2/2022 Discontinuation of DGPS

Trinity House Notice to Mariners, 11/01/2022

2/2022

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All Coasts of England and Wales

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Discontinuation of General Lighthouse Authorities Differential

Global Positioning System (DGPS) Transmissions.

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Trinity House wishes to remind vessel owners, operators and

masters of the contents of previously issued Notice to Mariners
19/2020. After careful consideration of the results of a
comprehensive user consultation process, the General Lighthouse
Authorities for the UK and Ireland have concluded that their
Differential Global Positioning System (DGPS) is no longer
required and have made the decision that the system will be
discontinued from 31st March 2022.

The (DGPS) Service for UK and Ireland was established at a time

when the publicly available GPS signal was intentionally
degraded, resulting in large position errors. Augmentation was
necessary to correct for these errors and meet minimum
requirements for maritime positioning and navigation. In the year
2000, the intentional error in GPS positioning was removed. Since
then, system technology has improved and the GPS constellation
has been modernised. Observed positional accuracy for unaugmented
GPS now consistently meets IMO requirements for accuracy around
the coast of the UK and Ireland for marine navigation.

How will the discontinuation impact you?

For the vast majority of maritime users, the discontinuation of

DGPS service for the UK and Ireland will not impact the accuracy
of satellite positioning. DGPS receivers will no longer receive
the DGPS signal in areas where it was previously available. This
may generate a ‘lost signal’ alarm, but receivers will still
provide a GPS derived position.

Alternate sources for high accuracy positioning

Other options are available for obtaining higher accuracy

positioning in the UK and Ireland.

Further Navigation Warnings will be issued when the above changes

take place.

By Order,

Commander N. Hare,

Director of Navigational Requirements

Trinity House,

Tower Hill,

London,

EC3N 4DH

11th January 2022

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