Tag: telecommunications

NPL collaborates with Vodafone on terrestrial timing

The National Physical Laboratory (NPL) and Vodafone have successfully completed a set of trials using the NPLTime service as an alternative to GPS-timing signals.

Requirements for precise time delivery have driven the telecoms sector toward the increased use of GNSS for accurate timing. There are various alternatives to GNSS, each with their own capabilities, but GNSS has become the default mechanism for most sectors to access timing signals.

As the telecommunications industry rolls out 5G networks and prepares for 6G, it’s important there is a range of diversified timing signal sources that are resilient and secure. All major telecommunications providers in the UK and Europe share this requirement.

In the UK, VodafoneThree is the first mobile network operator to test the performance of a terrestrial NMI-provided time source as an alternative to GNSS-based time in their network timing infrastructure.

Vodafone is accelerating 5G coverage and improving data service performance across Europe and emerging markets by deploying 5G standalone networks, launching enterprise-grade slicing services, and 5G Advanced programs.

Vodafone is positioning itself as a future-ready connectivity platform for both consumers and industries, making it a must to protect the 5G network and future networks. Vodafone is actively reducing reliance on GNSS for time synchronisation for the VodafoneThree network in the UK and other Vodafone markets around Europe in collaboration with European Metrology Institutes.

The partnership will support the reliability and resilience of VodafoneThree’s £11bn network investment program to create the UK’s best network, reaching 99% 5G standalone population coverage by 2030, and 99.96% by 2034.

For the past 30 years, NPL has been operating the UK’s national time scale, UTC (NPL), and for the past eight years it has been disseminating NPLTime, an end-to-end fibre-based timing service that has been supporting the finance sector with regulatory compliance.

The partnership between NPL and Vodafone will develop a telecom version of the NPLTime service that meets stringent ITU standards for signal accuracy, stability, resilience and traceability. More specifically, the new service will deliver a terrestrial reference signal that is traceable to UTC (NPL) and can maintain accuracy within 40ns.

At the end of the trial, the new service will meet the accuracy requirements of most sectors in the UK and offer the potential for telecommunications operators to extend the reach of a UK sovereign time source to other industries. Vodafone intends to replicate the same telecom timing infrastructure across all Vodafone markets.

The partnership builds on the UK government’s efforts to increase resilience for position, navigation and time (PNT) for the UK’s digital infrastructure as well as on NPL’s role in delivering the National Timing Centre (NTC) program.

“Our work with the National Physical Laboratory marks a significant step in reducing over reliance on GPS-based timing and strengthening the foundations of our future-ready 5G Standalone network,” said Andrea Donà, chief network officer, VodafoneThree. “By testing a terrestrial timing solution we’re helping to ensure that our £11 billion investment delivers a network that is not only faster and more reliable, but also more secure and resilient for our customers.”

April 28, 2026
FreeGNSSNetwork: Sateliot launches project with ESA to break GNSS dependency

Sateliot, a leading satellite telecommunications operator in 5G IoT connectivity, will test a pioneering system that allows its satellites to connect with IoT devices without relying on GNSS. The breakthrough opens new opportunities in sectors such as defense and security, where Europe’s technological autonomy and operation in GNSS-denied environments are strategic priorities.

Low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellite constellations, such as the one developed by Sateliot, provide coverage in areas beyond the reach of terrestrial networks — over half of the planet’s surface. However, until now, they depended on GNSS, increasing both the energy consumption of devices and terminal costs.

The FreeGNSSNetwork project, signed with the European Space Agency (ESA) and led jointly with GMV, eliminates this dependency using advanced algorithms that enable devices to calculate their position directly from the satellites’ signals. This maintains a stable and accurate connection even under complex conditions such as wartime scenarios.

According to the company, this project represents a paradigm shift and lays the groundwork for developing 6G technology, in which Sateliot actively contributes within the 3GPP framework.

