GPS alternatives may save maritime industry billions

The Dish

More than 80% of the world’s goods are transported by ships using global navigation satellites to track their assets and reach their destinations, which means there’s a lot to lose if these satellites are attacked.

The International Maritime Bureau estimates a global loss of $25 billion per year within the maritime industry due to piracy, which has been on the rise in the past few years, Robert Bills, president at satellite services company NAL Research, tells Connectivity Business News in this episode of “The Dish” podcast.

Maritime shipping companies rely on positioning, navigation and timing (PNT) services to keep track of cargo, especially their most expensive assets. But large, global networks delivering PNT and location data, such as GPS and GNSS, are increasingly vulnerable as they become more integrated in the world economy, Bills says.

The major cargo shipping delays in recent years have been a result of the pandemic. However, compromised location data due to a GPS or GNSS network attack could cause a similar effect, he says.

“The delays of shipping showing up from different places caused all sorts of ripple effects throughout the economy,” Bills says. “So, there's a major economic impact — beyond the safety impacts — that happens as well.”

NAL Research recently upgraded its SkyLink Citadel anti-piracy maritime solution to include satellite PNT capabilities through satellite operator Iridium’s low Earth orbit constellation.

The solution aims to back up GPS and GNSS networks in the event a signal is jammed or spoofed, Bills tells CBN.

GPS has been around for decades and has become interwoven in virtually every aspect of our lives; while it’s unlikely to be replaced, backup systems will be critical in the future, he says.

Learn more in this episode of “The Dish.”