07-17-2006, 11:00 AM
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Contributing Editor Emeritus
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 8,228
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Europe Launches GPS Rival?
"The European Union launched its first Galileo navigation satellite, the Giove-A, on Dec. 28 in a program to end Europe's reliance on the United States' Global Positioning System, or GPS. The European system, which is expected to go into service in 2008, aims to have an accuracy of 3 feet or less--five times better than the current GPS system."
Now, a few things strike me as odd here. First of all, why do we need another GPS system? Does the current global system not work well enough for you? I am not a GPS user, so I don't know how well it works. I know it is accurate to within 6 feet if you have the right kind of receiver. GPS accuracy is less so because the US military deliberately makes it a bit fuzzy without the right hardware. Furthermore, using Differential GPS, it is accurate to 1 centimeter.
So, what is the point of this new system? Even if it is five times more accurate than the US system for the general user, that means the US system is accurate to within 15 feet. If you need accuracy beyond that while driving around, you should have your driver's license revoked. Is this just so Europe has its own system, or is there really an advantage here, besides to the hardware makers that plan to make a killing off of new equipment purchases.
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07-17-2006, 11:31 AM
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Thinker
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 459
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Well, the EU bureaucrats and politicos give a whole pile of reasons, most of which seem to be centred around the fact that this is a commercial (vs. military) system with built in quality checking etc. etc. which will enable commercial businesses to build services off of it with greater reliability and hence less risk than they can off the US GPS network.
In reality, it's probably a massive vanity project based on a deep-felt need (in some quarters) not to rely on a US system over which the EU has absolutely no control.
However, that said, isn't it time that the EU and other parts of the world started to stand on their own feet and not always rely on US taxpayers to get stuff done? It probably shouldn't have been by duplicating something that already exists (although the GPS system is aging and Congress has been stalling on voting funding to replace it) but at least it's a start.
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07-17-2006, 11:49 AM
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Thinker
Join Date: Sep 2004
Posts: 454
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The one reason I can think of off the top of my head is that the US threatened to pull the plug on the GPS system not long ago. (I read something to that effect a few months back.)
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07-17-2006, 11:55 AM
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Thinker
Join Date: Jun 2003
Posts: 312
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Re: Europe Launches GPS Rival?
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Originally Posted by Ed Hansberry
Now, a few things strike me as odd here. First of all, why do we need another GPS system? Does the current global system not work well enough for you? I am not a GPS user, so I don't know how well it works. I know it is accurate to within 6 feet if you have the right kind of receiver. GPS accuracy is less so because the US military deliberately makes it a bit fuzzy without the right hardware. Furthermore, using Differential GPS, it is accurate to 1 centimeter.
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Some quote from Wikipedia about Galileo:
As well as being an impressive technological achievement and a hugely practical tool, Galileo will be a political statement of European independence from the United States and its GPS system. A strong motivator for an independent system is that, though GPS is now widely used worldwide for civilian applications, it is a military system, which as recently as 2000 had selective availability that may be enabled in particular areas of coverage during times of war. Galileo's proponents argue that civil infrastructure, including aeroplane navigation and landing, should not rely solely upon GPS.
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So, what is the point of this new system? Even if it is five times more accurate than the US system for the general user, that means the US system is accurate to within 15 feet. If you need accuracy beyond that while driving around, you should have your driver's license revoked. Is this just so Europe has its own system, or is there really an advantage here, besides to the hardware makers that plan to make a killing off of new equipment purchases.
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Hehehe... :-) Not everything in the world is about Pocket PCs and car navigation. GPS is used today in air and nautical use as well and that's what Galileo is addressing as well:
There will be four different navigation services available:
* The Open Service (OS) will be free for anyone to access. The OS signals will be broadcast in two bands, at 1164�1214 MHz and at 1563�1591 MHz. Receivers will achieve an accuracy of <4 m horizontally and <8 m vertically if they use both OS bands. Receivers that use only a single band will still achieve <15 m horizontally and <35 m vertically, comparable to what the civilian GPS C/A service provides today. It is expected that most future mass market receivers, such as automotive navigation systems, will process both the GPS C/A and the Galileo OS signals, for maximum coverage.
