(A.) Policy and legislation
(A.1) Policy objectives
The European Global Navigation Satellite System (EGNSS) encompasses the Global Satellite Navigation System established under the Galileo programme and the European Geostationary Overlay Service (EGNOS).
Galileo entered Initial Operational Capability (IOC) phase in 2016. Since then, anyone with a Galileo-enabled device is able to use its signals for positioning, navigation and timing. Currently there are more than 200 Galileo-ready models of smartphones and tablets available in the market contributing to an installed base greater than 2 billion. Galileo is also adopted in additional users’ domains such as transportation and the professional one (e.g. surveying or agriculture applications).
The Galileo system is currently providing three types of services:
- Open Service (OS): Galileo open and free of charge service set up for positioning and timing services.
- Public Regulated Service (PRS): Service restricted to government-authorised users, for sensitive applications that require a high level of service continuity.
- Search and Rescue Service (SAR): Europe’s contribution to COSPAS-SARSAT, an international satellite-based search and rescue distress alert detection system.
Once the system reaches its Full Operational Capability it will also offer a High Accuracy Service (HAS), a service complementing the OS by providing an additional navigation signal and added-value services in a different frequency band. The HAS signal will provide a precision down to 20 cm, globally on Earth.
EGNOS is Europe's regional satellite-based augmentation system (SBAS) that is used to improve the performance of global navigation satellite systems, such as GPS and Galileo. It has been deployed to provide safety of life navigation services to aviation, maritime and land-based users over most of Europe. EGNOS improves the accuracy and reliability of satellite navigation positioning information, while also providing a crucial integrity message regarding the continuity and availability of a signal.
Both Galileo and EGNOS services create extensive socio-economic benefits, and the range of its applications is wide, spanning across numerous market segments and generating value for both, public and private sectors. The links between Galileo services and ICT are particularly strong, as satellite navigation services are considered one of the key enabling technologies for ICT, and are becoming increasingly important for the digital agenda.
The objective of the EU is to ensure that Galileo and EGNOS are widely used, and standardisation plays an important role in this process, especially when it comes to downstream market of EGNSS services, which is still emerging. Standards are a powerful tool to support safety-related applications as well as to ensure the interoperability of Galileo services. Introducing or updating standards related to EGNSS downstream applications is therefore a priority.
(A.2) EC perspective and progress report
The importance of standardisation in relation to space has been evoked during the public consultation on the Space Strategy for Europe, which ranked standardisation as most important for the market uptake of Galileo and EGNOS. In reaction to this, the European Commission’s Space Strategy for Europe, adopted on 26 October 2016, states that “in longer term, the Commission will encourage the uptake of space solutions through standardisation measures and roadmaps”.
In 2017, a study on the overview of EGNSS downstream standardisation and assessment of gaps and future needs has been finalised. The study, after consultations with industry stakeholders, standard setting organisations, governments and civil society representatives, identified the most important areas for EGNSS downstream standardisation and outlined some 50 proposals for action. Based on that, DG GROW has identified three priority areas:
- Intelligent transport (aviation, drones, road, maritime, rail ),
- Intelligent interconnectivity (location-based services, IoT, 5G), and
- Intelligent infrastructures (timing and synchronisation of critical infrastructures, such as energy grids)
On 3 October 2018, a workshop with Member States and standardisation organisations took place, in which the Commission services discussed the priorities for the EGNSS downstream standardisation. A Staff Working Document taking stock of the various activities in the field of EGNSS downstream standardisation was adopted in December 2019.
EGNSS downstream standardisation has also been highlighted in the EGNSS Work Programme for 2019 and 2020, as well as in the Management Plan 2021 of the Directorate-General for Defence Industry and Space.
(A.3) References
- COM(2016) 705 final Space Strategy for Europe
- Staff Working Document "EGNSS downstream standards development" SWD(2019) 454 final
- Management Plan 2021 DG Defence Industry and Space, https://ec.europa.eu/info/system/files/management-plan-defis-2021_en.pdf
- GNSS Market Report, Issue 6
- Overview of EGNSS downstream standardisation and assessment of gaps and future needs to facilitate the integration of Galileo and EGNOS user applications , Valdani Vicari & Associati (VVA), GMV and Lexjus Sinacta (LS), November 2017,
- “Use Galileo” website with the latest information on the Galileo-ready devices in all market segments, https://www.usegalileo.eu/
(B.) Requested actions
Action 1: -5G- SDOs to include the support for signal authentication and position integrity (EGNSS differentiators) in 5G reference architecture, for example through updating of 3GPP Technical Specifications TS 23.501 or TS 22.071
Action 2: -IoT- SDOs to update standards related to the IoT reference architecture in order to include signal authentication and position integrity in information exchange and sensor description standards, for example OneM2M TS-001-V2.10.0
(C.) Activities and additional information
(C.1) Related standardisation activities
|
Mandate Title |
Short description |
|---|---|
| EC M/496 |
CEN, CENELEC and ETSI have a mandate from the EC establishing a programme for space related standards, now in phase 3 of the process. CEN & CENELEC manage standardisation activities related to the space industry via joint CEN & CENELEC Technical Committee ‘Space’ (CEN/CLC/TC 5). http://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/mandates/index.cfm?fuseaction=search.detail&id=499 |
CEN
CWA 16874:2015 Verification of performance levels of EGNOS Enabled mass-market receivers:
CWA 16390:2018 Interface control document for provision of EGNOS/EDAS/multi-GNSS based services for tracking and tracing the transport of goods
Draft CWA xxxx Verification of performance levels of Galileo Enabled mass-market receivers (under development in CEN & CENELEC Workshop 17):
https://www.cen.eu/news/workshops/Pages/WS-2019-005.aspx
ETSI 3GPP
Working Group 4 under the Radio Access Network (RAN) Technical Specifications Group (TSG) - Radio performance and protocol aspects (system) - RF parameters and BS conformance, deals with standards concerning GNSS.
