[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 185 (Tuesday, September 23, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 54792-54793]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-22197]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Office of the Secretary


Preservation of Continuity for Semi-Codeless GPS Applications

AGENCY: Assistant Secretary of Defense for Networks and Information 
Integration/DoD Chief Information Officer, Department of Defense.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: To enable an orderly and systematic transition, the U.S. 
Government has established December 31, 2020 as the date by which users 
of semi-codeless/codeless receiving equipment are expected to 
transition to using GPS civil-coded signals. Based on the current 
launch schedule and projected budget, the December 31, 2020 transition 
date represents the planned availability of the second and third coded 
civil GPS signals being broadcast from a minimum of 24 GPS satellites. 
Department of Defense will reassess the transition date should 
significant GPS program delays arise.

[[Page 54793]]


FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Raymond Swider, 703-607-1122.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Department of Defense (DoD) provides the 
GPS Standard Positioning Service (SPS) for peaceful civil, commercial, 
and scientific uses on a continuous worldwide basis free of direct user 
fees. The SPS is a single-frequency GPS service which is presently 
limited to the coarse acquisition (C/A) code on the L1 frequency.
    Access to two or more civil signals are needed to enable high 
accuracy civil applications. Civil users are currently employing 
codeless or semi-codeless techniques to gain access to encrypted GPS 
signals, L1 P(Y) and L2 P(Y). To facilitate expansion of civil GPS 
applications, the DoD has planned and begun to broadcast additional 
civil signals that will obviate the further need for use of codeless 
and semi-codeless techniques. The second coded civil GPS signal (L2C) 
and the third coded civil GPS signal (L5) are planned to be broadcast 
from 24 GPS satellites in 2016 and 2018, respectively. Full operational 
capability of the L2C and L5 GPS signals in combination with the 
existing L1 C/A signal will enable the full spectrum of dual frequency 
applications without using the P(Y) signals.
    The U.S. Government acknowledges global use of GPS codeless and 
semi-codeless techniques and commits to maintaining the existing GPS L1 
C/A, L1 P(Y), L2C and L2 P(Y) signal characteristics until December 31, 
2020 when the second and third civil signals (L2C and L5) are planned 
to be broadcast from a minimum of 24 GPS satellites. After the planned 
transition date, the characteristics of the L1 P(Y) and L2 P(Y) signals 
transmitted by any or all GPS satellites broadcasting two or more 
civil-coded signals may change without further notice and may preclude 
the use of P(Y) coded signals for high accuracy applications.
    The U.S. Government is committed to support civil PNT services 
based on GPS civil signals: L1 C/A, L2C, L5, and L1C. To this end, GPS 
civil signal characteristics are specified in the relevant Interface 
Specifications (ISs) and will be included in Performance Standards 
(PSs) subject to the operating descriptions contained in the Federal 
Radionavigation Plan (FRP). The U.S. Government has met or exceeded GPS 
service performance commitments in the Standard Positioning Service 
Performance Standard since 1993 and is committed to continually 
improving GPS services as codeless and semi-codeless users complete a 
timely transition to dual-coded civil GPS equipment.

    Dated: September 16, 2008.
Patricia L. Toppings,
OSD Federal Register Liaison Officer, Department of Defense.
[FR Doc. E8-22197 Filed 9-22-08; 8:45 am]
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