian Constellation (NAVIC, formerly India’s Regional Navigation Satellite System, or IRNSS) have been hit by problems with some of their rubidium atomic clocks, similar to difficulties encountered earlier by Europe’s Galileo program.

    NAVIC G-1 launch April 2017.

    The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) had announced in July 2016 that all three atomic clocks on IRNSS-1A, launched in 2013, had malfunctioned, rendering that satellite ineffective.

    Now, reports indicate that four more atomic clocks on the other six satellites launched more recently are not performing as required.

    ISRO plans to launch a replacement satellite called IRNSS-1H in July-August to compensate for the loss of IRNSS-1A, although it is yet to announce the failure of more atomic clocks, which has not incapacitated the clock systems on the other six satellites.

    The European Space Agency reported in January that anomalies had occurred in three of 36 Rubidium Atomic Frequency Standard (RAFS) clocks in the 18-satellite Galileo system, although none of the satellites were affected. ESA had said, “These failures all seem to have a consistent signature, linked to probable short circuits, and possibly a particular test procedure performed on the ground.”

    ISRO has nine satellites indented for IRNSS. While seven satellites make up the Indian regional navigation constellation, the other two were indented as backup in the event of failure. Each satellite has three atomic clocks, one the primary timekeeper and the other two acting as backup.

    “Measures are being taken to correct the problems caused by the clocks in the launch of future satellites. The atomic clocks to be used in the other satellites have been modified to prevent malfunction,” a senior official in the programme said.

    ISRO chairman Kumar has indicated the number of satellites could go up from the originally envisaged seven to 11 but it is not clear if this is a consequence of the failing clocks. “We are set to launch more navigational satellites. They are in the process of approvals and clearances,” he said recently, and added efforts were on to revive the IRNSS-1A clocks.”

    In Europe, the European Space Agency and an industrial partner-supplier have agreed that “some refurbishment is required on the remaining RAFS clocks” to be used in new Galileo satellites.

    Look to GSA Service Centre for Galileo Advisories

    In July, a wide transfer of responsibilities for the Galileo constellation took place, from the European Space Agency (ESA) to the European Global Navigation Satellite System Agency (GSA) of the European Union. Key among these was a handover of communications responsibilities to manufacturers, users and markets.

    All parties can now find updates in the form of Notice Advisory to Galileo Users (NAGUs) at the GSA’s Galileo Service Centre, www.gsc-europa.eu/system-status/user-notifications.

    NAGUs are issued as new satellites are launched and when satellites become ready for service provision, or to give advance warning of signal unavailability owing to planned maintenance or testing activities, or to notify users of unplanned outages and then to inform them when satellites become active again.

    “Keeping our users in the picture on planned activities that might lead to satellite unavailabilityhas helped them to plan their own test activities and to prepare future products,” said Rafael Lucas Rodriguez, ESA’s Galileo services engineering manager.

    A total of 189 NAGUs were issued under ESA oversight in the last four years, as the constellation grew to its current 18 satellites. The user base increased from 86 to 774 registered users on the European GNSS Service Centre website as companies worked to prepare Galileo-ready products. In December 2016, Galileo’s Initial Services began operating.

    One regular consumer of Galileo NAGUs, Broadcom, uses them to organize engineering activities and tests as well as input them into its orbit prediction engine for its Long Term Orbits products.

  • ESA communication team hands off responsibility to GSA

    ESA NAGU team.

    After four years of work, the European Space Agency (ESA) team tasked with keeping the world informed on the status of the Galileo satellite navigation system has formally passed on its responsibility to a European Union agency.

    This shift is part of a wider transfer of responsibilities, as this month see the official handover of the running of the Galileo system from ESA to the European Global Navigation Satellite System Agency (GSA).

    “Our job — working with the European Commission and GSA — has been to inform Galileo users in an official, transparent way of any system changes that could affect Galileo satellites,” explains Rafael Lucas Rodriguez, ESA’s Galileo services engineering manager.

    “Keeping our users in the picture on planned activities that might lead to satellite unavailability, or any unplanned outages, has helped them to plan their own test activities around Galileo signals and to prepare future products.”

    The very first Notice Advisory to Galileo Users (NAGU) was issued in June 2013, just three months after the first Galileo positioning fix was achieved, to a then small community of researchers and industrial users, interested in making tests with the newborn four-satellite constellation.

