The New York Times recently reported that scientists and military experts say Russian satellites are jamming GPS from space. In a detailed analysis on SpaceNews.com, Dana A. Goward, president of the Resilient Navigation and Timing Foundation, describes the process of gathering evidence for these findings and the resulting risk to our national security.
GPS is far more than a navigation tool. It serves as a universal clock that provides precision timing for critical infrastructure, including the power grid, wireless communications, financial transactions and emergency response systems. A significant GPS disruption would threaten public safety and could cost hundreds of billions of dollars in economic damage. Yet GPS remains vulnerable to jamming and spoofing attacks, prompting increased attention from policymakers and federal agencies seeking more resilient positioning, navigation and timing solutions.
As Goward says, “What we do know is that Russia and China have terrestrial systems to back up and complement GNSS that minimize the impact of interference, regardless of the source. This gives them huge tactical and strategic advantages over the U.S. and the West.”
Broadcasters are helping to change that.
The Broadcast Positioning System (BPS) uses local television infrastructure to provide a resilient terrestrial complement to GPS. BPS is designed to strengthen America’s positioning, navigation and timing capabilities when satellite signals are degraded or unavailable.
Broadcasters are already partnering with the federal government to advance this technology. NAB recently secured a Department of Transportation contract to test BPS performance in support of critical infrastructure and national resilience. The technology has also demonstrated timing accuracy comparable to GPS in testing by the National Institute of Standards and Technology.
To continue to advance this technology, NAB recently spun off a new company – Merkhet Solutions – dedicated to providing a critical backup to GPS through the broadcast infrastructure.
“GPS is an amazing and priceless asset,” Goward says. “Yet without the protection of a robust and resilient complementary and backup system it remains, as a member of the National Security Council once said, ‘a single point of failure’ for America.”
Broadcasters stand ready to help strengthen the nation’s resilience. With support for a nationwide NextGen TV transition, BPS can become a powerful new tool to protect America’s critical infrastructure and national security. Learn more at nab.org/BPS.
