zprávy

As cities strive to make their transport systems more efficient and user-friendly, they are increasingly turning to GNSS-based solutions. The Czech capital Prague, which has already leveraged GNSS to modernise its tram fleet, is now turning to a Galileo-enabled solution to improve drivers’ experience in the city’s road tunnels.

Drivers using the tunnels on Prague’s Ring Road can’t have failed to notice that satnav does not work in a large section of the tunnels, as they receive the message ‘GPS Signal Lost’. This is not usually a problem in classic tunnels with only one entrance and one exit, but in more complex tunnel systems drivers can get confused. 

Forward-looking solutions

To deal with this issue, the Prague Technical Road Administration (TSK) commissioned a study into possible solutions to navigation signal loss in tunnels. Based on the findings of this study, a GNSS signal retransmission solution using Galileo is now being tested in the Bubeneč Tunnel, part of the city’s Blanka Tunnel Complex.

“GNSS is an important tool in the toolbox of any forward-looking city looking to modernise its transport systems and make them better adapted to the needs of urban dwellers,” said GSA Executive Director Rodrigo da Costa. “By supporting solutions ranging from mobility as a service to parking support and passenger information systems, GNSS is helping to build the urban transport systems of the future,” he said. 

Watch this: European GNSS for Smart Mobility

The first stage of Bubeneč Tunnel project will see repeaters installed at three locations in the tunnel. The GNSS signal will be routed from an antenna above ground to the repeaters in the tunnel via a short cable line. Although initially the entire tunnel will not be covered by the signal, the retransmission between the individual stations will nevertheless increase the accuracy of the navigation solution, increasing driver comfort. This pilot project will verify the functionality, performance and coverage of the transmitted signal in the tunnel.

Interesting technical challenge

"This is great news for all drivers, they will no longer have to hesitate about which tunnel exit to use, and which direction to take at the next junction if the navigation signal has not yet been recovered. TSK has started testing three GNSS repeaters in the Bubeneč Tunnel, which can transmit the signal of all available navigation systems and thus ensure functional navigation in the first parts of the Blanka tunnel complex,” said Adam Scheinherr, Prague’s Deputy Mayor for Transport.

“This is also an interesting technical challenge. We need to install an antenna on the surface above the tunnel that receives the GNSS signal from the satellites, which we transfer to the equipment in the tunnel, located at exactly the same place as the antenna on the surface,” Scheinherr said.

Read this: EGNOS and Galileo for ITS and road transport

Once the functionality is tested, a decision will be reached on whether to extend the technology to the entire Blanka Tunnel and to other tunnels in Prague. The advantage of this system is that it allows operation of standard on-board navigation equipment or mobile phones, which makes the solution more versatile and accessible for all users.

Prague is one of many EU cities that is turning to GNSS to upgrade its transport system. The city of Madrid has also using GNSS-based intelligent transport solutions to improve user experience on the city’s buses. By enabling intelligent transport solutions of this kind, GNSS is supporting Europe’s cities in their efforts to become smarter and more sustainable, thereby contributing to EU’s priorities for a greener, more digital Europe.

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European GNSS Agency (GSA) is acknowledged as the source at the top or the bottom of the story. You must request permission before you use any of the photographs on the site. If you republish, we would be grateful if you could link back to the GSA website (http://www.gsa.europa.eu).

As cities strive to make their transport systems more efficient and user-friendly, they are increasingly turning to GNSS-based solutions. The Czech capital Prague, which has already leveraged GNSS to modernise its tram fleet, is now turning to a Galileo-enabled solution to improve drivers’ experience in the city’s road tunnels.

Drivers using the tunnels on Prague’s Ring Road can’t have failed to notice that satnav does not work in a large section of the tunnels, as they receive the message ‘GPS Signal Lost’. This is not usually a problem in classic tunnels with only one entrance and one exit, but in more complex tunnel systems drivers can get confused. 

Forward-looking solutions

To deal with this issue, the Prague Technical Road Administration (TSK) commissioned a study into possible solutions to navigation signal loss in tunnels. Based on the findings of this study, a GNSS signal retransmission solution using Galileo is now being tested in the Bubeneč Tunnel, part of the city’s Blanka Tunnel Complex.

“GNSS is an important tool for any forward-looking city looking at modernizing its transport systems and make them better adapted to the needs of urban dwellers,” said GSA Executive Director Rodrigo da Costa. “By supporting solutions ranging from mobility as a service to parking support and passenger information systems, GNSS is helping to build the urban transport systems of the future,” he said. 