    A total of 189 NAGUs were issued under ESA oversight in the last four years, as the constellation grew to its current 18 satellites. The user base increased dramatically from 86 to 774 registered users on the European GNSS Service Centre website as companies worked to prepare Galileo-ready products and then, on 15 December 2016, Galileo’s Initial Services began operating.

    GSC web portal 2013.

    Throughout this period, the NAGUs, published on the website of the European GNSS Service Centre and sent to subscribers via email, gave the user community a reliable overview of Galileo’s overall status and that of individual satellites.

    NAGUs are issued as new satellites are launched and when satellites become ready for service provision, or to give advance warning of signal unavailability owing to planned maintenance or testing activities, or to notify users of unplanned outages and then to inform them when satellites become active again.

    “Broadcom is a regular consumer of the NAGUs released by the Galileo Service Centre,” says Javier de Salas, R&D Director at GNSS receiver chipset manufacturer Broadcom.

    “Not only do they help us to organise our engineering activities and tests but, more importantly, they are used as input into our orbit prediction engine for our Long Term Orbits products, which in turn are used by hundreds of millions of consumers worldwide.”

    Rafael Lucas of the ESA team adds, “Around a dozen people at ESA worked to begin defining, setting up and operationalising the NAGU process, modelled after the well-established Notice Advisory to Navstar Users of GPS.

    GSC web portal 2017.
  • Thales signs contract to upgrade Europe’s EGNOS

    Thales signs contract to upgrade Europe’s EGNOS

    The European Space Agency (ESA) has signed a contract with Thales Alenia Space for an upgrade to Europe’s EGNOS satellite navigation augmentation system, which underpins the safety-critical use of satnav across Europe, according to ESA.

    Designed by ESA and being exploited by Europe’s GNSS Agency (GSA), the European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service (EGNOS) improves the precision of GPS signals over most European territory, while also providing continuous and reliable updates on the “integrity” of these GPS signals.

    A network of ground monitoring stations throughout Europe performs an independent measurement of GPS signals, so that corrections can be calculated, and then passed to users immediately via a trio of geostationary satellites.

    The result is that the EGNOS-augmented signals are guaranteed to meet the extremely high performance standards set out by the International Civil Aviation Organisation standard, adapted for Europe by Eurocontrol, the European Organisation for the Safety of Air Navigation.

    Paul Verhoef, ESA director of the Galileo Program, and Philippe Blatt, VP Thales Alenia Space France, sign on June 6 a contract for an upgrade of EGNOS.

    Paul Verhoef, ESA’s director of the Galileo programme and navigation-related activities, signed the contract at ESA Headquarters in Paris with Philippe Blatt, vice president of Thales Alenia Space France.

    ESA is performing the procurement of EGNOS Version 2.4.2 under the overall program authority of the GSA, which oversees both EGNOS and Europe’s Galileo satellite navigation system.

    Two upgraded EGNOS releases will be provided over the course of the development: EGNOS V2.4.2I and EGNOS V2.4.2A.

    The releases will resolve various obsolescence issues related to EGNOS’s central processing facility, based in Toulouse, France — which generates the corrections and integrity information to be broadcast across the European continent — to ensure continuity of EGNOS services into the future, including safety-of-life services, to an ever-expanding community of users.

    The new contract includes:

    • a refreshment and enhancement of the Central Processing Facility design without algorithm modification
    • an optimized qualification process
    • a guarantee of full compliance to safety-critical software development requirements
    • the performance of end-to-end verification activities extending to the three geostationary satellites used by the system
    • ensuring compliance to a new set of technical requirements and international standards.

    Below is a video about EGNOS.

  • First Galileo open service performance report published

    Click for PDF.

    The European GNSS Agency (GSA) has published its first Galileo Open Service quarterly performance report.

    The report, which covers the first three months of 2017, is available online in the GSC Electronic Library, or directly here.

    Following the Declaration of Initial Services in December 2016, the GSA will publish a new Galileo Initial Services Open Service report after each quarter. The quarterly reports aim to provide the public with the latest information on the Galileo Open Service’s performance.

    The document reports on such parameters as:

    • Galileo Initial Open Service ranging performance
    • Galileo Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) dissemination and Galileo to GPS time offset (GGTO) determination performance
    • Galileo positioning performance
    • Timely publication of Notice Advisory to Galileo Users

    Each of these parameters is examined with respect to their minimum performance levels (MPLs), as declared in the European GNSS (Galileo) Open Service Definition Document (OS-SDD).