The FreeGNSSNetwork enables device positioning with an accuracy of approximately 10 meters and provides extremely precise time synchronization services of 50 nanoseconds, the equivalent of 0.00000005 seconds.

The system is being tested in laboratories that replicate real satellite communication conditions and will be demonstrated in orbit with prototype satellites and terminals, sending positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT) data directly to IoT devices.

October 23, 2025
Fugro teams with Septentrio and Meinberg to launch time synchronization service

Septentrio’s mosaic-T is built specifically for resilient and precise time and frequency synchronization under challenging conditions. (Photo: Septentrio)

Fugro has signed a tri-party cooperation agreement with GNSS receiver company Septentrio and synchronization equipment manufacturer Meinberg to launch the Fugro AtomiChron real-time synchronization and authentication service.

Numerous sectors rely on resilient and highly accurate time synchronization, including telecommunications, finance and energy. The timing technology eliminates time drift caused by clocks counting time at slightly different rates, and provides extreme stability that surpasses current precision frequency standards.

With up to sub-nanosecond accuracy, Fugro AtomiChron includes Navigation Message Authentication (NMA), ensuring reception of genuine GNSS signals and time synchronization improvements. Integrated anti-spoofing detection further prevents interference with GNSS timing signals providing accuracy, authentication, validity and security for end users.

The agreement ensures that the Fugro AtomiChron service will be available in new Septentrio mosaic-T GNSS receivers, as well as a selection of Meinberg GNSS clocks, without the need for additional physical interfaces or separate antennas.

“Septentrio is a forerunner in the area of robust and resilient GNSS solutions,” said Jan Van Hees, business development director at Septentrio. “With the addition of the unique Fugro AtomiChron service, we are pleased to further strengthen our offering and provide our customers even more accurate and reliable solutions for resilient GNSS timing.”

November 14, 2022
Global corporation VIAVI acquires Jackson Labs for PNT solutions

Said Jackson,
President and CTO,
Jackson Labs

Global corporation VIAVI Solutions Inc. has completed the acquisition of Jackson Labs Technologies, a leader in positioning, navigation and timing (PNT) solutions for critical infrastructure serving both military and civilian applications.

Jackson Labs develops and supplies modules, subsystems and box-level solutions that include front-end receivers, transcoders, rack-mounted equipment, and patented retrofit technology. Their broad customer base includes armed forces, defense contractors, energy distribution infrastructure, low-Earth-orbit (LEO) operators and 5G service providers.

Jackson Labs’ next-generation M-code solutions complement and advance VIAVI’s timing and synchronization portfolio at a time when PNT requirements for defense, space, commercial aviation, transportation and telecommunication networks are expanding and becoming increasingly critical.

“As telecommunications, avionics and mission-critical infrastructure adopt next-generation technology, legacy timing and synchronization protocols are no longer sufficient. Jackson Labs is a trusted provider of PNT solutions in these markets, and we look forward to addressing these opportunities together,” said Oleg Khaykin, president and CEO of VIAVI. “With this acquisition, we are continuing to drive operational scale via the addition of advanced technology and high-performance products that address market segments with strong growth and profitability.”

“Being a part of VIAVI will significantly expand Jackson Labs Technologies’ market reach worldwide, and allow us to further deliver world-class solutions for the rapidly developing PNT landscape as it enters a new era,” said Said Jackson, CEO of Jackson Labs Technologies.

DelMorgan & Co. acted as the exclusive financial advisor to Jackson Labs in connection with the transaction. Terms of the transaction are not being disclosed.

About VIAVI

VIAVI s a global provider of network test, monitoring and assurance solutions for communications service providers, enterprises, network equipment manufacturers, original equipment manufacturers, government and avionics. It helps customers harness the power of instruments, automation, intelligence and virtualization.

VIAVI is also a leader in light management solutions for the anti-counterfeiting, consumer electronics, industrial, government and automotive markets.

VIAVI operates offices throughout North, Central and South America, Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and the Asia-Pacific, including China and Japan.

