U.S. Department of Transportation Approves Continuation of Inland GPS Operations

Contact Kim Riddle 202-366-5128

Friday, April 18, 2008 - The U.S. Department of Transportation approved a decision to continue the inland component of the Nationwide Differential Global Positioning System (NDGPS), which provides an accurate, highly-reliable, real-time GPS correction signal. The decision is based on the results of the NDGPS user assessment conducted by the Research and Innovative Technology Administration (RITA).  RITA followed the plan announced in the Federal Register notice on NDGPS (72 FR 42219), assessing the current user needs and systems requirements for the inland component of NDGPS.  The notice listed 10 factors for consideration.  Information was gathered on these 10 factors through public responses to the notice (including responses from state and local governments, the private sector, and the non-profit sector), and through quantification of the mission requirements of other federal agencies using inland NDGPS. Discussions are ongoing regarding the future funding mechanism for inland NDGPS, and will be addressed in future budget submissions. This decision was endorsed by the National Space-Based Positioning, Navigation and Timing Executive Committee at their meeting of March 20, and publicly announced at the PNT Advisory Committee meeting on March 27.