Low cost, global and resilient time distribution using satellites

An exponential increase in the number of connected devices to the internet is already underway, in what is often referred to as the fourth industrial revolution, 5G or The Internet of Things (IoT). By combining massive scale computing, cheap sensors and ubiquitous connectivity, we can gain valuable insight in almost every aspect of life and business.

However 5G and other ground communication networks are concentrated around population centers or where the density of sensors can support the cost of deployment. Satellites provide global outdoor coverage, offering a single network wherever on the globe and across all territories. The combination of open, mass market protocols and low-cost satellites enables the IoT to reach into unconnected places and enables new services.

The list is endless and includes food supply chain management, the smart grid or environmental monitoring.

Many of the sectors we serve for sensor connectivity are also part of the UK's critical national infrastructure and have a requirement for resilient, accurate timing at different levels of accuracy depending on the end application. This six-month project will study the commercial and technical feasibility of using our global satellite network for the low cost, global dissemination of time.

We will be looking at validating the business model, developing the technical concepts into mock-up prototypes to test technical feasibility and study regulatory compliance. We will conclude the project by identifying next steps in the development and commercialisation of the service.

The Blackett report, commissioned by UK Government to study critical dependencies on satellite derived time and position, identified a clear need for increasing the resilience of the frequency and timing distribution networks for critical national infrastructure, which is been served almost exclusively by GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite Systems). Our system will do just that by offering a complementary solution, of somewhat lower accuracy, but much lower cost and non-dependent on GNSS.