October 7, 2022
Türk Telekom claims first 5G network without GNSS timing

From left: Yusuf Kıraç, Türk Telekom chief technology officer, and Net Insight CEO Crister Fritzson. (Photo: Türk Telekom)

Türk Telekom is using specialized GPS/GNSS-independent technology to provide critical time and frequency synchronization in its 5G network.

The technology — developed by Türk Telekom engineers with Net Insight — is expected to significantly reduce synchronization investment costs and increase service continuity in 5G. The companies did not reveal the details of their technology.

Türk Telekom, the pioneer of digital transformation in Türkiye, continues its efforts to shape the future with 5G and new generation technologies. Türk Telekom became the first operator in the world to implement the “Time Synchronization Transmission Solution,” implemented in cooperation with Net Insight, one of the world’s leading technology companies, on its network. This solution, which is the patented technology developed by Türk Telekom and Net Insight, will provide strategic superiority in network technologies.

Minimum end-to-end deviation throughout Turkey

The testing process of the GPS/GNSS-independent stable synchronization service for 5G has been successfully completed. Türk Telekom, which has installed the system at 20 locations in Turkey, will have a central synchronization network with high time accuracy, and will be able to offer synchronization service to 5G base stations.

While the highest time deviation value for 5G is 1,500 nanoseconds, the deviation value was measured at 5–45 nanoseconds in two different regions of Türkiye, according to the first data obtained from the Türk Telekom live network. The values revealed that sensitive time and synchronization information can be carried from Edirne to Hakkari, the entire length of Türkiye, with minimum deviation regardless of network equipment.

Solution to increase efficiency and save resources

“We became the first operator to implement the next-generation synchronization solution, developed together with Net Insight and leveraging patents of Turkish engineers, which is critical for 5G and beyond technologies on the live network,” said Yusuf Kıraç, Türk Telekom chief technology officer. “We see a significant potential in the global market for this innovative solution that will reduce costs and increase service continuity for mobile operators and all industries with critical time synchronization requirements.

“We can meet all these needs with this solution, which has a time deviation far below 1,500 nanosecond required for the synchronization need of 5G,” Kıraç continued. “We are proud to develop new satellite-independent solutions for operators and standardization organizations in the world.”

“We believe that this solution, which is operated on the Türk Telekom network for the first time in the world, will break new ground in 5G and have a high and significant market potential on a global scale,” said Net Insight CEO Crister Fritzson.

Important step for 5G and beyond

The new-generation time synchronization solution, which is not depending on GPS/GNSS satellites, offers unique advantages for transmitting phase and time synchronization over the network without the need to replace or update existing network equipment. With this technology, a fundamental solution to GPS/GNSS satellites’ signal interruptions and service losses — one of the biggest needs of operators who have switched to 5G — will be met, the companies said.

At the same time, the synchronization needs of 6G technologies — planned to begin global standardization studies in 2025 — will be met with the same solution.

The patented technology will be produced and marketed all over the world and will provide solutions for sectors such as telecommunications, energy and finance.

September 15, 2022
Trimble introduces high-accuracy mapping solution for GIS field applications

Trimble has announced a new high-performance data collector for its Mapping and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) portfolio — the Trimble TDC650 handheld. Built for GIS data collection, inspection and asset management activities, the TDC650 provides users a rugged solution with scalable high-accuracy GNSS positioning for professional field workflows.

The TDC650 is fully integrated with today’s demanding GIS data environment, powered by the Trimble Software Development Kit (SDK) that enables precision GNSS positioning for apps such as Esri ArcGIS Field Maps and Trimble TerraFlex software. The TDC650 is also a scalable solution that allows customers to choose their desired accuracy down to the centimeter-level to meet needs and budget requirements.

“This is an ideal tool for customers tasked with modernizing critical utilities including electric, gas and telecommunications networks,” said Gareth Gibson, marketing director, Trimble Mapping and GIS. “The precision, quality and data integration workflows needed to map the physical world to a digital one in these projects requires a modern data-collection platform like the TDC650.”

