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EGNOSHA – EGNOS High Accuracy Service Analysis

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Description

The EGNOSHA project analysed under what conditions it would be beneficial to implement an EGNOS V3 High Accuracy Service in the 2020-2035 timeframe for various user sectors.

Contract Number: Call for Tenders No 632/PP/GRO/RCH/17/9876

Project Segment: Horizon 2020, EGNOS Mission and Services evolution

Duration: 18 months 

Budget: €321 750

Project Partners: GMV (Spain), Alpha Consult (Italy)

Project Coordinator:
David Calle, GMV
jdcalleatgmv [dot] com (jdcalle[at]gmv[dot]com)

European Commission Project Manager:
Ignacio Alcantarilla
ignacio [dot] alcantarilla-medinaatec [dot] europa [dot] eu (ignacio[dot]alcantarilla-medina[at]ec[dot]europa[dot]eu)

GSA Project Manager:
Silvia Porfili
silvia [dot] porfiliatgsa [dot] europa [dot] eu

Background

EGNOS is the European satellite-based augmentation system (SBAS). It augments the Global Positioning System (GPS) L1 C/A civilian signal by providing corrections and integrity information for positioning and navigation applications in Europe. The next generation of EGNOS, EGNOS V3, will augment GPS and Galileo constellations in the L1 and L5 bands. It will also extend the service area to cover the entire landmass of all EU countries.

The European Commission is defining the long-term evolution of the EGNOS programme. One potential evolution could lead to the provision of an EGNOS V3 High Accuracy Service over Europe. 

Project objectives

The EGNOSHA project analysed the benefits of a potential EGNOS V3 (based on dual frequency multi-constellation capability) High Accuracy Service, which would be able to provide accurate orbit and clock corrections, atmospheric corrections and corresponding integrity alerts to support emerging applications in various sectors (agriculture, road, rail, maritime, etc.).

Results

The project identified user requirements, determined service provision requirements and assessed how this service could complement the Galileo High Accuracy Service. The work was carried out in three main steps:

  • First, the consortium identified high accuracy (HA) user needs, the market forecast and competitive analysis. Stakeholders in the value chains of various sectors participated in this activity by providing input, reviewing outcomes and validating results. This activity enabled the selection of the proposed EGNOS High Accuracy Service performance levels. Two service levels were defined: an initial service, mainly relying on the EGNOS V3 network of sensor stations able to provide sub-meter accuracy performance together with a preliminary target integrity level; and as a second step, a fully operational service able to meet very demanding requirements in terms of accuracy, integrity, convergence level, etc.
  • Second, a high-level technical feasibility analysis was carried out by assessing different HA technologies and the technological trends expected in 2025-2035. As a result of these analyses, a service provision scheme was proposed and service requirements were defined. In addition, the consortium defined a potential EGNOS High Accuracy Service implementation roadmap.
  • Finally, two cost-benefit analyses (CBA) were carried out by the consortium. The first one looked at  the added value of an EGNOS High Accuracy Service from the user perspective and the second one looked at it from the service providers’ point of view. Experts from several application domains contributed to the qualitative and quantitative results.

The feasibility assessment of achievable performance showed that, by using a mix of precise point positioning-real time kinematic (PPP-RTK) techniques, it would be possible to achieve accuracies of a few centimetres. In addition, the provision of ionospheric corrections and the provision of corrections for three frequencies would allow the service to reach a very fast convergence time. The feasibility assessment also showed that the very demanding target integrity level cannot be reached using state-of-the-art technologies and that specific safety analyses in the early steps of the EGNOS High Accuracy Service implementation roadmap would be needed to assess what level of performance could be achieved considering technological progress from 2025 onward.

EGNOSHA High Accuracy Service Final Report

Expected impact

An EGNOS High Accuracy Service could provide centimetre-level accuracy, a fast convergence time and timely warnings in cases where positioning service integrity is lost. Experts from different domains agreed that an EGNOS High Accuracy Service could bring economic benefits to the majority of the targeted sectors (agriculture, rail, road, maritime) and a wide adoption of the service could be expected if some general conditions were met: 

  • free of charge service
  • ability to use the service together with other solutions (e.g. systems and sensors), which are already used in the different sectors
  • fast time to market (essential to mitigate the risks of late entry)
  • satellite and ground-based distribution of high accuracy- related information
  • multi-frequency and multi-constellation solution
  • use of open standards and/or protocols
  • extensive tests to demonstrate and validate benefits

Disclaimer: The project results represent the views of the consortium. They do not necessarily represent the views of the European Commission and they do not commit the Commission to implementing the results.

