New satellite technology that significantly improves GPS accuracy will lead to fewer flight cancellations, according to New Zealand’s Land Information Minister Chris Penk.
“New Zealanders use GPS services every day for everything from ordering food to navigating the city streets. GPS information is also used for critical technical applications like coordinating an emergency response and air traffic control,” said Penk this week.
The minister made the comments while switching on two 11-metre satellite dishes that are part of the Southern Positioning Augmentation Network (SouthPAN), a project that improves GPS accuracy from five to 10 metres to less than a metre.
SouthPAN is a satellite-based augmentation system comprised of reference stations, telecommunications infrastructure, computing centres, signal generators, and satellites that provide improved positioning and navigation services in Australia, New Zealand, and its maritime region.
“Improved GPS accuracy has far-reaching benefits for the economy with implications for almost every major sector, from agriculture to aviation, forestry, and construction,” said Penk. “As the project develops, one of the most noticeable changes for the public will be less disruption to flights during bad weather, with a significant reduction in weather-related flight cancellations and delays. SouthPAN services will aid flight navigation, making it safer for planes to land when visibility is poor.”
SouthPAN is a joint project between the governments of New Zealand and Australia. The Southland facility works in tandem with a newly built centre in Uralla, New South Wales. An independent report estimated SouthPAN will contribute NZD864 million to New Zealand’s economy over 20 years through productivity-enhancing and labour-saving applications, such as better resource management, more accurate maritime activities, and real-time livestock monitoring through digital fencing tools.
Some SouthPAN services are already free and available to consumers, functioning with 99.5 per cent reliability. The remainder of the network will be established over the next three years.