City, state and local governments and utilities will benefit from this solution, which is part of the larger Trimble Public Sector ecosystem that includes Cityworks software for stormwater inspections and Trimble Unity for monitoring municipal water pressure and hazards. As GIS data continues to grow more complex, Trimble helps simplify, visualize and make sense of the data so customers can make better decisions in managing their communities’ assets.

Photo: Trimble

July 13, 2022
Telecom groups press president, Congress for GPS alternatives

America urgently needs alternatives to GPS and the government must fund efforts to make that happen. So say separate documents sent to President Biden and senior members of Congress earlier this month.

On May 6, the government’s National Security Telecommunications Advisory Committee (NSTAC) issued its “Report to the President on Communications Resiliency.” The next day the industry group Alliance for Telecommunications Industry Solutions (ATIS) sent letters to Congress. Both organizations identify the need for alternatives to GPS to support telecommunications and other critical infrastructure. Both also urge government funding for the effort.

NSTAC is a federal advisory committee composed of 18 members from the telecommunications industry. Most are CEOs and very senior leaders in companies such as AT&T, Microsoft, and Iridium.

This month’s NSTAC report highlights the critical role that PNT, especially timing, plays in telecommunications. It notes that widespread use of GPS makes the system vulnerable to a host of threats. To address this, the group recommends the administration consider an approach “similar to that reflected in the Resilient Navigation and Timing Foundation’s paper entitled “A Resilient National Timing Architecture.” Further, to enhance the ability of commercial entities to afford leveraging this architecture, the Administration should appropriate sufficient funds to lay the foundation for creating this timing architecture, with the Federal Government being the first customer for what will ultimately become a resilient, interconnected network for PNT delivery.”

Federal funding is necessary, according to the board, because free GPS services eliminate market demand for alternatives.

ATIS sent letters to leaders in the House and Senate citing an “urgent need” for funding deployment and adoption of GPS alternatives for use in critical infrastructures, including telecommunications.

ATIS develops standards and other technical deliverables for information and communications technology (ICT) and services companies on a broad range of issues, including 5G and the Internet of Things (IoT).

Network and system synchronization is key for telecommunications. At present this is done almost exclusively using signals from GPS. ATIS had previously documented in reports and letters to Congress the vulnerability of GPS signals and the need for complementary and alternative systems to use when GPS is not available.

The letters outline the criticality of precision timing to critical infrastructure, industries, first responders, and U.S. government entities. They cite applications such as E9-1-1 and Assisted GPS used to find wireless handsets, as well as critical infrastructure networks, as some of the applications at risk.

ATIS also endorsed the findings of a recent Department of Transportation (DOT) report to Congress. That report documented that there exist “suitable, mature and commercially available technologies” able to provide alternatives to GPS.

Also mentioned was the appropriateness of government funding. “The role of government in protecting its citizens suggests an imperative to safeguard the capabilities of critical infrastructure industries by facilitating resilient PNT.”

Some in previous administrations had questioned whether it was necessary and appropriate for the government to fund GPS alternatives. According to NSTAC and ATIS, the answer is “yes” to both.

While the Biden administration has not made any official statements on the matter, reports of conversations with recent appointees seem to indicate that they agree with the need for government funding. There also seems to be bipartisan support for this view.

As one example, Ms. Diana Furchtgott-Roth, a conservative economist who served in the Trump administration as the leader for civil PNT issues, supports government funding wholeheartedly. At a recent webinar she indicated that the national need is beyond the business model of any company. “Just as the government funds national defense, it should also provide a complement to GPS,” she said.

The NSTAC “Report to the President on Communications Resiliency” can be found here.

ATIS letters to members in the House can be found here, and to members in the Senate here.

Dana A. Goward is President of the Resilient Navigation and Timing Foundation

Featured image: AnuchaCheechang/iStock/Getty Images Plus/Getty Images

May 25, 2021
LORAN-5G: Paper envisions new use for venerable tech

Image: KENGKAT/iStock/Getty Images Plus/Getty Images

A new paper by two Qualcomm engineers imagines restructuring Loran technology to more easily incorporate timing signals into telecommunication systems.

