Global Navigation Satellite System (Global Navigation Satellite GNSSs-Systems) has now improved a lot compared to some years ago. GPS (Global Positioning System) belonging to the United States no longer as a single player on this earth. There's Russia's Glonass, Galileo, developed by Europe, Compass, which is the result of China's engineering, and many more.
In addition to the global nature of those that operate regionally (RNSSs - Regional Navigation Satellite Systems). As China's Beidou 1, Doris works of the French, have IRNSS India, and QZSS operating in Japan.
So it can be imagined, the current condition of the navigation system and possibly the future there is a "race", which affects the competition, winning, low prices, current regulations for everything, and proven technical training for something that has not been known by the user .
In the context of "race", the question that arises is who is currently located at the front? Of course his answer is the U.S. GPS. However, if we actually observe, then we will find that the race was over and there is also ongoing, with the hope there is another winner.
In general, GPS is used by most users around the world. Currently he is the champion of the world. Other GNSS positions are still far from the GPS. However GPS can no longer be considered young, the first satellite was launched in 1978, this new fully operational by mid-year 1995 or approximately 15 years of age.
GPS has also evolved, although rather slow, namely through the generation of Block II. As like the warlords, GPS, promises an improvement that is not what is available from that evolution. The next generation of GPS has also been prepared through a project Block IIF and Block III.
Actually, since the early emergence of GPS already has major competitors, namely Glonass. Competition is none other than the legacy of the cold war between the United States and the Soviet Union (now Russia). Nevertheless, it was difficult to reconcile both of them because of their unique characteristics and "incomparable."
As with the European Union, which began working seriously for the benefit of satellite navigation systems they are about a decade ago. Galileo satellite navigation system belongs to the European Union is a serious threat to the GPS position, which so far has supremacy in the global satellite navigation system. Is this the beginning of change "race"?
Galileo has good services and targeting different markets, not controlled by the military - as was done during this GPS. Galileo claimed how important they are to unite the European Union through a satellite navigation infrastructure.
In Europe, Galileo did not play alone, there are other GNSS and who doubt the truth RNSS data from Galileo. They generally have a role to defense and national keamanaan each country, and to develop a "smart weapons" in the future. So Galileo was not only competing against global GPS, but in Europe also faced significant challenges.
So, is there a "race GNSS"? It resulted in a "rule" applied and accepted in general, in order to keep the race stays on track. If the competitor can make a jump, then jump that his opponent will do more, and so on. Each can meproyeksikan RNSS GNSS or how far his ability - including as a matter of national pride - and in "the business sector" to determine the development they will do.
We also hope that the regulations imposed by the International Committee for the GNSS from the United Nations (UN International Committee on GNSS), as a joint forum for service providers and RNSS GNSS signals and introduces the concept of "interoperability" - a combination of superior ability who in between each GNSS / RNSS - so we knew the race would be like what happened today.
GPS course is still leading, who are ready to accept the challenge of GNSS and other RNSS. They continue to be challenged to improve their capabilities, if it still claims as GPS competitors. Demands is that they should be able to provide services that are open, specification documents easily accessible to the public and raw performance, a description of time and geodetic reference that is used in general, interoperability and the ability to frequency, free trade in GNSS products, and others.
World in general have benefited from the challenge, both through research, which changed the rules, either by service providers GNSS / RNSS that work together to undermine the dominance of the GPS, and others.
We probably will not wait much longer presence of multi-GNSS, where better than on only one system only. Interoperability is the frequency of L1 and L5, and CDMA signal modulation type. Multi GNSS will receive signal frequency is better than just the GPS frequency. This is one example, how the race GNSS make us a winner.
By Chris Rizos
Vice President of the International Association of Geodesy (IAG)
Source: My Coordinates
ed: Supreme C
