Chronos Welcomes Ofcom Licensing for GPS/GNSS Repeaters in the UK

Chronos Technology, supplier of GNSS (GPS, GLONASS, and Galileo) products and services, welcomes the decision by the UK regulator Ofcom on June 20 to implement a licensing regime for the use of GNSS repeaters in the UK. Chronos Technology has been at the forefront of GNSS repeater technology for many years and is one of the largest suppliers of this technology to the military in Europe.

GNSS repeaters provide coverage for the use and testing of GNSS technology inside buildings where the GNSS signals do not normally reach. Until the recent decision by Ofcom, the use of this repeater technology in the UK was not permitted except in specialized (normally military) situations.  Large numbers of consumer and industrial products use GNSS technology for positioning and timing applications including smartphones, telematics equipment, avionics and emergency service applications. GNSS technology can also be used for resource management, civil engineering and military applications.

The Ofcom consultation prior to this decision highlighted concerns about potential interference to applications by the use of GNSS repeaters; however, the conclusion was that a properly installed repeater system, conforming to the ETSI harmonized Standard for GNSS repeaters, should have no impact beyond 10 meters. This decision enables the use of GNSS repeaters in many applications and will provide significant benefits and cost savings to organizations wanting to develop, test, integrate and manufacture products and systems that use GNSS technology, Chronos said.

Chronos has installed repeater and other general GNSS infrastructure in more than 50 countries over 15 years.