The paper, titled simply “LORAN-5G,” was authored by Guttorm Opshaug and Dave Tuck. It envisions moving away from legacy pulsed signals to a more continuous wave form which would allow significantly lower power transmissions.

According to Opshaug, “Another big advantage that may not be as apparent, is the built-in orthogonality in the signal structure of OFDM. This means that a receiver would be able to detect very weak signals from distant towers at the same time as receiving signals from a very strong close tower. Such robustness towards near-far effects is critical for terrestrial navigation use.”

Another change would be a marked increase in the capacity of the Loran data channel to more than 2.6kbps. “This could open opportunities for additional service options and/or reduce latency of existing ones,” according to Tuck.

UrsaNav CEO, Charles Schue, expressed great interest in Qualcomm’s paper. UrsaNav is a long-time provider of Loran equipment and consulting. “The intersection of PNT and communications discussed in the Qualcomm paper is exactly what is needed to ensure that PNT systems evolve and stay relevant,” he said. “In fact, we build our software defined transmitter and receiver solutions to specifically include the ability to produce and use these types of signals.” A Cooperative Research and Development Agreement between UrsaNav and the Department of Homeland Security demonstrated these type of potential upgrades in 2012.

This paper is the first publicly released effort examining the use of Loran technology to support 5G telecommunications. The general concept was discussed in a 2016 paper by the Alliance for Telecommunications Industry Solutions’ (ATIS) Synchronization Committee. Based on the paper, ATIS in 2017 encouraged members of Congress to pass legislation that would become the National Timing Resilience and Security Act of 2018 (NTRSA).

There are tradeoffs. Opshaug and Tuck’s proposal would replace the legacy Loran standard signal with a new one.

“I was in the midst of developing proposals for the 3GPP standards organization when I first heard about the NTRSA,” said Opshaug. “5G seemed like exactly the kind of critical infrastructure that could benefit from a backup timing solution.”

“We wanted to bring some of the ideas used to develop 5G position and timing to Loran,” said Tuck. “Using Loran as the timing synch could enable 5G to improve overall infrastructure resilience.”

Yet, as with most things, there are tradeoffs. Opshaug and Tuck’s proposal would replace the legacy Loran standard signal with a new one. This would require redesign of receivers and some transmitters. The proposal could support denser deployments to further improve resiliency.

“The new signals seem incompatible with existing receivers and Loran networks,” according to Professor Jiwon Seo of South Korea’s Yonsei University. South Korea is upgrading its Loran-C network to the eLoran standard. The new South Korean system will be compatible with neighboring Russian and Chinese Loran systems, so users will be able to benefit from signals anywhere in East Asia. Until 2010 signals from the U.S. Loran system cooperated with these networks as part of the Far East Radionavigation Service (FERNS).

Navigation expert Logan Scott is intrigued by the proposal but observes that more work needs to be done. “This is an interesting waveform,” he said, though he had questions about the propagation channel, antennas, and possible distortion.

The authors acknowledge that much more needs to be done, including better determining timing and positioning accuracy.

Yet they and others see potential in combining the very different phenomenologies of low frequency, 100KHz Loran and 5G telecommunications which typically operate in the gigahertz range.

Opshaug and Tuck’s paper LORAN-5G can be accessed here.

February 18, 2021
Klau Geomatics launches MakeItAccurate GNSS correction service

Klau Geomatics has launched MakeItAccurate, a global GNSS data correction and processing service.

MakeItAccurate takes data from any GNSS receiver on drone or survey equipment and makes it accurate. Users can now achieve centimeter (cm)-level accuracy without the need for base stations, real-time kinematic (RTK) links, data from Continuously Operating Reference Station (CORS) or other external inputs.

MakeItAccurate requires only the raw GNSS data from a drone to produce a highly precise trajectory and turn the traditional autonomous 3-5m GPS accuracy to 3-5 cm anywhere in the world.

