DOT Funds NAB Project to Advance Broadcast Backup to GPS

RADIO ONLINE | Monday, October 6, 2025 | 3:53pm CT

National Association of Broadcasters (NAB)

The U.S. Department of Transportation has awarded the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) a $744,000 contract to advance testing of a new technology that uses broadcast signals as a resilient backup to GPS - underscoring the essential role that over-the-air transmission continues to play in national infrastructure.

Working in partnership with Dominion Energy, NAB will lead a field trial of the Broadcast Positioning System (BPS), which uses television broadcasters' NextGen TV (ATSC 3.0) signals to provide precise timing information. The system is designed to keep critical sectors like energy, finance, and transportation running in the event GPS is disrupted by jamming or spoofing.

Although BPS operates via TV broadcast spectrum rather than radio frequencies, NAB President and CEO Curtis LeGeyt said the project highlights the continued importance of all broadcasting technologies.

"This initiative affirms the vital role of broadcast technology in protecting our nation's infrastructure," said LeGeyt. "Free, over-the-air signals - whether TV or radio - remain essential to public safety and national resilience."

The Broadcast Positioning System can deliver highly accurate timing data independently of satellite or internet networks and can reach an unlimited number of users simultaneously. Experts at the National Institute of Standards and Technology have called BPS performance "comparable to or better than" GPS.

With ATSC 3.0 coverage already reaching more than 75% of U.S. households, NAB says broadcasters are well positioned to provide a GPS-independent safety net. LeGeyt added that the association looks forward to working with policymakers to ensure a smooth nationwide transition to the new technology.

For radio broadcasters, the project reinforces NAB's broader argument in Washington: that local transmitters remain one of the nation's most reliable, scalable, and secure communications platforms - whether carrying TV, radio, or data services vital to public safety.