US, EU to Have Common Sat Nav Signal Design

The European Union and the United States have agreed on a common signal design for their respective satellite navigation systems, representatives said Monday. The US' GPS system has been operational for several years now, while the EU's Galileo system is still in development.

By agreeing on a common signal design, it will pave the way for receivers to easily incorporate both navigation systems into a single design, resulting in better location-finding. "We are pleased by the adoption of this key improvement to the common civil signal design," U.S. State Department Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Reno Harnish said. "The U.S.-EU collaboration that produced this innovation and led to its joint adoption reflects the strong working relationships that we have developed on GPS and Galileo."