Telecommunications | Satellite navigation disturbances on the rise – originating from outside Finland

Satellite navigation the number of disturbances has increased this year, especially in aviation and shipping, tells Finnish Transport and Communications Agency Traficom. So far, 1,779 malfunctions of satellite navigation systems have been reported in aviation and 145 in water traffic.

So far, 211 cases of the use of illegal jamming devices (jammers) have been detected.

Based on the number of notifications, the situation in the services available on the ground has remained stable. However, according to Traficom, the effects of disturbances can also be observed on the ground, especially in coastal areas or in easternmost Finland.

Disturbances in aviation and shipping originate from outside Finland’s borders, the agency says.

Traficom According to the report, disruptions have been observed widely in the Gulf of Finland area, especially in aviation, and since the turn of April-May also in shipping. The effects have focused on navigation, i.e. location determination.

Disturbances in satellite navigation services refer to disturbances in the reception of GNSS systems.

Although there have been many disruptions, their effects have often been short-lived and limited, Traficom says. In this case, according to the agency, the positioning has been restored or the operation has been able to be continued with alternative methods due to good preparation.

Disturbances, however, always affect the smoothness of operations and cause additional work for those in charge of navigating ships, Traficom reminds.

“Even if GNSS reception disturbances are only momentary and limited, they can still affect many services, easily causing annoyance to the person experiencing the disturbance, but also in more difficult cases preventing operations,” says Traficom’s head Suvi Juurakko-Lehikoinen in the bulletin.

“Especially in services related to movement, such as shipping, road transport and aviation, disturbances in satellite navigation typically weaken positioning accuracy, easily causing additional work and slowing down operations.”