Russia and China are currently working on a joint project to develop “a navigation device with Glonass/Beidou support” to equip commercial carriers crossing Russia’s border with China. These plans were aired last week by Alexander Bondarenko, Head of the Glonass International Projects Department, at a conference in Novosibirsk.
“The users will be provided with equal service in China and in Russia. A truck driver will be able to contact tech support, get help on the road, find the closest gas station and use other services supported by the satellite navigation systems,” Russian online portal Sputnik quoted Bondarenko as saying.
He added that truck drivers would not have different devices, and instead would be using the same apparatus.
Russia’s answer to GPS, the Glonass network currently consists of 28 satellites, 24 of which are operational, according to Sputnik. This configuration allows real-time positioning and speed data for surface, sea and airborne objects around the globe.
The announcement comes as no surprise as China and Russia are seeking to form a single navigational space in the coming years. Negotiations on the harmonization of equipment standards for Glonass and Beidou started in the summer of last year, as reported by East-West Digital News.
Glonass already collaborates with many Chinese partners. The Russian Federal Space Agency and the Chinese Chancellery for Satellite Navigation have a working group for issues dealing with the joint application of satellite navigation technologies, notes Russia Beyond The Headlines.
Since it completed its satellite constellation a few years ago, Glonass — which benefits from open support from the Russian authorities — has attracted attention from several other countries. In 2013, a Glonass ground-based control station was launched in Brazil. The move came soon after NIS, the Russian national navigation service provider, forged local alliances to promote Glonass navigation technology in the Latin American market.
Indian partners have expressed interest in the Russia’s satellite navigation system. Russian satellite navigation technologies will be widely used in India in toll paying systems, rapid response emergency systems and asset management, said Glonass Union President Alexander Gurko as reported by the Russian media.
Even some US organisations have expressed interest in Glonass. Under a recent proposal by the US Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC), the Russian satellite system would be added to the US satellite GPS system to double the coverage of satellites, reported Sputnik earlier this year. The move would increase the probability and accuracy of finding someone making a 911 call.
However, a US lobbyist is behind a campaign to derail the proposal, the director of government affairs for the National Emergency Number Association Trey Forgety told Sputnik.
“Retired admiral [Jamie Barnett] has gone to the Department of Defense and told them they need to push back against the evil Russian system when really it comes down to corporate greed,” Forgety said. His association represents nearly 6,000 emergency 911 call centers.
The launch of the system has already been delayed more than once. However, Glonass could finally begin operations later this year, Izvestia reported last month.
