Alternative To US-Run GPS Also Supports SMS Messaging

The GPS system is used for all sorts of everyday, civilian purposes. But the it was designed and built by and for the US Department of Defense, which reserves the option to intentionally disrupt the system if necessary to deter an attack. That has prompted development of redundant systems by other nations, and China announced Tuesday that its alternative to GPS is now up and running.

Called the Beidou Navigation Satellite System, China's constellation currently has ten satellites deployed with six more pending in 2012, and a total of 35 satellites by 2020. By the end of next year, the system is expected to cover most of the Asia-Pacific region.

The Wall Street Journal reports that Ran Chengqi, a spokesman for the system, says that not only will the system serve civilian needs like GPS, but it has the added capability to support SMS text messaging. Military analysts say China is planning for a mid-term future in which it may need to track hostile naval vessels in disputed waters in the region, and target missiles or other weapons.

The Blaze reports that the Chinese system will offer civilian users better resolution than the US system, and that military users will have still greater accuracy. When all 35 satellites of the Beidou are deployed, China will have coverage of the entire globe.

FMI: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beidou_navigation_system