# Presentation: 115017

## Nationwide DGPSProject Status 

***Nationwide DGPS******Project Status ***

**Presentation to CGSIC****43****nd**** Meeting**
**March 10, 2003**
- 
- **CAPT Curtis Dubay**
**U.S. Coast Guard**

**Notes:**
Good afternoon.  I would like to take a few moments to give you an overview of the progress made this year on the DOT Nationwide DGPS Project, the current funding status, and potential system improvements.

## OVERVIEW

**Project Progress**
**Funding Status**
**Potential System Improvements**
**Issues**

## Nationwide Differential Global Positioning System (NDGPS)

**	****	****Five Categories of Applications****	****Provides**
**1.  Original Code-Based NDGPS Applications ****	****1 - 3 meters**
**Navigation, Precision Farming, Resource Management, **
**Dredging, Buoy Positioning, Positive Train Control, **
**Emergency Response & GIS **
**2.  Post-Processing NDGPS Applications****	****2 - 5 centimeters**
**Surveying, Mapping, Charting & Hydrography**
**3.  Stationary Scientific NDGPS Applications****	****2 - 3 millimeters **
**Plate Tectonics Monitoring & Earthquake Prediction**
**4.  High Accuracy NDGPS Applications****	****10 - 15 centimeters**
**Real-time Automated Surveying of Roadways, Railways **
**& Harbors; Highway Lane Keeping; Machinery Control**
**5.  Weather Forecasting Application****	****Continuous measurement ****	****	****of water vapor in the****	****	****atmosphere**

**Notes:**
The first slide provides a brief summary of the current system applications broken into five levels of position accuracy.

## Coverage March 2003

***Coverage March 2003***

**Notes:**
These next three slides depict:
          the coverage provided one year ago, 
                    the coverage added over the past year and 
                            the additional coverage expected when sites that have been funded are complete.  

The gray shaded areas show single coverage, 
        the yellow shaded areas depict dual coverage 
               and the white areas have no coverage. 
These are conservative coverage predictions that are based on modeled signal propagation.  Actual coverage is often found to be better than displayed here.

 This first slide depicts the coverage being provided at this time last year.

## Coverage March 2004

***Coverage March 2004***

**Notes:**
As you can see, there is progress toward reducing the areas where no coverage exists, particularly in Southern California. Additional dual coverage is readily apparent throughout California in the West, and the South East U.S.

## Projected Coverage Funded

- Projected Coverage (December 2003)

**Notes:**
This last chart shows the coverage based on completing the sites for which funding has been identified.  The dark gray color shows the new single coverage we anticipate.  Here we see some improvement in dual coverage and a significant increase in single coverage in Oregon, Nevada, and Idaho in the West; as well as Ohio, West Virginia, eastern Tennessee and western Virginia.

## Current Status

- NDGPS Expansion is progressing.
- Currently 81 sites are operational.
- Continue to fill coverage gaps.

**Notes:**
The expansion has been progressing at a steady pace, but slower than originally planned.  The Project Team has the capacity to move ahead at a faster pace, if funded to do so.

At this time there are 81 operational DGPS sites.
   - 41 sites maintained by USCG
   - 11 sites maintained by the US Army Corps of Engineers
   - 29 sites maintained by the DOT NDGPS Project  

The current Project focus is to fill gaps where no coverage exists in order to achieve 100% single coverage of the Continental U.S. as quickly as possible.

Ultimately, NDGPS will provide dual coverage over the entire continental U.S. and parts of Alaska.

## Current Status (cont’d)

- Single-station coverage now at 87% of the CONUS.
- Dual-station coverage currently 55%.
- Eight sites under development.
- Single coverage, nation-wide, should be achieved by the end of 2005 with the addition of 9 more sites.

**Notes:**
The current operational sites provide single coverage over approximately 87 percent of the continental U.S., and dual coverage over approximately 55 percent of the continental U.S.  

Eight sites are in the process of being constructed or completed.  The current status for each of these sites is as follows:

Austin, NV – Site construction is complete and the broadcast tested.  Final operation is awaiting installation of the control communications link which is expected this month.
Greensboro, NC – The construction contractor is scheduled to be on site beginning in May.
Topeka, KS – The environmental work is complete and a frequency authorization requested.  It is expected that the site construction work will begin this summer.
Seneca, OR – The site environmental work is in progress.
Klamath Falls, OR – The site environmental work is in progress.
Dandridge, TN – The environmental work is starting.
St. Marys, WV – Site property has been selected and the environmental work is complete.  Site property lease is now being negotiated.
Gooding, ID – (near Idaho Falls, ID) The site property has been selected and is ready for the environmental work to start.

Completion of approximately nine more sites will provide 100 percent single coverage over the continental U.S.  At the present rate of construction this should occur in 2005.

