The BBC has reported on the potential development of a new indoor GPS, called the Broadcast Positioning System (BPS), that could improve location findings where other systems fail to deliver.
The BPS would use transmitters from ATSC 3.0 digital TV stations to send precise time data from broadcasters, and would allow smartphones to locate themselves indoors, or in areas where satellite signals are weak or jammed.
In order to do this, smartphones would need to be able to receive signals from four different BPS transmitters, to establish both time and position within a 100m radius; in order to do this, the system would need a far greater number of active transmitters than those currently operating.
While the system would require a substantial roll-out to become mainstream, it would have advantages over GPS, being more resistant to spoofing, working indoors, and being able to back up GPS in the event of failure.
