Foundation Counters NextNav Proposal for 900 MHz Band
The Resilient Navigation and Timing Foundation filed a paper Wednesday at the FCC on positioning, navigation and timing (PNT) options other than NextNav’s proposal to use 900 MHz spectrum as an alternative to GPS (see 2404160043). The U.S. “must develop alternatives to GPS and strengthen its PNT capabilities,” the paper says. But “granting the NextNav petition is costly in terms of spectrum, not necessary to achieve this goal and likely would not even deliver a real-world improvement in the country’s PNT capabilities.” The paper, filed in docket 24-240, notes China and Russia have terrestrial PNT systems “that make them much more resilient to interference with their satellite navigation systems.” Other vendors and technologies -- including Locata, PhasorLab, the Broadcast Positioning System and enhanced long-range navigation (eLoran) -- also offer alternatives to GPS, the foundation said. “These companies have not asked the FCC for additional spectrum to implement their solutions.”
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The report “is right about GPS vulnerabilities and the need for a resilient, system-of-systems backup to GPS, and NextNav is part of that solution,” emailed Ed Mortimer, NextNav vice president-government affairs. NextNav’s approach “delivers a scalable, terrestrial solution that strengthens national GPS resilience without a dime of taxpayer money … by leveraging spectrum already licensed to NextNav and by tapping into the power and scale of 5G,” he said.
The Texas 9-1-1 Alliance also urged the FCC to explore alternatives to GPS. “Public safety answering points and first responders rely on accurate location data to respond effectively to emergencies,” the alliance said in comments posted Wednesday. “Despite advancements, GPS alone sometimes fails to provide reliable location data indoors or in dense urban environments. This limitation has real-world consequences, as delays in locating 911 callers can result in lost lives and property.”