[talk-au] US to spend $8bn upgrading GPS constellation

[John Smith]

The United States is about to give the now nearly ubiquitous Global
Positioning System an $8 billion overhaul. The improvements, which
involve replacing each of the 24 aging GPS satellites, are estimated
to take over a decade to complete, and will see the triangulation
margin of error decrease from 20 feet to around 3 feet. The move comes
as more and more devices, from phones to parking meters, are
incorporating GPS units into their design. The L.A. Times estimates
that there are over 1 billion GPS receivers that rely on the United
State’s. location system.

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-gps-20100523,0,3054578.story?page=1