What is GPS?

Simply put, Global Positioning System or GPS, is a technology that can give your accurate position anywhere on earth (latitude/longitude). You need a special GPS receiver that can receive signals from satellites.

Does it work in India? What are the problems faced by GPS users in India?
Yes. It works anywhere on the planet where you can receive signals from the satellite. You will need a pretty clear view of the sky for GPS to work, so it won't work inside buildings, underground or even in a forest. Few years back, GPS wasn't available to it's full accuracy, but since the year 2000 it is available with full accuracy anywhere in the world and to anyone who buys a GPS receiver.

Who owns this system?

The Global Positioning System is owned and operated by United States Department of Defence. But it is available freely to anyone in the world for use. Other countries have developed similar Satellite Navigation Systems of their own. For example, European Union is developing a system called Galileo and Russia has an operational system called GLONASS. Many modern receivers are capable of using signals from all these systems.

Can civilians use GPS?

Yes it is allowed for civilian use, with no restriction. There are two kind of GPS signals, C/A code: which is the civilian signals and given acuracy about 8-15m P code - which is military signal and only US military can use that, which is more accurate. There are high-end civilian receivers available, called dual-frequency receivers, which uses part of Pcode, not the full signal, and gives higher accuracy than single frequency receivers.

Is there a fee for using GPS?

GPS is free for use. There is no subscription or monthly fees to pay. You need to buy a receiver that is capable of receiving the signals. But if you want to use add-on services like, differential correction for better accuracy, there may be additional fee.

Do WAAS ( Wide Area Augmentation System ) enabled GPS receivers work in India?
Unfortunately No. WAAS is a US specific system and users cannot receive WAAS signals in India. The receiver will continue to work, but without WAAS corrections. There is a WAAS-compatible augmentation system called GAGAN being implemented by the Indian government. Once ready, WAAS receivers will work in India.

How accurate is the position given by GPS?

Accuracy varies depending on the type of GPS unit. In general, you can expect the position to be within 15m of its true position on earth. Techniques like Differential GPS (D-GPS) can give accuracy less than 3m. Advanced techniques like satellite augmentation, carrier-phase GPS are used for very accurate surveys and can be accurate within centimeters. You can find links to vendors of these high end systems in Buy GPS Equipment page. The Indian Regional Navigational Satellite System (IRNSS) is an autonomous regional satellite [1] navigation system being developed by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) which would be under total control of Indian government. The requirement of such a navigation system is driven by the fact that access to Global Navigation Satellite Systems, GPS, is not guaranteed in hostile situations. The IRNSS would provide two services, with the Standard Positioning Service open for civilian use and the Restricted Service, encrypted one, for authorised users (military).

Development
The first satellite of the proposed constellation, developed at a cost of 1,600 crore (US$291.2 [2] million), is expected to be launched during 2012-2013 while the full constellation is planned to be [3] realized around 2014. A goal of complete Indian control has been stated, with the space segment, ground segment and user receivers all being built in India. Three satellites will be in geostationary orbit over the Indian Ocean. [4] Missile targeting could be an important military application for the constellation. [edit]Time-frame Reports came in Apr 2010 that India plans to start launching satellites by the end of 2011, at a rate of [5] one satellite every six months. This will make the IRNSS optimally functional by 2014. India also [6] launched 3 new satellites into space to supplement this. Indian Regional Navigational Satellite System (IRNSS-1) will be the first of the total seven satellites of the IRNSS constellation. It will have a lift off mass of 1380 kg and operate a navigation payload and a C-band ranging transponder and employ an optimised I-1K bus structure with a power handling [7] capability of 1600W and is designed for a nominal mission life of 7 years. IRNSS-1 will be launched on-board PSLV-C22 during the second half of 2012 while the full constellation is planned to be realised by 2014. The proposed system would consist of a constellation of seven satellites and a support ground segment. Three of the satellites in the constellation will be placed in geostationary orbit. These GEOs will be located at 34 East 83 East and 132 East longitude. The GSOs will be in orbits with a 24,000 km apogee and 250 km perigee inclined at 29 degrees. Two of the GSOs will cross the [9] equator at 55 East and two at 111 East. Such an arrangement would mean all seven satellites would have continuous radio visibility with Indian control stations. The satellite payloads would consist of atomic clocks and electronic equipment to generate the navigation signals. According to a presentation by A. Bhaskaranarayana, Director SCP/FMO & Scientific Secretary of the Indian Space Research Organisation, to a meeting of COSPAR in Montreal on 15 July 2008, IRNSS signals will consist of a Special Positioning Service and a Precision Service. Both will be carried on L5 (1176.45 MHz) and S band (2492.08 MHz). The SPS signal will be modulated by a 1 MHz BPSK signal. The Precision Service will use BOC(5,2). The navigation signals themselves would be transmitted in the S-band frequency (24 GHz) and broadcast through a phased array antenna to maintain required coverage and signal strength. The satellites would weigh approximately 1,330 kg and their solar panels generate 1,400 watts. The System is intended to provide an absolute position accuracy of better than 10 meters throughout Indian Landmass and better than 20 meters in the Indian ocean as well as a region [10] extending approximately 2,000 km around India. The ground segment of IRNSS constellation would consist of a Master Control Center (MCC), ground stations to track and estimate the satellites' orbits and ensure the integrity of the network (IRIM), and additional ground stations to monitor the health of the satellites with the capability of issuing radio commands to the satellites (TT&C stations). The MCC would estimate and predict the position of all IRNSS satellites, calculate integrity, makes necessary ionospheric and clock corrections and run the navigation software. In pursuit of a highly independent system, an Indian standard time infrastructure would also be established.

The Global Positioning System (GPS) is a space-based satellite navigation system that provides location and time information in all weather conditions, anywhere on or near the Earth where there is an unobstructed line of sight to four or more GPS satellites. The system provides critical capabilities to military, civil and commercial users around the world. It is maintained by the United States government and is freely accessible to anyone with a GPS receiver. The GPS project was developed in 1973 to overcome the limitations of previous navigation [1] systems, integrating ideas from several predecessors, including a number of classified engineering design studies from the 1960s. GPS was created and realized by the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) and was originally run with 24 satellites. It became fully operational in 1994. Roger L. Easton is generally credited as its inventor. Advances in technology and new demands on the existing system have now led to efforts to modernize the GPS system and implement the next generation of GPS III satellites and Next [2] Generation Operational Control System (OCX). Announcements from the Vice President and the White House in 1998 initiated these changes. In 2000, U.S. Congress authorized the modernization effort, referred to as GPS III. In addition to GPS, other systems are in use or under development. The Russian Global Navigation Satellite System (GLONASS) was developed contemporaneously with GPS, but suffered from incomplete coverage of the globe until the mid-2000s. There are also the planned European UnionGalileo positioning system, Chinese Compass navigation system, and Indian Regional Navigational Satellite System. Other satellite navigation systems in use or various states of development include: GLONASS Russia's global navigation system. Fully operational worldwide. Galileo a global system being developed by the European Union and other partner countries, planned to be operational by 2014 (and fully deployed by 2019) Beidou People's Republic of China's regional system, currently limited to Asia and the West [123] Pacific COMPASS People's Republic of China's global system, planned to be operational by [124][125] 2020 IRNSS India's regional navigation system, planned to be operational by 2014, covering India [126] and Northern Indian Ocean QZSS Japanese regional system covering Asia and Oceania