Blog Editor’s Note: Two important perspectives from well-regarded PNT community figures.
It is interesting to note that the question posed was: “What is or would be the best POLICY response from Congress and/or executive branch agencies to the growing threats to GPS from jamming and interference?” (emphasis added).
Both respondents answered with SYSTEMs.
We agree. Sometimes shaking your finger and saying “No, no!” is not enough. Sometimes the government has to actually do something to make the nation safer.
Editorial Advisory Board PNT Q&A: Policy on jamming
What is or would be the best policy response from Congress and/or executive branch agencies to the growing threats to GPS from jamming and interference?
Brad Parkinson
“Homeland Security has declared GPS to be an essential system to virtually all of our infrastructure. It is time to install a national system to identify and shut down interference. As part of that, all cell phones should periodically report interference to that national system and allow law enforcement to pinpoint and eliminate offenders.”
Bradford W. Parkinson
Stanford Center for Position, Navigation and Time
Allison Brown
“On Dec. 5, 2018, the president signed into law the National GPS Timing Resilience and Security Act tasking the Secretary of Transportation with establishing a backup timing system for GPS within two years. To date, only limited technology demonstrations have been performed. Congress needs to fund the Department of Transportation to rapidly acquire and deploy a back-up timing capability, using available commercial solutions, to assure resilience within the Air Traffic Control system and other critical infrastructure to GPS jamming or spoofing.”
Alison Brown
NAVSYS Corporation
