The Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology Directorate (DHS S&T) has revealed that they have successfully demonstrated the Enhanced Loran (eLoran), a precision-timing technology for financial transactions used at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE).
The eLoran is a low-frequency, high-powered radio navigation signal that can be broadcasted by ground-based transmission stations. Precision timing both indoors and throughout urban areas is provided due to the signal’s ability to penetrate through buildings.
“Accurate position, navigation, and timing is necessary for the function and integrity of many critical infrastructure sectors, such as the electric grid, communication networks, and financial institutions,” said DHS Under Secretary for Science and Technology Dr. Reginald Brothers. “Ensuring the continuous and uninterrupted availability of critical information ensures our national security.”
DHS S&T and the US Coast Guard, along with UrsaNav, Inc. and Harris Corporation have all studied eLoran via a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement in order to provide proper timing information for critical infrastructure applications.
Juniper Networks, a marketer and developer of networking products, hosted the April 19th demonstration as the NYSE. The audience consisted of technical representatives from the financial services, energy, and communication sectors.
DHS Assistant Secretary for Infrastructure Protection Caitlin Durkovich commented, “We are constantly working with critical infrastructure partners like the financial sector to help build their capabilities and resilience to a variety of hazards, including space weather and other cyber or physical threats to the system’s continuity.”
The European Union, and increasingly the United States, mandate the precise and synchronized timing of financial transactions. Today, satellite-based Global Positioning Systems (GPS) primarilyprovide our precision timing capabilities. Unfortunately, GPS’s space-based signals are low-power, susceptible to disruption, and create problems when attempting to receive indoors and in urban canyons.
“During the technology demonstration inside the NYSE building, we were able to not only provide signals indoors but also provide timing information to within 30 nanoseconds of our UTC reference,” said Sarah Mahmood, S&T program manager for the eLoran cooperation agreement.
With the challenges stemming from use of space-based signals and the necessity of multiple timing sources, eLoran is now being considered as a complementary timing solution to already in place GPS technology.
