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Study finds that a GPS outage would cost $1 billion per day:
Since becoming fully operational in 1995, Global Positioning System technology has become widely adopted in the United States and abroad. The concept of satellite-based navigation has become so essential that other world powers, including China, Russia, the European Union, India, and Japan, have all started building their own regional or global systems.
Now, one of the most comprehensive studies on the subject has assessed the value of this GPS technology to the US economy and examined what effect a 30-day outage would have—whether it's due to a severe space weather event or "nefarious activity by a bad actor." The study was sponsored by the US government's National Institutes of Standards and Technology and performed by a North Carolina-based research organization named RTI International.
[...] In the case of some adverse event leading to a widespread outage, the study estimates that the loss of GPS service would have a $1 billion per-day impact, although the authors acknowledge this is at best a rough estimate. It would likely be higher during the planting season of April and May, when farmers are highly reliant on GPS technology for information about their fields.
[...] "GPS came along at a time of significant evolution in the telecom sector and played a critical role in the digitization of telecom infrastructure and the advent of wireless technology," the study states. "Wireless technology continues to evolve in ways that increase its reliance on highly precise timing, which in turn increases reliance on GPS. Multiple technological trends—from autonomous cars to the internet of things—will be stretching wireless technology to new limits in the coming years."
The study is likely to increase public calls for improved safety and security of the US GPS system, which the Air Force continues to modernize with its new fleet of GPS III satellites. The first of these new satellites, offering positioning and timing information with three times better accuracy and heightened anti-jamming capabilities, launched on a Falcon 9 rocket in December.
That's about $275,000 per minute or $11,500 per second.
(Score: 1) by nitehawk214 on Monday June 17 2019, @07:00PM (6 children)
The best thing you can see from New Jersey is the Pennsylvania side of the Deleware Water gap.
"Don't you ever miss the days when you used to be nostalgic?" -Loiosh
(Score: 3, Interesting) by Phoenix666 on Tuesday June 18 2019, @01:15AM (5 children)
Haha the Pennsylvania State Welcome Center on the PA side of the river is hallowed ground for my family's road trips West. I make them hold it until we get there.
Washington DC delenda est.
(Score: 1) by nitehawk214 on Tuesday June 18 2019, @01:33PM (4 children)
I stopped at the one in Matamoras at the north end of the DWG on a return trip from New York this year. It allowed my trip to avoid New Jersey entirely, and was a very scenic drive. It was one of the nicest Welcome Centers I have been to.
"Don't you ever miss the days when you used to be nostalgic?" -Loiosh
(Score: 2) by Phoenix666 on Tuesday June 18 2019, @02:06PM (3 children)
Interesting--never been through that way. How much time did that route add to your trip, or do you live North in Westchester or the Bronx?
Washington DC delenda est.
(Score: 1) by nitehawk214 on Tuesday June 18 2019, @08:01PM (2 children)
Well I don't live there but, I was travelling from across the Tapan Zee bridge to Altoona. Usually I go from I287 to I80 or I76. Instead I did I87 north to US6 and I84.
I stopped at Dingman's Ferry to view the falls for a while, so I don't know how much longer it took. But not on a weekend the US209 through the DWG seemed not very busy, though it is a 2 lane road mostly. Also there was a wreck somewhere on I80 (of course) so that ruined everything. Google Maps suggested it was a 30 minute detour, but who knows how accurate that is.
If you were going from New York City itself, I can imagine it would be a major detour.
"Don't you ever miss the days when you used to be nostalgic?" -Loiosh
(Score: 2) by Phoenix666 on Wednesday June 19 2019, @09:35PM (1 child)
You're right it's probably not worth the detour from NYC, but I do occasionally take the Tappan Zee when starting in Long Island so I appreciate having your option in my back pocket. Thanks.
Washington DC delenda est.
(Score: 1) by nitehawk214 on Friday June 21 2019, @01:16PM
Anything to avoid driving on I80 or the PA Turnpike. :) Enjoy.
"Don't you ever miss the days when you used to be nostalgic?" -Loiosh