Global Positioning System Service Might Not Survive Till Next Year

Global Positioning System (GPS) has recently picked up in India, but the bad news is that it might not last that long, worldwide. The satellite system that forms the basis of its operation has been maintained by the US Air Force since early 1990, but with the current lack of funding and some internal mismanagement, the service might not survive till next year.

These satellites were supposed to be replaced as early as 1997, but no such steps were taken to see this through.

So whose really going to suffer from this? Men who refuse to ask for directions, for starters. However, most application developers who have made GPS-based applications for mobile phones and sundry GPS devices will also be tearing their hair out.

US Government officials foresee failing GPS devices that will give millions of users incorrect directions. But people are certain that the US Government will wake up and do something to prevent this from happening, or at least do something before things get so serious that people need to carry maps on, gasp, paper...

The good thing here is that India, Russia, and China already have the ball rolling on expanding satellite navigation technologies and resources. Meanwhile, if you get lost with your failing GPS device in tow, just roll down your window and ask somebody.