 

EGALITE - EGNOS and Galileo Timing Service Extension and Consolidation

The EGALITE project consolidated the definition of an EGNOS and Galileo Timing Service. It reviewed the concept starting from previous Horizon 2020 projects and incorporated new features to improve service robustness.

Contract Number: Call for Tenders No 634/PP/GRO/RCH/17/9877

Project Segment: Horizon 2020

Duration: 12 months

Budget: €328 000

Project Partners: GMV (Spain), VVA (Italy), PTB (Germany), ORB (Belgium)

Project Coordinator:
Javier Fidalgo, GMV
J [dot] fidalgoatgmv [dot] com (j[dot]fidalgo[at]gmv[dot]com)

European Commission Project Manager:

Mark Jeannot
Marc [dot] Jeannotatec [dot] europa [dot] eu (marc[dot]jeannot[at]ec[dot]europa[dot]eu) 

Juan-Pablo Boyero
juan-pablo [dot] boyeroatec [dot] europa [dot] eu (juan-pablo[dot]boyero[at]ec[dot]europa[dot]eu)

Antonio Danesi (Technical Advisor to the European Commission)

Background

Timing capabilities are an inherent feature of global navigation satellite systems (GNSS). EGNOS and Galileo provide timing capabilities within their current services. While timing is a small market when it comes to the number of GNSS receivers used for timing compared to  receivers used for other applications, it is a key aspect when it come to the control of critical infrastructure like energy, finance and telecommunications. As a result, it is of strategic relevance for the entirety of European economic infrastructure (critical infrastructure).

In addition to those strategic sectors, timing is also used in several other sectors such as metrology, remote sensing, atmospheric research, autonomous transport, industry and the Internet of things (IoT), science and research, defence, and space applications.

The timing capability of GNSS is important enough to categorise it as a proper service in itself and the European Commission has taken steps on the definition of a timing service for both EGNOS and Galileo. 

The EGALITE project consolidated the definition of an EGNOS and a Galileo Timing Service. It reviewed the concept starting from previous Horizon 2020 projects and incorporated new features to improve service robustness.

In addition, the project reviewed the overall picture of legal time across Europe and analysed what would be needed to make Galileo (or EGNOS) reference time a potential source of legal time.  

Project objectives

Following a critical review of previous work, the EGALITE project had to define two independent timing services based on EGNOS and Galileo. These services had to match the needs of European timing users, with the main focus being on critical infrastructure. In the scope of this project, additional features for the timing services were analysed. These included:

  • integrity for timing services based on EGNOS
  • integrity for timing services based on Galileo
  • high accuracy timing
  • legal time across Europe

Cost-benefit analyses were requested to evaluate the impact for different timing user communities.

Finally, a full set of mission requirements to define the timing services of EGNOS and Galileo, including new features, was requested.

Results

Starting from a critical analysis of previous work, the project expanded the definition of a proper timing service based on Galileo and EGNOS with the addition of a dedicated timing integrity feature, analyses of high accuracy timing, and a legal traceability service option. Aspects of standardisation and certification for EGNSS timing receivers were also included in the analysis.

Through consultation with the GNSS timing user community, EGALITE identified the need, at least for critical infrastructure applications, to enhance the reliability and robustness of GNSS timing solutions. A target failure probability for the timing solution in the order of 10-5 per hour was selected as a top safety requirement for critical infrastructure.

To validate the proposed integrity feature, EGALITE delivered a comprehensive GNSS timing safety analysis where the single and aggregated sources of timing failure were identified, their probabilities estimated, and mitigations proposed. With a combination of Time Receiver Autonomous Integrity Monitoring (T-RAIM), calibration and certification (to be based on a timing receiver standard) of the receiver, and the new proposed timing integrity feature, the target was shown to be feasible.

Finally, EGALITE delivered a complete set of mission requirements for Galileo and EGNOS, fully defining the new features at mission level.

EGALITE—EGNOS and Galileo Timing Service Extension and Consolidation Report

Expected impact

The mission requirements for both Timing Services derived in this project will be taken into account as part of the definition of the Galileo and EGNOS evolutions. 

The strong benefits of the standardisation and certification of timing receivers was also identified and deemed worth pursuing.

Furthermore, the project indicated that legal time could potentially be based on Galileo and EGNOS reference times, providing that traceability to Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) is properly ensured.

Disclaimer: The project results represent the views of the consortium. They do not necessarily represent the views of the European Commission and they do not commit the Commission to implementing the results.