* The encrypted Commercial Service (CS) will be available for a fee and will offer an accuracy of better than 1 m. The CS can also be complemented by ground stations to bring the accuracy down to less than 10 cm. This signal will be broadcast in three frequency bands, the two used for the OS signals, as well as at 1260�1300 MHz.
* The encrypted Public Regulated Service (PRS) and Safety of Life Service (SoL) will both provide an accuracy comparable to the Open Service. Their main aim is robustness against jamming and the reliable detection of problems within 10 seconds. They will be targeted at security authorities (police, military, etc.) and safety-critical transport applications (air-traffic control, automated aircraft landing, etc.), respectively.
* In addition, the Galileo satellites will be able to detect and report signals from COSPAS-SARSAT search-and-rescue beacons in the 406.0�406.1 MHz band, which makes them a part of the Global Maritime Distress Safety System.
You see, Galileo will provide way more services as GPS provides today (non-military use).
__________________
Cheers ~ Arne, MS MVP - Mobile Devices
Editor in Chief the::unwired - where mobility meets wireless
http://www.theunwired.net |
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07-17-2006, 11:59 AM
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Ponderer
Join Date: May 2002
Posts: 105
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OK firstly it was too hard for Europe to swallow the idea of having major operations over here relying on US controlled technology, also the Euro version will have a built in warning system if it loses track of where you are making it suitable for plane landings, the UK is looking at charging by mileage ..having every car fitted with GPS, this wouldn't really be politically possible using a US system, of course there allready is another GPS , the Russians have had one for years.
The increased accuracy is a bit mute because the US is allready working on an updated GPS themselves.
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07-17-2006, 12:02 PM
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Intellectual
Join Date: Mar 2004
Posts: 165
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http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6720387/
"WASHINGTON - President Bush has ordered plans for temporarily disabling the U.S. network of global positioning satellites during a national crisis to prevent terrorists from using the navigational technology, the White House said Wednesday."
That way, the EU can continue to provide the terrorists the means necessary to get 'er done.
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07-17-2006, 12:21 PM
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Ponderer
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 83
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I believe the main reasons are political ones.
The US army have freightened to turn off the GPS signal in the past.
It makes a lot of sense to me that the EU is trying to gain some independence.
The second argument is that it will create thousands of desperately needed high tech jobs within the EU.
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07-17-2006, 12:53 PM
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Intellectual
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 229
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The reasons are political and economic - as far as the latter is concerned, the European Union can rake in oodles of money for letting companies and individuals use "their GPS". Oh, and the odd little country, such as China ....
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07-17-2006, 12:58 PM
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Intellectual
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 177
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by signothefish
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6720387/
"WASHINGTON - President Bush has ordered plans for temporarily disabling the U.S. network of global positioning satellites during a national crisis to prevent terrorists from using the navigational technology, the White House said Wednesday."
That way, the EU can continue to provide the terrorists the means necessary to get 'er done.
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which would make the EU system at target for terrorists unable to affect the US system - now if terrorists want to cripple the EU economy without chancing retailiation by the US military, they have an unprotected civilian target... instead of trains in Spain, they'll be targeting planes over France.
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07-17-2006, 01:52 PM
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Ponderer
Join Date: May 2006
Posts: 110
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Re: Europe Launches GPS Rival?
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Originally Posted by Ed Hansberry
So, what is the point of this new system? Even if it is five times more accurate than the US system for the general user, that means the US system is accurate to within 15 feet. If you need accuracy beyond that while driving around, you should have your driver's license revoked. Is this just so Europe has its own system, or is there really an advantage here, besides to the hardware makers that plan to make a killing off of new equipment purchases.
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Yup these people are morons. They have no clue how to
approach more complex problems - for example trip to Mars or
at least fight poverty, prostitution. So.. they throw money where
they think they could be someone now that nobody wants to buy big Airbus.
Very likely they will allow only their own GPS to be used in the EU.
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