In many parts of the United States, Europe, Japan, Australia and New Zealand, absolute accuracy of 2-3 cm XYZ will be achieved. In these areas, the KlauPPK processing engine applies sophisticated hybrid PPK/PPP algorithms, merging global PPP clock and orbit corrections with many distant CORS stations to achieve this high absolute accuracy.

The service enables enterprise drone operations to achieve high accuracy across their entire global operations with one repeatable workflow.

Sectors such as insurance, telecommunications and utilities can scale their operations without additional survey expertise and site-specific data constraints. The same process works for multiple operators on thousands of sites enabling consistent, high accuracy every time, the company said.

MakeItAccurate supports data from all GNSS manufacturers. Native support for DJI M 210v2 RTK or Phantom 4 RTK drones returns precise camera positions with centimeter-level accuracy. Other drones using external PPK GNSS products also can achieve highly accurate kinematic trajectories and camera coordinates.

A MakeItAccurate application programming interface (API) is available to push raw GNSS data to the processing engine and return highly accurate coordinates, with full reporting on the accuracy achieved for the entire trajectory or each camera event. GNSS hardware manufacturers can offer a custom service to add value to their products. Software developers offering artificial intelligence technology, photogrammetry processing or other outcomes that benefit from high accuracy can use the MakeItAccurate API.

April 14, 2020
PCCW Global and UniStrong to link GNSS tech with telecoms, airports

PCCW and Unistrong will collaborate on developing GNSS technologies and services for the telecommunications and aviation industries.

PCCW Global is the international operating division of HKT, a Hong Kong telecommunications service provider. Beijing UniStrong Science and Technology Corporation Limited is a navigation and positioning company.

The collaboration intends to link satellite positioning to 5G mobile networks to provide positioning data accurate to within centimeters. The link will unlock new services for telecommunications providers rolling out new networks to support the internet of things (IoT), smart cities and the aviation industry.

UniStrong’s experience in developing high-precision products, solutions and services will enable PCCW Global to integrate new services with 5G mobile infrastructure, providing high-precision positioning (HPP) accurate down to centimeter levels.

This integration of precision positioning expertise and technologies has the potential to revolutionize industries such as commercial drone operations, autonomous vehicles and transportation, logistics, construction, agriculture and others.

New Airport Technology

The integration of technologies will also enable the provision of smart aviation solutions for airport authorities. Based on high-precision positioning and navigation technology, new airports will be able to leverage smart civil construction works that will facilitate safer and more efficient airport operations.

These aviation technologies will also be able to integrate with a wide variety of IoT sensors, edge-computing capabilities, machine vision and other artificial intelligence (AI) technologies to create intelligent surveillance platforms capable of managing and enhancing many aspects of airport safety and efficiency.

The installed base of GNSS devices in use globally is forecast to increase from 6.4 billion in 2019 to 9.6 billion in 2029, with Asia-Pacific continuing to account for more than half of the global GNSS market.

In terms of global annual GNSS receiver shipments, the market is forecast to grow from 1.8 billion units in 2019 to 2.8 billion units in 2029, according to the 2019 GNSS Market Report by the European Global Navigation Satellite Systems Agency (GSA).

“As a global ICT service provider with extensive high speed fiber networks and cloud services coverage worldwide, we are delighted to cooperate with UniStrong with the aim to offer unique, game-changing solutions in Satellite High Precision Positioning (SHPP) and Continuous Operating Reference Station (CORS) solutions ideally suited to the new era of 5G, IoT and smart cities,” said Benney Cheng, head of Strategic Project and Development, PCCW Global.

“The cooperation between UniStrong and PCCW Global will further promote the development of professional solutions and applications that are oriented towards global users’ needs,” said Jun Shen, corporate vice president and chief scientist of UniStrong. “Based on GNSS technologies, and deeply integrated with communication technologies, Big Data, Industry 4.0, IoT, artificial intelligence and other technologies, these solutions will empower and influence more industries and countries, and promote BDS/GNSS global applications and international services worldwide.”