Watch this: European GNSS for Smart Mobility

The first stage of Bubeneč Tunnel project will see repeaters installed at three locations in the tunnel. The GNSS signal will be routed from an antenna above ground to the repeaters in the tunnel via a short cable line. Although initially the entire tunnel will not be covered by the signal, the retransmission between the individual stations will nevertheless increase the accuracy of the navigation solution, increasing driver comfort. This pilot project will verify the functionality, performance and coverage of the transmitted signal in the tunnel.

Interesting technical challenge

"This is great news for all drivers, they will no longer have to hesitate about which tunnel exit to use, and which direction to take at the next junction if the navigation signal has not yet been recovered. TSK has started testing three GNSS repeaters in the Bubeneč Tunnel, which can transmit the signal of all available navigation systems and thus ensure functional navigation in the first parts of the Blanka tunnel complex,” said Adam Scheinherr, Prague’s Deputy Mayor for Transport.

“This is also an interesting technical challenge. We need to install an antenna on the surface above the tunnel that receives the GNSS signal from the satellites, which we transfer to the equipment in the tunnel, located at exactly the same place as the antenna on the surface,” Scheinherr said.

Read this: EGNOS and Galileo for ITS and road transport

Once the functionality is tested, a decision will be reached on whether to extend the technology to the entire Blanka Tunnel and to other tunnels in Prague. The advantage of this system is that it allows operation of standard on-board navigation equipment or mobile phones, which makes the solution more versatile and accessible for all users.

Prague is one of many EU cities that is turning to GNSS to upgrade its transport system. The city of Madrid has also using GNSS-based intelligent transport solutions to improve user experience on the city’s buses. By enabling intelligent transport solutions of this kind, GNSS is supporting Europe’s cities in their efforts to become smarter and more sustainable, thereby contributing to EU’s priorities for a greener, more digital Europe.

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European GNSS Agency (GSA) is acknowledged as the source at the top or the bottom of the story. You must request permission before you use any of the photographs on the site. If you republish, we would be grateful if you could link back to the GSA website (http://www.gsa.europa.eu).

One of the main motivations behind the creation of the European Union Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA) is to generate synergies between the different components of the EU Space Programme, particularly navigation, Earth observation and secure communications, according to European GNSS Agency (GSA) Executive Director Rodrigo da Costa.

In his keynote address at a session on ‘Space data and downstream applications’ at the 13th European Space Conference on 12 January, da Costa noted that EUSPA is an opportunity for the EU Space Programme and for Europe as a whole, as it will enable the creation of synergies between navigation (EGNOS and Galileo), earth observation (Copernicus) and telecommunications (GOVSATCOM).

EUSPA will maximise its contribution to the EU Space Programme being the organisation that puts European Union space assets at the service of its citizens, he said. This was something that was also underlined by other participants in this session. 

Da Costa noted for example the potential for synergies between navigation and Earth observation in transport and agriculture. “By bringing navigation and earth observation together we can bring transport one step ahead, and do the same in agriculture, thereby making a big contribution to the Green Deal,” he said.

Aligned with EU priorities

The EU Space Programme is instrumental for the EU´s key policy areas – be it the Green Deal, Digitisation or contributing to a greener and stronger economy in Europe in general. “We are very closely aligned with the priorities of the EU. For instance, Galileo and EGNOS already make an important contribution to a greener environmental footprint,” da Costa said, citing the example of precision agriculture, where an increased number of tractors equipped with EGNOS and Galileo are helping to improve environmental performance in the sector.

Read this: Users benefitting from Galileo accuracy in latest Javad receivers

Da Costa concluded: “EUSPA will not just be a bigger GSA. It is a new agency that will benefit from the GSA’s experience and will work closely with its partners in the European Commission, the European Space Agency and in industry.”

Pandemic response

Due to the COVID pandemic, this year’s Space Conference took place online and the pandemic was very much in focus. Asked about the GSA’s response, da Costa said that the Agency had taken action to ensure the safe and secure continuity of operations for Galileo and EGNOS and to support SMEs and start-ups, making sure that the flow of funding to support innovation continued. 

Moreover, concrete initiatives like the Galileo Green Lane app, implemented jointly with the European Commission, eased the management of traffic congestion at EU borders during the crisis and helped to mitigate its impacts and keep critical goods flowing. “We will have to come back from the crisis with an economy that is more resilient, more robust and greener. The space programme will have a very significant role to play in this,” da Costa said, adding that space technologies are important for the economy, as they add value in practically all sectors.

And this: GSA launches call for Venture Capitalists

Da Costa also spoke amongst others with Thomas Dermine, Belgian State Secretary for Economic Recovery and Strategic Investments, in a session on “Enhancement of European Space Asset Cyber Resilience’’. Underlining the operational experience gained by the GSA for EGNOS and Galileo, da Costa stressed that security of the space assets is essential for the development of the EU Space Programme and that, as an EU agency in the forefront of the implementation of the EU Space Programme, the GSA was already concretely following the EU rules in this regard. “Cybersecurity is complex and requires monitoring 24/7. This is what we are doing with the Galileo Security Monitoring Centre,” he said.

