16.27 Global Positioning MEOS at L Band GPS, Galileo and Glonass

Table 16.10 referenced earlier summarized the global positioning MEOs.

The US-managed GPS satellites have a 7.5-year design life, but satellites are lasting 12 years.

Galileo is a European initiative with coverage, positioning accuracy and satellite lock times optimised for Europe. The satellites will have a 12- to 15-year design life. Galileo has the same downlink frequency as GPS and could be expected to be implemented as standard in future handset designs.

It is theoretically convenient to build an L band transceiver with GPS capability, though care has to be taken to avoid desensitisation of the GPS or Galileo signal within the handset. This appears at the time of writing to be the fatal flaw in the LightSquared business plan.