NLS tests GNSS equipment at Jammertest to combat interference
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NLS tests GNSS equipment at Jammertest to combat interference

Experts from the Finnish Geospatial Research Institute (FGI) and the National Land Survey of Finland (NLS) examined the impact of GNSS interference during the recent Jammertest event in Norway. This controlled environment allowed safe testing of signal disruptions.

The tests focused on the FinPos reference station, a vital part of Finland's precise positioning network. By simulating real-world interference, researchers gained crucial insights into the system's resilience and vulnerabilities. The findings will guide efforts to bolster the reliability of GNSS-dependent services, enhancing Finland’s positioning infrastructure against future challenges.

In 2024, there were around 1,200 notifications of GPS interference in aviation across Finland, whereas the number in the previous year was 239, according to The Finnish Transport and Communications Agency Traficom. The interference causes risks and problems to users of GNSS-provided navigation and timing.

Sharing experiences

Resilient position, navigation and timing (PNT) is a key research focus at the Finnish Geospatial Research Institute (FGI) of the National Land Survey of Finland (NLS). Researchers from FGI and NLS participated in the Jammertest event to study GNSS interference in a controlled setting. As GNSS interference is illegal, such tests can only be conducted by state-level actors, making the Jammertest event in Andøya a unique opportunity for this research.

"It’s a great opportunity to put GNSS equipment and methods to test and to share experiences with other experts in the field from all over the world," stated Senior Research Scientist José Vallet from FGI.

At the Jammertest event, equipment is subjected to spoofing and jamming attacks in a controlled environment. This time, the objective of FGI was to test how jamming and spoofing can impact the equipment used by professionals and what the users of services relying on these devices will experience. To this end, the participating team from the National Land Survey of Finland and the Finnish Geospatial Research Institute prepared and used a wide variety of equipment of different quality levels, from consumer-grade to professional mapping and surveying. This also included high-grade reference stations, and even a signal recorder that is allowed to replay the recorded signals offline in a laboratory after testing.

Static and dynamic conditions

Different tests were done under static and dynamic conditions. As an example, a professional GNSS real-time kinematic (RTK) receiver typically used by surveyors was operated under the effect of five different jammers, while the data and images from the controlling table were recorded. This will enable surveyors to understand how the tools they use every day are affected by real jamming, and to better detect it.

The Jammertest event provided NLS and FGI with valuable data, generating new insights and ideas. Building on this knowledge, NLS will continue refining its measures to mitigate the impact of jamming on daily cadastral and mapping activities. Meanwhile, FGI will advance GNSS resilience through innovative methods, ensuring the reliability of services essential for modern society.

Researchers used the Jammertest event to examine how GNSS interference impacts the operations of the National Land Survey of Finland (NLS). (Image courtesy: Martta-Kaisa Olkkonen)

"Analysis of data from Jammertest is now in progress in NLS and FGI. On the one hand, the outcomes will influence the already adopted strategies to further increase the robustness of NLS’s services in the near future. On the other hand, they will shape the future research directions and test plans of our colleagues at FGI, both in our laboratories and in forthcoming editions of the Jammertest and similar events," said Research Group Manager Martta-Kaisa Olkkonen from FGI.

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