IEEE
IEEE has a number of standards and projects related to the technology that supports and enables Geoscience Remote Sensing and Global Navigation Systems. These include the following:
- IEEE 211, Standard Definitions of Terms for Radio Wave Propagation
- IEEE 1937.1, Standard Interface Requirements and Performance Characteristics of Payload Devices in Drones
- IEEE 2402 Standard Design Criteria of Complex Virtual Instruments for Ocean Observation
Series of IEEE 1937.x projects, including:
- IEEE P1937.6, Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) Remote Sensing Operation
- IEEE P1937.7, Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Polarimetric Remote Sensing Method for Earth Observation Applications
For more information, see: https://ieee-sa.imeetcentral.com/eurollingplan/.
ITU
ITU-R SG4 is the responsible group for all systems and networks in the fixed, mobile, broadcasting, radiodetermination services.
More info: https://www.itu.int/en/ITU-R/study-groups/rsg4/Pages/default.aspx
ITU-R SG4 has also recently revised the following:
- Recommendation ITU-R M.1787 on “Description of systems and networks in the radionavigation-satellite service (space-to-Earth and space-to-space) and technical characteristics of transmitting space stations operating in the bands 1 164 1 215 MHz, 1 215-1 300 MHz and 1 559-1 610 MHz”.
- Recommendation ITU-R M.1901 on “Guidance on ITU-R Recommendations related to systems and networks in the radionavigation-satellite service operating in the frequency bands 1 164-1 215 MHz, 1 215-1 300 MHz, 1 559-1 610 MHz, 5 000 5 010 MHz and 5 010-5 030 MHz”.
- Recommendation ITU-R M.1902 on “Characteristics and protection criteria for receiving earth stations in the radionavigation-satellite service (space-to-Earth) operating in the band 1 215-1 300 MHz”.
- Report ITU-R M.2220 on “Calculation method to determine aggregate interference parameters of pulsed RF systems operating in and near the bands 1 164-1 215 MHz and 1 215-1 300 MHz that may impact radionavigation-satellite service airborne and ground-based receivers operating in those frequency bands”.
- Report ITU-R M.2459 on “Introduction of additional mobile-satellite service systems into the Global Maritime Distress Safety systems”.
- Report ITU-R M.2496 on “Use of RNSS receiver characteristics in assessment of interference from pulsed sources in the 1 164-1 215 MHz, 1 215-1 300 MHz and 1 559 1 610 MHz frequency bands” provides further information on RNSS receiver front end characteristics, including the appropriate usage of these parameters in interference evaluations.
Different aspects related to the development and operation of applications belonging to the radiodetermination service (including radiolocation and radio-navigation) are also part of the ITU-R WP 5B agenda. Systems belonging to the radiodetermination service are being employed not only by the aeronautical, maritime and meteorological industries but to an ever-increasing degree by other industries as well as the general public.
More info: https://www.itu.int/en/ITU-R/study-groups/rsg5/rwp5b/Pages/default.aspx
ITU-T SG15 Question 13/15 is working on “Network synchronization and time distribution performance”, which is an important technology for satellite networks. It is working on realizing robust and reliable network synchronization solutions (e.g. as related to GNSS back-up). Technical Report: “GSTR-GNSS - Considerations on the use of GNSS as a primary time reference in telecommunications” was published in July 2020.
More info: https://www.itu.int/net4/ITU-T/lists/q-text.aspx?Group=15&Period=17&QNo=13&Lang=en
ITU-T SG2 Question 3/2 is working on a technical report “identify call location for emergency service”. GNSS data can help to implement handset based AML( Advanced Mobile Location) solution.
More info: https://itu.int/go/tsg2
OneM2M and AIOTI
oneM2M is one of the most relevant IoT architecture definition standards organisation and the EC can address it through its members, such as ETSI or AIOTI, to include the options to support EGNSS differentiators in the reference architectures.
The Alliance for the Internet of Things Innovation (AIOTI) associates key IoT industrial players, as well as well-known European research centres, universities, associations and public bodies, and promotes convergence and interoperability of IoT standards. Through its working groups, such as WG03, AIOTI can support the EC to promote the use of authentication and integrity of EGNSS within IoT reference architectures.
On the other hand, the EC may also choose to address ETSI, who is the founding partner of Technical Specification TS-0001, containing information on how to manage location. All oneM2M Technical Specifications and Technical Reports are publicly accessible at: Specifications (onem2m.org)