FINAL REPORT - Stakeholders - Ofcom

6.3.9.4 Possible Replacement System
In determining whether spectrum can be released and can be considered a candidate for
refarming, one must first examine whether an alternative is available and if possible the
cost implications of such a move.
The European Space Agency’s Galileo project (GNSS-2) aims to launch a group of
satellites to provide the EU with an advanced positioning and navigation system under
civilian control. The system should be operational in 2008. Galileo’s predecessor, the
EGNOS project (GNSS-1), will boost the performance of existing GPS and Glonass
systems. Geostationary satellites will augment GPS and Glonass signals by sending
corrections to EGNOS receivers. EGNOS is part of EUROCONTROL’s Satellite Based
Augmentation System project. Measurements made during EGNOS trials have shown
that accuracies of 3.8 m were achieved in 95 percent of cases and within 1.35 m in 50
percent of the cases. This is a considerable improvement in accuracy, compared to GPS
and is of a similar order to current DGPS results.
The rationale for developing Galileo is:
• Strategic, in order to protect European economies from dependency on other
states’ systems, which could deny access to civil users at any time, and to
enhance safety and reliability. The only services currently available are the US
Global Positioning Service (GPS) and the equivalent Russian system, both
military but made available to civil users.
• Commercial, although Galileo will not be able to charge for the use of its basic
service, because it is accepted that users need to have free open access, it
could become a commercially viable business by providing value added services
which will establish a position in the market alongside GPS.
• Economic, to secure an increased share for Europe in the equipment market and
related technologies, deliver efficiency savings for industry, create social benefits
through cheaper transport, reduced congestion and less pollution and stimulate
employment.
The services likely to be offered are:
• A free Open Access Service providing basic positioning navigation and timing
signals as a new universal service;
• Chargeable Commercial Services based on additional encrypted data;
• Safety of Life Services which will provide greater accuracy and integrity, allowing
the user to know within a few seconds if the positioning information has become
corrupted;
• A Search and Rescue Service which identifies a user’s location to civilian
emergency services;
• A Public Regulated Service based on a robust signal, resistant to interference or
jamming and restricted to certain public security organisations such as police
and fire services.
On current knowledge it would seem that prior to the projected lifetime of current
generation DGPS/DGNSS systems Galileo may be on track to provide a comparable
service to DGPS for safety of life applications. This of course assumes that European
thinking will maintain a viewpoint that safety of life services should be funded from tax
receipts or should be subsidised by commercial services. In terms of cost to Ireland and
the UK there is likely to be an eventual cost saving as DGPS stations are
decommissioned and their call on the General Lighthouse Fund is minimised.
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