    Highlights from Q1 2017

    In the first quarterly reporting period after the Declaration of Galileo Initial Services, the measured Galileo Initial Open Service performance figures generally exceeded the MPL targets specified in the OS-SDD by significant margins.

    Some highlights from the report:

    • Availability of the Galileo ranging service at the worst user location, with monthly values of 100 percent, is significantly above expectations, where the MPL is 87 percent.
    • The signal in space ranging accuracy shows a 95th percentile monthly accuracy better than 1.07 [m] for individual space vehicles.
    • Availability of the Galileo UTC time determination service was achieved, with a monthly value of 100 percent, compared to the [OS-SDD] MPL target of 87 percent.
    • Availability of GGTO determination (not declared as a service in this phase) was 100 percent in January and March. February showed a slightly lower figure of 96.44 percent, although still well above the [OS-SDD] MPL target of 80 percent.
    • Excellent values were achieved for UTC time dissemination service accuracy. The measured Galileo Initial Open Service performance figures generally exceeded the MPL targets specified in the OS-SDD by significant margins.

    For up-to-date information, check the European GNSS Service Centre (GSC) website. For all support related to Galileo, contact the Galileo Help Desk. The Help Desk allows close interaction with users, both to support the exploitation of Galileo services and to collect relevant information on signal performance as observed by the users themselves.

  • GSA launches 2017 GNSS Market Report

    GSA launches 2017 GNSS Market Report

    GNSSMarketReport2017-coverWith an in-depth look at market opportunities and trends across eight market segments, the European GNSS Agency’s (GSA’s) annual GNSS Market Report serves as a key resource for navigating the fast-evolving world of satellite navigation technology and GNSS applications.

    The fifth edition, the 2017 GNSS Market Report, was released May 10 by Carlo des Dorides, executive director for the GSA, at the European Navigation Conference held in Lausanne Switzerland.

    According to the new report, the growing demand for precise location information, in combination with the ongoing evolution of GNSS technology, means that today’s GNSS market is bigger than ever.

    According to the 5th edition of the GSA’s popular GNSS Market Report:

    • The global GNSS market is expected to grow from 5.8 billion devices in use in 2017 to an estimated 8 billion by 2020.
    • The GNSS downstream market is expected to produce over € 70 billion in revenue annually in 2025. When the revenue created by added-value services is included, this number could more than double.
    • The global GNSS downstream market is forecast to grow by more than 6 % annually between 2015 and 2020. Following the declaration of Galileo Initial Services in 2016, chipset and receiver manufacturers and application developers are leveraging Galileo signals, and a number of Galileo-ready devices are already on the market.
    • By 2025, the installed base of GNSS devices in drones will reach 70 mln, more than twice the sum of other professional market segments combined.

    Regularly referenced by policy-makers and business leaders around the world, the GNSS Market Report serves as the go-to resource for an in-depth look at GNSS market opportunities and trends across an array of essential market segments.

    “Providing in-depth information on today’s GNSS market opportunities and a data-driven forecast of its evolution through to 2025, this edition is a must-read for anyone looking to successfully navigate this promising market,” des Dorides said.

    The GNSS Market Report takes a comprehensive look at the global GNSS market, providing a thorough analysis per market segment (Location-Based Services, Road Transportation, Aviation, Maritime, Rail, Agriculture, Surveying and Timing & Synchronisation), region and application type, including information on shipments, revenues and installed device base.

    The 2017 edition includes such new features as:

    • An expanded section on macro-trends like the Internet of Things (IoT), Smart Cities and Big Data.
    • Segment-specific user perspectives, with an emphasis on the increasingly stringent demands of today’s GNSS users.
    • The unique added-value that European GNSS (EGNOS and Galileo) brings to each segment and how Galileo is already enhancing the functioning of many applications.
    • A special feature on the important role that GNSS plays in the growing market of drones (i.e., UAVs/Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems).

    The full 100-page report is available for download free of charge.

    Methodology

    The GSA GNSS Market Report is compiled by the GSA and the European Commission and was produced using the GSA’s systematic Marketing Monitoring and Forecasting Process.

    The underlying market model uses advanced forecasting techniques applied to a wide range of input data, assumptions, and scenarios to forecast the size of the GNSS market in terms of shipments, revenue, and installed base of receivers.

