GPS jamming: a clear and present reality

February 23, 2012

A secret network of 20 roadside listening stations across the UK has confirmed that criminals are attempting to jam GPS signals on a regular basis, according to New Scientist One Per Cent blog.

Jammers seem to be being used by truckers to prevent their journeys being tracked by their bosses, or by thieves stealing commercial vehicles.

The GPS signal is weak and easily jammed. Hundreds of online vendors illegally sell jamming equipment online yet at the same time the GPS signal has fast become critical national infrastructure and crucial timing signals for systems as diverse as cellphone towers and banking systems.

The GPS signal can also be spoofed. Ships are now so dependent on GPS that in the world’s busiest sea lane,  the English Channel, they confidently expect “an incident” due to GPS failure, jamming or spoofing in the next decade.