EGNSS for energy

At a session on ‘Space for Energy, and Clean Energy for Space,’ GSA Head of Market Development Fiammetta Diani spoke about the role of Galileo in the energy sector, touching on areas such as the synchronisation of energy networks and the importance of accuracy and robustness in smart grids that help distributing more and more energy from renewable sources. Diani also stressed the importance of synergies between EGNSS and Copernicus in the energy sector, to improve the site selection, construction, operation and maintenance of wind farms, for example.

“EUSPA will further foster the use of space technologies for the energy sector, for example by offering innovation opportunities for start-ups, implementing new business models for this fast changing domain, and creating Galileo-Copernicus solutions to increase renewable energy production and distribution, as an important contribution to the European Green Deal,” she said.

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European GNSS Agency (GSA) is acknowledged as the source at the top or the bottom of the story. You must request permission before you use any of the photographs on the site. If you republish, we would be grateful if you could link back to the GSA website (http://www.gsa.europa.eu).

One of the main motivations behind the creation of the European Union Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA) is to generate synergies between the different components of the EU Space Programme, particularly navigation, Earth observation and secure communications, according to European GNSS Agency (GSA) Executive Director Rodrigo da Costa.

In his keynote address at a session on ‘Space data and downstream applications’ at the 13th European Space Conference on 12 January, da Costa noted that EUSPA is an opportunity for the EU Space Programme and for Europe as a whole, as it will enable the creation of synergies between navigation (EGNOS and Galileo), earth observation (Copernicus) and telecommunications (GOVSATCOM).

EUSPA will maximise its contribution to the EU Space Programme being the organisation that puts European Union space assets at the service of its citizens, he said. This was something that was also underlined by other participants in this session. 

Da Costa noted for example the potential for synergies between navigation and Earth observation in transport and agriculture. “By bringing navigation and earth observation together we can bring transport one step ahead, and do the same in agriculture, thereby making a big contribution to the Green Deal,” he said.

Aligned with EU priorities

The EU Space Programme is instrumental for the EU´s key policy areas – be it the Green Deal, Digitisation or contributing to a greener and stronger economy in Europe in general. “We are very closely aligned with the priorities of the EU. For instance, Galileo and EGNOS already make an important contribution to a greener environmental footprint,” da Costa said, citing the example of precision agriculture, where an increased number of tractors equipped with EGNOS and Galileo are helping to improve environmental performance in the sector.

Read this: Users benefitting from Galileo accuracy in latest Javad receivers

Da Costa concluded: “EUSPA will not just be a bigger GSA. It is a new agency that will benefit from the GSA’s experience and will work closely with its partners in the European Commission, the European Space Agency and in industry.”

Pandemic response

Due to the COVID pandemic, this year’s Space Conference took place online and the pandemic was very much in focus. Asked about the GSA’s response, da Costa said that the Agency had taken action to ensure the safe and secure continuity of operations for Galileo and EGNOS and to support SMEs and start-ups, making sure that the flow of funding to support innovation continued. 

Moreover, concrete initiatives like the Galileo Green Lane app, implemented jointly with the European Commission, eased the management of traffic congestion at EU borders during the crisis and helped to mitigate its impacts and keep critical goods flowing. “We will have to come back from the crisis with an economy that is more resilient, more robust and greener. The space programme will have a very significant role to play in this,” da Costa said, adding that space technologies are important for the economy, as they add value in practically all sectors.

And this: GSA launches call for Venture Capitalists

Da Costa also spoke amongst others with Thomas Dermine, Belgian State Secretary for Economic Recovery and Strategic Investments, in a session on “Enhancement of European Space Asset Cyber Resilience’’. Underlining the operational experience gained by the GSA for EGNOS and Galileo, da Costa stressed that security of the space assets is essential for the development of the EU Space Programme and that, as an EU agency in the forefront of the implementation of the EU Space Programme, the GSA was already concretely following the EU rules in this regard. “Cybersecurity is complex and requires monitoring 24/7. This is what we are doing with the Galileo Security Monitoring Centre,” he said.

EGNSS for energy

At a session on ‘Space for Energy, and Clean Energy for Space,’ GSA Head of Market Development Fiammetta Diani spoke about the role of Galileo in the energy sector, touching on areas such as the synchronisation of energy networks and the importance of accuracy and robustness in smart grids that help distributing more and more energy from renewable sources. Diani also stressed the importance of synergies between EGNSS and Copernicus in the energy sector, to improve the site selection, construction, operation and maintenance of wind farms, for example.

