Coastal navigation upgrade

News

The UK’s General Lighthouse Authorities have awarded a £4m contract to VT Communications for the upgrade of 14 Differential Global Positioning Service (DGPS) reference stations.

The

UK

’s General Lighthouse Authorities (GLAs) have awarded a £4m contract to specialist communications company

VT Communications

for the upgrade of 14 Differential Global Positioning Service (DGPS) reference stations.

The DGPS system provides maritime users with correction messages that assist them in navigating more accurately around the British coast. The system uses a Reference Station (RS) to create real-time data, which is then modulated onto a radio beacon and broadcasted in the medium-wave frequency band.

The contract involves modernising the system so that it is compliant with standards set by the International Association of Lighthouse Authorities (IALA) and International Maritime Organisation (IMO) Resolutions.

The upgrade includes adding the capability to use modernised GPS signals that will be needed for tracking the future satellite navigations systems, Galileo and GLONASS.

VT Communications will provide ongoing support of DGPS for an additional 10 years after the upgrade has been completed.