07 March 2002
U.S. Explains Position on EU Satellite Navigation System
(Talks on cooperation, interoperability are ongoing) (1250)
Talks are underway between the United States and the European Union to
ensure that if the EU builds its proposed navigation satellite system,
called Galileo, it will operate with -- and not interfere with -- the
existing U.S. Global Positioning System (GPS).
The technology uses satellite signals to provide precise timing and
positioning information anywhere in the world and is particularly
important in the fields of surveying and mapping, transportation,
agriculture, telecommunications, and natural resources exploration
The United States has made its system available free of charge to
non-military users since 1983 and sees "no compelling need" for the
European version because it believes the U.S. system will meet the
needs of users for the foreseeable future.
Following is a March 7 media note issued by the Department of State
that explains the American position on GPS-Galileo, including its
desire to cooperate with the EU for the benefit of all current and
future users:
(begin text)
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Office of the Spokesman
March 7, 2002
MEDIA NOTE
U.S. GLOBAL POSITIONING SYSTEM AND EUROPEAN GALILEO SYSTEM
The United States is engaged in a diplomatic effort to promote the
U.S. Global Positioning System (GPS) as a worldwide standard for
precise positioning and timing information. Talks are currently
underway with the European Union to ensure that Europe's proposed
navigation satellite system, Galileo, will be interoperable with GPS.
U.S. Global Positioning System
-- GPS is a dual-use system, designed to support both civil and
military users. The system consists of a minimum of 24 satellites and
associated ground support facilities. The satellites emit signals that
can be converted by users anywhere in the world into precise timing
and positioning information.
-- GPS is operated by the U.S. Air Force, but managed by an
Interagency GPS Executive Board (IGEB). The IGEB is co-chaired by the
Departments of Defense and Transportation and includes representatives
of six other civilian departments and agencies.
-- It has been U.S. policy since 1983 to provide GPS signals to civil
users worldwide free of direct user fees. This means that the United
States does not charge for the signals transmitted by the GPS
satellites. This policy has been supported by both Republican and
Democratic Administrations and enjoys strong bipartisan support from
Congress. There are no plans to change it.
-- The United States is committed to providing uninterrupted service
to civil users around the world. The U.S. military has contingency
plans for denying access to the GPS signals to adversaries in specific
areas of conflict, but to date this has never been done. GPS service
continued without interruption, for example, during the Gulf War and
the Kosovo and Afghanistan conflicts.
-- In addition to providing free signals, the United States makes the
civil GPS signal specifications available to the public at no charge.
This enables businesses, scientific institutions, and government
entities anywhere in the world to develop products, services, and
research tools on an equal basis.
-- GPS has a wide array of applications. It is particularly important
in the fields of surveying and mapping, transportation, agriculture,
telecommunications, and natural resources exploration. In these and
other fields, GPS has been a catalyst for innovation, leading to
better, less expensive ways of performing economic tasks. The number
and variety of GPS applications is growing rapidly.
-- The GPS civil service is highly reliable. Detailed information on
the operational status of each of the GPS satellites is available to
the public through a web site maintained by the U.S. Coast Guard
(www.navcen.uscg.gov). Integrity data for the satellites is provided
by land-based differential GPS systems and space-based augmentation
systems.
-- The United States has launched an extensive modernization program
to provide even better service to GPS users. More than one billion
dollars [$1,000 million] has been committed to implement this program
over the next several years. The first step was the discontinuation of
Selective Availability, the process whereby the civil signals were
intentionally degraded, in May 2000. This improved the accuracy of the
GPS civil service from 100 meters to 10-20 meters. The next step
involves new satellites that will broadcast two new civil signals: one
of which will be introduced in 2003, the other in 2005. The added
signals will increase the robustness of the civil service and improve
accuracy to 3-5 meters. Additional upgrades are being planned for the
next generation of satellites, known as GPS III.
-- Users who need even greater accuracy and integrity can take
advantage of government augmentation services, such as the Wide Area
Augmentation System (and similar European and Japanese systems), the
Local Area Augmentation System, commercial augmentation services, and
advanced processing services. These services allow millimeter-level
accuracy. In addition, innovative American, European, and Japanese
companies are combining GPS with other technologies to provide better
coverage in urban canyons and indoors.
Galileo: Europe's Proposed Navigation Satellite System
-- The European Union is considering building its own global
navigation satellite system called Galileo. The United States
Government sees no compelling need for Galileo, because GPS is
expected to meet the needs of users around the world for the
foreseeable future. Nevertheless, should Europe decide to go forward
with Galileo, the United States would be interested in cooperation to
ensure that Galileo is interoperable with GPS and benefits users on
both sides of the Atlantic.
Potential GPS-Galileo Cooperation
-- Users in Europe, North America, and around the world will benefit
if Galileo is designed and built so that it is compatible and
interoperable with GPS. This requires, among other things,
establishing the Galileo technical parameters (for example, signal
structure and radiofrequency selection) so that GPS service is not
adversely affected.
-- To ensure interoperability and mutual benefits, the United States
has proposed an agreement on GPS-Galileo cooperation. A U.S. team has
been discussing the proposed agreement with a European Commission-led
delegation since October 2000. The talks are likely to continue at
least through the end of 2002. At this point in the dialogue, it
remains unclear whether or not a solid basis for cooperation exists.
-- During the course of these ongoing discussions on GPS-Galileo
cooperation, the U.S. delegation has raised potential concerns about
various aspects of the Galileo project as it has been described by
Europe. These potential concerns fall into three broad categories:
trade-related, technical, and security.
-- The European Commission is considering options to generate revenue
to help pay for Galileo. The U.S. view is that Europe should not opt
to use regulations or system-driven standards to mandate the use of
Galileo at the expense of GPS manufacturers, service providers, and
users. The U.S. view is that users should be free to choose which
system or combination of systems best meets their needs. Similarly,
the United States would be against any restrictions on access to
information on Galileo that non-European companies may need to
participate fully in the equipment and services markets.
-- In the course of the ongoing discussions on GPS-Galileo
cooperation, the U.S. delegation has emphasized that it would be
unacceptable for Galileo to overlay the same portion of the
radiofrequency spectrum used by the GPS military service. The United
States would be opposed to anything that would degrade the GPS signals
(civil or military), diminish the ability to deny access to
positioning signals to adversaries in time of crisis, or undermine
NATO cohesion.
-- The United States hopes that these and other issues can be resolved
during future discussions with the European Commission and EU members.
(end text)
(Distributed by the Office of International Information Programs, U.S.
Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
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