“EUSPA will further foster the use of space technologies for the energy sector, for example by offering innovation opportunities for start-ups, implementing new business models for this fast changing domain, and creating Galileo-Copernicus solutions to increase renewable energy production and distribution, as an important contribution to the European Green Deal,” she said.

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European GNSS Agency (GSA) is acknowledged as the source at the top or the bottom of the story. You must request permission before you use any of the photographs on the site. If you republish, we would be grateful if you could link back to the GSA website (http://www.gsa.europa.eu).

One of the main motivations behind the creation of the European Union Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA) is to generate synergies between the different components of the EU Space Programme, particularly navigation, Earth observation and secure communications, according to European GNSS Agency (GSA) Executive Director Rodrigo da Costa.

In his keynote address at a session on ‘Space data and downstream applications’ at the 13th European Space Conference on 12 January, da Costa noted that EUSPA is an opportunity for the EU Space Programme and for Europe as a whole, as it will enable the creation of synergies between navigation (EGNOS and Galileo), earth observation (Copernicus) and telecommunications (GOVSATCOM).

EUSPA will maximise its contribution to the EU Space Programme being the organisation that puts European Union space assets at the service of its citizens, he said. This was something that was also underlined by other participants in this session. 

Da Costa noted for example the potential for synergies between navigation and Earth observation in transport and agriculture. “By bringing navigation and earth observation together we can bring transport one step ahead, and do the same in agriculture, thereby making a big contribution to the Green Deal,” he said.

Aligned with EU priorities

The EU Space Programme is instrumental for the EU´s key policy areas – be it the Green Deal, Digitisation or contributing to a greener and stronger economy in Europe in general. “We are very closely aligned with the priorities of the EU. For instance, Galileo and EGNOS already make an important contribution to a greener environmental footprint,” da Costa said, citing the example of precision agriculture, where an increased number of tractors equipped with EGNOS and Galileo are helping to improve environmental performance in the sector.

Read this: Users benefitting from Galileo accuracy in latest Javad receivers

Da Costa concluded: “EUSPA will not just be a bigger GSA. It is a new agency that will benefit from the GSA’s experience and will work closely with its partners in the European Commission, the European Space Agency and in industry.”

Pandemic response

Due to the COVID pandemic, this year’s Space Conference took place online and the pandemic was very much in focus. Asked about the GSA’s response, da Costa said that the Agency had taken action to ensure the safe and secure continuity of operations for Galileo and EGNOS and to support SMEs and start-ups, making sure that the flow of funding to support innovation continued. 

Moreover, concrete initiatives like the Galileo Green Lane app, implemented jointly with the European Commission, eased the management of traffic congestion at EU borders during the crisis and helped to mitigate its impacts and keep critical goods flowing. “We will have to come back from the crisis with an economy that is more resilient, more robust and greener. The space programme will have a very significant role to play in this,” da Costa said, adding that space technologies are important for the economy, as they add value in practically all sectors.

And this: GSA launches call for Venture Capitalists

Da Costa also spoke amongst others with Thomas Dermine, Belgian State Secretary for Economic Recovery and Strategic Investments, in a session on “Enhancement of European Space Asset Cyber Resilience’’. Underlining the operational experience gained by the GSA for EGNOS and Galileo, da Costa stressed that security of the space assets is essential for the development of the EU Space Programme and that, as an EU agency in the forefront of the implementation of the EU Space Programme, the GSA was already concretely following the EU rules in this regard. “Cybersecurity is complex and requires monitoring 24/7. This is what we are doing with the Galileo Security Monitoring Centre,” he said.

EGNSS for energy

At a session on ‘Space for Energy, and Clean Energy for Space,’ GSA Head of Market Development Fiammetta Diani spoke about the role of Galileo in the energy sector, touching on areas such as the synchronisation of energy networks and the importance of accuracy and robustness in smart grids that help distributing more and more energy from renewable sources. Diani also stressed the importance of synergies between EGNSS and Copernicus in the energy sector, to improve the site selection, construction, operation and maintenance of wind farms, for example.

“EUSPA will further foster the use of space technologies for the energy sector, for example by offering innovation opportunities for start-ups, implementing new business models for this fast changing domain, and creating Galileo-Copernicus solutions to increase renewable energy production and distribution, as an important contribution to the European Green Deal,” she said.

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European GNSS Agency (GSA) is acknowledged as the source at the top or the bottom of the story. You must request permission before you use any of the photographs on the site. If you republish, we would be grateful if you could link back to the GSA website (http://www.gsa.europa.eu).