FCC Issues New Rules on E911 Location Standards, Options Besides GNSS

New rules recently adopted by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to help emergency responders better locate wireless 911 callers highlight the role of GPS and GNSS technologies while boosting the use of alternative positioning technologies in indoor locations.

However, the new enhanced (11 (E911) rules, adopted January 29 and published on February 4, explicitly avoided a decision on the use of GNSS systems other than GPS.

Unsatisfied with ICAO’s Pace, Congress May Push U.S. Aircraft Tracking Requirement

U.S. lawmakers, dissatisfied with the pace of international efforts to prevent losses like that of an Malaysia Airlines plane last year, may push through legislation requiring tracking capability on planes operating in the United States.
 
Nearly a year after flight MH370 disappeared over the Indian Ocean, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) is a year away from adopting a standard for aircraft tracking technology, Ambassador Michael Lawson, the U. S. representative to the organization told lawmakers on Wednesday.
 

Hailing GNSS, UK Event Offers Alternatives When It Fails

A range of new technologies for indoor positioning and navigation were unveiled at the International Navigation Conference (INC) 2015 held this week (February 24–26) in Manchester, England.
 
Organized by the Royal Institute of Navigation (RIN), the premier event in this new conference series focused on GNSS, its strengths and weaknesses.
 

White House Drone Incident Highlights Growing Use of UAVs

The latest high-profile incident involving a drone — the January 26 discovery of a crashed quadcopter on the White House lawn — highlights how far events have gotten ahead of regulatory plans and policy for unmanned aerial systems (UAS).

FAA, White House Lay Out Path for Small UAS Operations

Apparently working overtime during the President’s Day weekend, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) today  (February 15, 2015) proposed a framework of regulations <http://www.faa.gov/regulations_policies/rulemaking/recently_published> that would allow routine use of certain small unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) while maintaining flexibility to accommodate future technological innovations. An overview of the small UAS rule can be viewed at

Schriever AFB Squadrons Plan GPS Heritage Week

The 2nd and 19th Space Operations Squadrons (SOPS), who operate the GPS satellite constellation from Schriever Air Force Base, Colorado, are hosting GPS week February 15-20 to honor their heritage and interact directly with the Colorado Springs community.

Among other goals, organizers hope that it will help clear up common misunderstandings among GPS users who may have used the GPS navigation system either on their phone or car and somehow ended up lost, cold, and hungry.

DoT Sets Another GPS/GNSS Workshop on Adjacent Band Compatibility, Receiver Testing

A Federal Register notice published today (February 13, 2015) announced a third U.S. Department of Transportation workshop on March 12 to continue discussions of the Global Positioning System (GPS) Adjacent Band Compatibility Assessment Plan.

The workshop will focus on identification of GPS and GNSS receivers to be considered for testing that are representative of the current categories of user applications and discuss a GPS/GNSS receiver test plan.

Federal Court Drops All But Two Claims by LightSquared against GPS Companies

A U.S. District Court has dismissed most of two lawsuits brought in 2013 against GNSS manufacturers stemming from the effort by LightSquared Inc. to build a high-powered broadband wireless network using RF spectrum adjacent to the GPS L1 band and allocated for mobile satellite services (MSS).

Lockheed, Dominion Launch GPS-Aided "Smart Grid" Technology for Electrical Power Systems

Lockheed Martin and Dominion Resources, Inc. have co-developed a new “smart grid” technology called VirtuGrid, which will enable remote detection of power outages for faster mapping and response. This collaboration between the two companies brings together Lockheed Martin's technology and Dominion's experience in distribution engineering.
 

New Trimble GNSS Product Upgrades Consumer Devices for Professional Applications

Trimble introduced today (February 10, 2015) the R1 GNSS receiver, a pocket-sized, standalone, single-frequency (L1/G1) receiver that works with iOS, Android or Window mobile handhelds, smart phones, and tablets using Bluetooth connectivity.
 
When paired with a smart device, the receiver/antenna combination adds GNSS geo-location capabilities to transform consumer devices into high-accuracy mobile data collection systems. The 44–parallel channel receiver can track GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, BeiDou, and Quasi-Zenith Satellite System (QZSS) signals.