Saying its signal is 1,000 times more powerful than GPS, Iridium Communications IRDM -2.03%↓ has announced expanded commercial availability of its Satellite Time and Location (STL) service. STL, an alternative positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT) solution, will be sold by Iridium partners in parts of Europe and Asia Pacific.
Europe, specifically, has seen a dramatic rise in GPS jamming and spoofing, while parts of Asia are also seeing increased activity, the company said. “These attacks pose a serious threat to critical infrastructure such as transportation systems, energy grids, data centers, telecommunications networks and financial services, which all stand to benefit from the adoption of more powerful PNT signals,” the company said.
Unlike GPS, Iridium says STL service is uniquely suited for indoor use, with no need to install rooftop antennas, creating a more secure and cost-effective timing solution. STL solutions can be added to existing GNSS-reliant network systems or serve as stand-alone primary units, the company said.
“We’re cognizant of the threats facing GNSS-reliant critical infrastructure around the world and our responsibility to deploy the antidote as quickly as possible,” said Iridium CEO, Matt Desch. “The average person is more and more aware of how important systems like GPS are in our day-to-day lives, and when Iridium recently acquired Satelles, I pledged to step on the gas and expand market availability for this increasingly in demand solution.”
 service. STL, an alternative positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT) solution, will be sold by Iridium partners in parts of Europe and Asia Pacific.){kind=link}