[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 145 (1999), Part 17]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 24295]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



        PROTECTING THE GLOBAL POSITIONING SYSTEM (GPS) SPECTRUM

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. CURT WELDON

                            of pennsylvania

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, October 5, 1999

  Mr. WELDON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, the fiscal year 2000 defense 
authorization bill contains a number of provisions critical to 
protecting military access to the radio spectrum. We all know how 
important spectrum is to information technologies, such as the Global 
Positioning System (GPS), which are critical to a wide range of 
military and civilian applications.
  The importance of ensuring the continuous availability of critical 
information was demonstrated recently, when the Air Force successfully 
managed the so-called roll-over of the GPS clock--an event similar to 
the Y2K transition that we have heard so much about.
  By successfully managing the GPS roll-over, the Air Force has ensured 
the continued stable reception of GPS signals by tens of millions of 
global users who depend on GPS for everything from air navigation and 
farming to guiding the war fighter on the battlefield and managing the 
Internet.
  The concerns leading up to the Y2K-like rollover of GPS highlighted 
the potential global impact from any disruption to GPS services. To its 
credit, the Air Force, in close cooperation with industry, engaged in 
rigorous testing and analysis to ensure GPS signals would continue to 
be received through last month's transition. This effort upheld 
national policy, as expressed in both Presidential directives and 
Congressional legislation, that GPS signals will be continuously 
available and receivable at all times, everywhere in the world.
  I and many of my colleagues believe it is in our national interest 
for the government and industry to continue to cooperate in ensuring 
that GPS spectrum is protected from disruption and interference. The 
GPS spectrum band is coveted by commercial interests because of 
increasing demand for limited international spectrum. The American 
public has invested well over $14 billion to date to have the GPS 
services we enjoy today and we need to guard this investment from any 
harm. I urge the Department to continue its efforts to ensure GPS 
signals are continuously available in support of national policy, and 
applaud the continued strong congressional support for initiatives that 
will help us achieve that goal.

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