Photo: Bill Oxford / iStock / Getty Images Plus / Getty Images

March 31, 2020
Autotalks and Marben join on live V2X demo

Graphic: Autotalks

Autotalks, a vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communications company, has teamed up with Marben for a live V2X demo based on Marben V2X software running on Autotalks’ chipset.

The first live end-to-end global V2X demo will take place at the Autotalks booth (C198) at TU-Automotive Detroit, being held June 5-6 in Novi, Michigan.

The joint demonstration will show V2V applications running using both DSRC and C-V2X standards and leverages the ability of the Autotalks’ chipset to support both.

Autotalks has been cooperating for several years with Marben, a global leader in embedded software solutions for the telecommunication and automotive industries. The joint effort led to the successful integration of Marben’s stack and software application on Autotalks chipset using the C-V2X standard.

The Autotalks solution minimizes development, testing and certification efforts for a V2X system to be deployed anywhere, using a software toggle between V2X technologies. This translates into a huge advantage for OEMs and Tier 1 automakers who benefit from the shortest time to market for a global V2X platform.

The chipset isolates V2X from the non-safety domains, thus providing domain separation and security, scalability and ability to optimize the cost structure of telematic control units (TCUs). The isolation of V2X combined with Autotalks’ recognized cyber security technology enables a secure platform.

“Our agility in maturing the C-V2X solution simultaneously with leveraging our V2X ecosystem partners for this purpose has yielded fast results and offers a clear deployment path for OEMs and Tier 1s alike. We appreciate Marben’s long-standing cooperation and are pleased to demonstrate the first end-to-end dual-mode V2X demo with them,” said Yaniv Sulkes, Autotalks’ VP of business development and marketing in North America and Europe.

Global software communications company Marben has developed a complete ready-to-use V2X software solution including security and several applications that are deployed worldwide. The company’s solution significantly increases road safety, optimizes traffic and contributes to greener mobility.

“We are glad to partner with Autotalks, and showcase this first of a kind demonstration, after our straightforward and quick C-V2X integration,” said Devang Naik, director of software engineering.

The live demo can be seen at the Autotalks booth C198 at TU-Automotive Detroit.

June 3, 2019
FCC approves use of Galileo for non-federal official use

The U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) granted in part the European Commission’s request for a waiver of the commission’s rules so that non-federal devices in the United States may access specific Galileo signals. While private users were free to use the European GNSS, with this ruling entities such as telecommunications companies can now also use Galileo.

With today’s action, consumers and industry in the United States will now be permitted to access the E1 and E5 Galileo signals to augment GPS.

Since the debut of the first consumer handheld GPS device in 1989, consumers and industry in the United States have relied on the U.S. GPS to support satellite-based positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT) services that are integral to everyday applications ranging from driving directions to precision farming.

The order, approved Nov. 15, finds that Galileo is uniquely situated as a foreign GNSS system with respect to the U.S. GPS, since the two systems are interoperable and radiofrequency compatible pursuant to the 2004 European Union/United States Galileo-GPS Agreement.

Specifically, the order permits access to two of the Galileo system’s satellite signals — the E1 signal that is transmitted in the 1559-1591 MHz portion of the 1559-1610 MHz Radionavigation-Satellite Service (RNSS) frequency band, and the E5 signal that is transmitted in the 1164-1219 MHz portion of the 1164-1215 MHz and 1215-1240 MHz RNSS bands. These are the same RNSS bands in which the U.S. GPS satellite signals operate.

The order does not grant access to the Galileo E6 signal, which is transmitted over the 1260-1300 MHz frequency band, since this band is not allocated for RNSS in the United States or used by the U.S. GPS to provide PNT services.

The commission noted that granting access to the Galileo E6 signal could constrain U.S. spectrum management in the future in spectrum above 1300 MHz, where potential allocation changes are under consideration.

November 15, 2018