LEIF LARSON: Satellite-Based GPS Becoming National Security Problem

The United States needs a resilient, terrestrial complement and backup to GPS, with Positioning, Navigation and Timing (PNT) systems, to keep pace with other developed nations that already have these technologies in place, including China and Russia. Our satellite-based GPS systems are increasingly susceptible to jamming and spoofing, a vulnerability that has drawn heightened attention amid recent geopolitical conflicts and the rise of electronic warfare.

It is political malpractice that our nation is behind, because America produces the premier technology used abroad. A nation that has been the incubator for global domination in tech like Microsoft, Apple, Nvidia and Google has not leveraged that innovation to make government more efficient and America safer.

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC), under the leadership of Chairman Brendan Carr, is advancing rulemaking to establish a spectrum framework that would enable the deployment of a terrestrial GPS system, fulfilling a key Trump priority. A backup to satellite-based GPS will strengthen national security while providing a needed backstop to currently utilized older technology. One company, NextNav, has developed next-generation PNT that brings a widescale, commercially viable solution during this Administration, with no taxpayer funding.

In simple terms, the solution to this national security vulnerability already exists, but deployment requires a regulatory unlock.  A terrestrial backup system would ensure cars, ships and aircraft continue to function if satellite systems fail or are compromised by our adversaries. Also, these systems are used for mapping, disaster relief and the rescue of stranded individuals. Clearly a backup system is overdue, and the Trump Administration is moving quickly to solve the problem.

The FCC has taken the lead and made great strides in this space. It is working hard to advance a spectrum framework that would enable this new technology. What makes this approach particularly noteworthy is the FCC’s reliance on market-driven innovation rather than government-directed central planning. Instead of taxpayer funded infrastructure buildouts, the Commission is enabling a private company to use spectrum licenses it owns to advance a commercially viable solution. The other key is that the tech is powered by low-band licensed spectrum, and there is sufficient band space to allow this tech to be used without interfering with other users of the spectrum, as supported by the engineering studies on record. The technology delivers accurate, reliable and resilient 3D PNT solutions that can be applied to critical infrastructure, commercial use cases and, most importantly, GPS resiliency.

Progress is being made quickly at the FCC given its urgent national security priority. The commission drafted and transmitted a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) through an interagency process, and it is with the White House OMB. The speed at which the FCC has moved towards an NPRM, with multiple government shutdowns and issues distracting the FCC from its core mission, is remarkable and should be applauded. The Trump Administration has done an excellent job advancing rulemaking that will make America safer.

The national security implications are paramount. Our existing reliance on satellite-based GPS systems creates a vulnerability. A ground-based system will go a long way to complement and back up existing GPS tech. When one thinks about the ramifications of GPS systems crashing with no backup, one might wonder why this tech is not in place today.

NextNav’s fact-based engineering driven studies have built a robust and complete record that the FCC has relied on to draft the NPRM. The company is the leader in this space, yet others will follow NextNav’s lead to produce solutions to this national security concern.

The next step is for the FCC to issue the NPRM, followed by a public comment period toward a final ruling (report and order). This can be completed before the end of this Administration because of the rapid pace from a Notice to the proposing of the rule. The existing record demonstrates that multiple technologies can co-exist in the band. The FCC will help make America safe again and this will be a crowning achievement of Chairman Carr’s tenure at the FCC.

Leif Larson is a noted strategist with 20 years of experience in PR, public affairs and politics. He has contributed to the success of prominent political, corporate and advocacy groups across the country throughout his career.

The views and opinions expressed in this commentary are those of the author and do not reflect the official position of the Daily Caller News Foundation.

(Featured Image Media Credit: Official Federal Communications Commission photo)