The European Commission introduced a new satellite-based navigation system Thursday that vastly improves the accuracy of signals delivered to Europe by American GPS satellites. Called EGNOS — short for European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service — the new “open” technology promises to revolutionize navigation for European professionals and consumers alike. The primary EGNOS service is free to users equipped with compatible navigation receivers. Most mass-market personal navigation devices being sold in Europe are ready for EGNOS, the EC said. “European users of the EGNOS GPS system will be able to determine their position within two meters, compared to the 10-meter (32.8 feet) radius provided by the GPS alone,” said EC Vice President for Transport Policy Antonio Tajani. A Crucial Enhancement The space component of the EGNOS system consists of two-way communications channels called “transponders” installed aboard three satellites occupying geostationary orbits over the equator. These extraterrestrial relay stations are designed to communicate with a ground-based network of four control centers

and 40 ground stations. “In simple terms, the ground stations measure the GPS signal and send the data to the computing centers where the correcting GPS signals are calculated,” Tajani said. “And then the computing centers send out the corrective signals to the EGNOS satellites,” which then relay the more accurate signals to users’ GPS receivers. Improving the accuracy of GPS signals to two meters is crucial for many applications related to safety, said Hans Fromm, retired deputy head of the navigation department at the European Space Research and Technology Centre. For example, the EGNOS system provides a navigation signal for aircraft, ships, trains and other forms of transport. “A train needs to know which rail it’s traveling on,” Fromm said. “It’s important for safety — especially where life could be at risk.” Guaranteed Level of Service EGNOS represents a vast improvement over the navigation…

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EC Vastly Improves GPS Accuracy for Europeans