Expert Opinions: What is the GNSS/PNT industry “Issue of the Year”?

Q: What is the GNSS/PNT industry “Issue of the Year”?

Jose Angel Avila Rodriguez, signal and security implementation engineer, European Space Agency

A: The growth of PNT applications has been impressive and will continue. Assurance of PNT will thus gain an ever-increasing role, in both the security and the civil domains.

For GNSS, the key PNT contributor, there is in addition another challenge: its piece in the PNT cake will be contested by newcomers, such as telecom networks. Whether we will continue talking about A-GNSS or instead talk about Assisted 5G, with GNSS in that case taking on the role of signal of opportunity — that will depend on today’s decisions about future GNSS upgrades, the modernized versions of Galileo second generation, GPS III, and Beidou/Compass III, that will be flying around 2040.

Gyles Panther, president and CTO, Tallysman Wireless, Inc.

A: The key issues for PNT going forward, and into the indefinite future, are simply stated: availability and accuracy. Re-deployment of the eLoran infrastructure is a no-brainer. A potentially highly negative step would be the introduction of communication services within the mobile satellite L-band downlink frequency band (1525 MHz to 1559 MHz). Multi-constellational receivers track a much larger number of satellites and better disposed SVs (space vehicles) provide a lower horizontal DOP and hence greater accuracy.

Finally, GNSS needs to be defended against interference both intentional and accidental. Why on earth would we want to damage something that is providing so much utility to mankind?