    Historical values are anchored to actual data in order to ensure a high level of accuracy. Assumptions are confronted with expert opinions in each market segment and application and model results are cross-checked against the most recent market research reports from independent sources before being validated through an iterative consultation process involving pertinent sector experts and stakeholders.

  • GSA contracts with Eutelsat on next-gen EGNOS payload

    GSA contracts with Eutelsat on next-gen EGNOS payload

    The European Global Navigation Satellite Systems Agency (GSA) has selected Eutelsat Communications for the development, integration and operation of the next-generation EGNOS payload on a future Eutelsat satellite.

    Credit and copyright: GSA.
    Credit and copyright: GSA.

    Eutelsat and GSA have concluded a long-term contract valued at €102 million covering the preparation and service provision phases for the EGNOS GEO-3 payload that will be hosted on the Eutelsat 5 West B satellite that is due for launch end of 2018.

    The new payload marks a replenishment of current EGNOS capacity and is scheduled to start service in 2019 for a duration of 15 years.

    With the addition of the EGNOS payload, Eutelsat is further optimizing the Eutelsat 5 West B satellite that was commissioned in October 2016 on a design-to-cost basis from Airbus Defence and Space and Orbital ATK. Airbus Defence and Space is building the satellite’s commercial Ku-band payload and the EGNOS payload while the platform is being manufactured by Orbital ATK.

    The EGNOS GEO-3 payload on Eutelsat 5 West B will comprise two L-band transponders that will act as an augmentation, or overlay to GNSS messages. Data from GNSS measurements received by an interconnected ground network of positioning stations across Europe will be transferred to a central computing centre where differential corrections and integrity messages will be calculated and then broadcast by Eutelsat 5 West B to users.

    The new payload will be the first step towards the deployment of the EGNOS next generation, EGNOS V3. This new generation of EGNOS will augment both Galileo and GPS and is planned to be qualified by 2022. EGNOS V3 will provide a higher level of performance and robustness than the current EGNOS legacy services, as required by the growing use and reliance on such services.

    Established in 1977, Eutelsat Communications specializes in communications satellites. The company provides capacity on 39 satellites to clients that include broadcasters and broadcasting associations, pay-TV operators, video, data and internet service providers, enterprises and government agencies.

  • Galileo Commercial Service Implementing Decision enters into force

    Galileo Commercial Service Implementing Decision enters into force

    Galileo-European-GNSS-Header1

    The European Commission and the European GNSS Agency (GSA) confirm that the first generation of Galileo will already provide users with high accuracy and authentication services. Both the commission and GSA have adopted the Galileo Commercial Service Implementing Decision.

    The Commercial Service will complement the Galileo Open Service by providing an additional navigation signal and added-value services in a different frequency band. Unlike the Open Service, the Commercial Service signal can be encrypted in order to control access to Galileo Commercial Services.

    “The Commercial Service is unique in that its services are not provided by any other GNSS programme and thus represents a unique opportunity for Galileo to differentiate itself from other systems and offer users an added value to the standard positioning services already available,” says GSA Executive Director Carlo des Dorides.

    With the Commercial Service, Galileo users will benefit from:

    • High Accuracy service based on the transmission of Precise Point Positioning information through its E6-B signal, delivering accuracy below one decimeter worldwide; and
    • Commercial Authentication service based on the E6 signal code encryption, allowing for increased robustness of professional applications.

    Following the Commercial Service Implementing Decision, the user community will also be able to use the Open Service Navigation Message Authentication (OS NMA) for free. The OS NMA is capable of protecting users from spoofing attacks by digitally signing the Open Service message in the E1 band.

    The High Accuracy and Commercial Authentication services will most likely be provided for a fee, and at least one signal component of the Galileo E6 signals will remain freely available, allowing user communities to benefit from signals in all Galileo bands.

    To avoid disrupting existing professional markets, the Commercial Service will be most likely be operated by at least one yet-to-be-determined commercial service provider. All three services are compatible with the current signal definition and are based on existing infrastructure.

    After a test period, the Galileo Commercial Service will become available when Galileo reaches Full Operational Capability, which is expected by 2020. It will complement the Galileo Open Service, Public Regulated Service and Search and Rescue service — all available now via the Galileo Initial Services.

    Additional satellites will be successively added to the constellation, with the launch of the next four foreseen in 2017.

    Learn more about Galileo Commercial Service demonstration activities.