The Global Positioning System and Time


By: LaZinnia Manley

GPS gives us longitude, latitude and altitude. It is not well known is the time factor GPS supplies to so many industries. Each of the twenty four satellites that give us position information are equipped with atomic clocks that supply correct and precise time information. This information is available to any GPS user and is correct to within one billionth of a second.

Correct, precise time of day is important to numerous industries around the world. Communication systems, electrical grids and financial networks all depend on the correct time of day for efficient operation. By utilizing the free GPS time data, these industries can save money and operate efficiently.

Telephone and wireless data networks use GPS to keep their networks synchronized. By using precise time from the GPS system the phone and data systems can be kept in sync so you can communicate more efficiently. Callers can talk to each other as if they were next to each other.

Companies around the world time stamp transactions using GPS time for accuracy. Large corporations use GPS time to synchronize their computer networks. By using GPS time, both large and small businesses can track, update and synchronize multiple transactions in multiple locations accurately and flawlessly.

The Federal Doppler Radar Hazardous weather alerts are issued by the Federal Aviation Administration utilizing GPS time. These forty five weather radars are located throughout the United States.

GPS timing technology works exceptionally well for monitoring instrumentation such as seismic recording instruments. With precision equipment and precise timing, seismic event locations can be pin pointed.

Utility and power companies utilize GPS timed equipment to locate power outage causes and to reset switches to restore power. Power blackouts can be monitored and corrected more quickly with this precision timed equipment. It reduces cost and manpower to use GPS timed equipment.

National laboratories use satellites to transmit time over long distances to synchronize time for precision dissemination in different time zones.

New applications for GPS timing are utilized each day. The uses for this free time data are limitless. GPS technology is being improved daily and new uses will continue to be utilized.

 

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