Satellite navigation for the masses!

Well, the EC finally published its communication on the Galileo programme today. There is a lot of material to wade through and we here at SN4TM Towers are busy digesting it all. However, there are some clear points worthy of note following a brief glance:

• The EC expect a decision on their Galileo proposals by the end of the year
• The public sector will bear the €3.4Bn cost of deploying the system
• EGNOS will be fully funded by the public sector until 2013
• The EC will take on a more significant governance role with the GSA pushed into market development activities
• An FOC constellation is expected by mid 2013
• It is intended to use parallel double source procurement wherever possible

The EGNOS news is particularly significant and would finally allow Europe to finish what we started so long ago…

On another note the DoD announced today that the Block III GPS satellites will not carry the capability to apply selective availability (SA). This provides another boost for GPS by yet again eroding an argument used against the system by its detractors (and Galileo-philes). It is not clear whether this relates solely to the SA-dither applied to the clock on board the satellite or also to the SA-epsilon presumably applied to the satellite ephemeris by the GPS control segment. Either way it represents another positive development on what is turning out to be a good day for GNSS.

Stay posted for more analysis on the Galileo communication.