## Complete Dual Coverage Requirement

**$25M to complete CONUS dual coverage & Alaska rail corridor coverage.****    - Total of 28 more sites in CONUS & AK**
**$22.5M to complete single coverage of Alaska****    - Total of 15 more sites in AK **
**$8M for annual operations & maintenance**
**Current annual O&M costs are around $3.3M**

**Notes:**
Achieving the Project goal of dual coverage over the continental U.S. and single coverage of the major rail corridor in Alaska, will take an $25M to construct 28 additional sites.

Construction of 15 more sites will complete single coverage for the rest of Alaska which will require an additional $22.5 M.  Construction of Alaskan sites is much more expensive than in the continental U.S.

Operations and maintenance of the existing NDGPS sites is approaching $4M.  The complete system, as planned, operations and maintenance costs are expected to be $8M.  This does not include the O&M for the USCG and USACE operated Maritime DGPS sites.

## NDGPS Funding History

**  ****FY1998 -- $2.4M (in Coast Guard  appropriation)**** **
**  ****FY1999 --****	**** $7.2M requested by FRA**
**  ****$5.5M (in Coast Guard appropriation)**** **
**  ****FY2000 --****	**** $10.4M requested by FRA**
**  ****$5.0M (in FHWA appropriation)**** **
**  ****FY2001 --****	**** $18.7M requested by FRA**
**  ****$6.0M (in**** ****FAA appropriation)**

**  **

***NDGPS Funding History***

**Notes:**
As has been reported in the past, Nationwide DGPS appropriations have not been adequate to field the capability as rapidly as planned.  The project has the capacity to more than double our current annual rate of construction.  

This chart, and the succeeding one, show the funding history for this project.

## NDGPS Funding History (con’t)

**	****$6.0M (in FHWA appropriation)**
**  ****FY2003 --****	****$32.1 Requested by FRA**
**	****$6.0M (in FAA appropriation)**
**  ****FY2004 --****	****$27.0M requested by FRA **
**	****$5.8M (in FRA appropriation)**

***NDGPS Funding History (con’t)***

**Notes:**
Due to the unusual circumstances in which operating funds and construction funds are lumped together, the level of annual appropriation must grow in step with the completion of new construction until all site construction is complete.  Continuing the current trend, funding will provide for system operations only. 

## Potential System Improvements

- Improve performance ... address the needs of governments and public
- Higher accuracy, at the 10-20 cm level
- Utilize additional available bandwidth for  safety or public service applications

**Notes:**
Improving performance of the system is a mandate of the public law that established NDGPS.

While the system coverage continues to be expanded, the NDGPS Project Team continues to  look for ways to make improvements for a several reasons:
It is part of the program mandate
As the USCG recapitalization of DGPS system equipment begins, it is prudent to have NDGPS follow along in tandem.
 Some of the transportation safety of life applications being developed within DOT will require a higher level of position accuracy.
Optimization of the current system opens it up for other transportation related requirements.
Some of the current improvements being studied are:
Low Data Rate Broadcast of GPS Observables
Improved Ionosphere and Troposphere models
Applications of Nationwide Control Station
Dual Beacon Receivers/Enhanced Almanac
Network Synergy
Receiver Enhancements

## High Accuracy NDGPS

**Enable 3-D Dynamic Positioning at the Centimeter Level throughout the NDGPS Network****     **
**Coexist with the current NDGPS Broadcast**** **
**Minimize the incremental cost of adding High Accuracy NDGPS to NDGPS Sites**
**Utilize existing broadcast antenna, reference stations, and site infrastructure**
**Incremental Cost ~$90K/ Site**
-      The Phase I HANDGPS Report is available at:         www.tfhrc.gov/its/ndgps/02110/index.htm

**Notes:**
Several efforts are demonstrating centimeter accuracy is achievable for real-time dynamic positioning.

Stewardship funds for a project by FHWA and the USCG have demonstrated a co-located broadcast in the 500 KHz band with a new message format can achieve centimeter accuracy.

A USCG sponsored industry DGPS symposium has stirred independent research in adding additional message information to the current 300 KHz broadcast to also achieve greater accuracy while protecting the legacy user.

## NDGPS Issues

- Convening the NDGPS Executive Steering Council (NESC)
- Maintaining a stable source of funding
- New sites will require addition design and construction effort

**Notes:**
The NDGPS Program needs continued administration, congressional, and constituent support.   The NDGPS Executive Steering Council is being reconstituted by DOT, with its first meeting scheduled for later this month.  THE NDGPS Executive Steering Council will address the high- level programmatic issues and coordinate multi-agency requirements and benefits to support NDGPS funding.

As the conversions of existing GWEN tower sites are completed, new sites will require additional planning, design and construction resources.

## Nationwide DGPSProject Status 

***Nationwide DGPS******Project Status ***

**Presentation to CGSIC****43****nd**** Meeting**
**March 10, 2003**
- 
- **CAPT Curtis Dubay**
**U.S. Coast Guard**

**Notes:**
Thank you for your attention.  Are there any questions?