Back up GPS | Positioning, navigation and timing

Beyond the signal: Protecting and supporting critical infrastructure by backing up the global navigation satellite system (GNSS)

In a world where GNSS is the backbone of modern navigation, what happens when the signal goes dark? Imagine a scenario where emergency responders can't pinpoint a location, or where critical infrastructure grinds to a halt due to a GNSS outage. This is where a reliable GNSS backup solution is crucial. It ensures continuous locationing and timing, even when GNSS is unavailable. The existing terrestrial networks of high-powered transmitters, operated by our customers, have the potential to also support Positioning, Navigation and Timing (PNT) services, providing a robust and reliable backup to GNSS and safeguarding lives and livelihoods.

Backing up GNSS: Why redundancy matters

By providing a redundant locationing and timing system, a GNSS-Backup ensures that essential services remain operational, even in the face of GNSS outages or disruptions. This is particularly crucial in safety-critical applications, such as aviation, maritime, and emergency services, including critical infrastructure sectors like law enforcement, firefighting, and emergency medical services, where accurate locationing is essential for first responders to respond quickly and effectively to emergencies.

Benefits of terrestrial positioning, navigation and timing compared to GNSS

Signal strength and robustness

Due to its high signal strength, broadcast-based PNT is significantly more robust against interference from other radio frequency signals, minimizing the likelihood of errors and outages.

Protection against intentional disruption

Terrestrial PNT is less susceptible to intentional jamming and spoofing, as the signal transmission occurs locally, making it harder to disrupt.

Resilience against atmospheric disturbances

Unlike GNSS, which can be affected by atmospheric conditions such as solar flares or ionospheric disturbances, terrestrial PNT remains more stable and reliable under various weather conditions.

Overcoming urban challenges

In densely populated urban areas, where tall buildings can block or weaken GPS signals, terrestrial PNT offers a reliable alternative that is less influenced by the surrounding environment.

Broadcast-based locationing

The technology uses reference signals embedded in broadcast signals to provide location information. These signals are transmitted by a network of reference transmitters, and an enabled device can calculate its location using the time difference of arrival (TDOA) between the reference signals. The technology provides accurate location information, even in challenging environments or in areas with limited GNSS satellite visibility, like urban canyons, rural zones, and mountainous terrain.

Rohde & Schwarz expertise and infrastructure for future-proof positioning, navigation and timing

Our team of experts has a deep understanding of the complexities of PNT and can provide tailored solutions to meet your specific needs. With over 10,000 DTV transmitters installed worldwide – we are uniquely positioned to potentially leverage this existing broadcast infrastructure for future Positioning, Navigation, and Timing (PNT) applications.