GPS: GPS has stopped working in China, but why? What should we do if this ever happens in India?
In Nanjing, a major city in eastern China and the capital of Jiangsu province, satellite navigation recently went down for about six hours. The city is home to approximately 10 million people. During this time, services relying on GPS and China's BeiDou satellite navigation system were affected, including car navigation, food delivery, ride-hailing, and drone operations.
According to a report by Interesting Engineering, Nanjing residents complained of getting lost and experiencing significant location inaccuracies. Ride-hailing orders dropped by nearly 60%, food delivery speeds decreased by about 40%, and bicycle-sharing systems showed location errors of up to 35 miles.
GPS and BeiDou Signal Problems
Technical investigations revealed that the issue was not related to mobile network problems. The Nanjing Satellite Application Industry Association stated that the GPS and BeiDou signals experienced "temporary interference and jamming," rendering navigation systems inoperable. This prevented phones from accurately receiving satellite signals. The Chinese agency did not specify who caused the jamming or why. It's possible that temporary signal control was implemented during a major security event. Navigation services gradually returned to normal after the blackout ended.
Experts say this incident demonstrates that simultaneously affecting BeiDou and GPS signals could be part of a strategic plan. In a potential conflict between China and the US, interference with BeiDou could also impact GPS services.
What if this happened in India?
India also relies on satellite navigation systems, including GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou, Galileo, and its own NAVIC system. If a sudden blackout were to occur, it could disrupt transportation, logistics, delivery services, and more. Experts suggest that multi-system navigation and offline backups are the safest way to mitigate the impact of such blackouts in the future. In the event of a GPS blackout, individuals and businesses can take certain precautions:
Offline Maps and Navigation: Keep offline modes enabled on Google Maps and other navigation apps.
Local Tracking Technology: Some vehicles and drones also utilize local tracking technology or cellular tower-based location services.
Multi-System GPS: Many devices support GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou, or Galileo simultaneously, allowing navigation to continue even if one system malfunctions.
What are the options?
Indian NAVIC: India has its own navigation system, NAVIC, which provides accurate location information within a radius of approximately 1,500 kilometers in the country.
Global Systems: GPS (USA), GLONASS (Russia), BeiDou (China), and Galileo (Europe) can also be used as backups.
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