STUPID US Defines Plans to Shut Down GPS in C rises

[David Farber <dave () farber net>]

_______________ Forward Header _______________
Subject:        Re: [IP] STUPID US Defines Plans to Shut Down GPS in C rises
Author: Kurt Albershardt <kurt () nv net>
Date:           16th December 2004 9:41:11 am




> (12-15) 15:59 PST WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Bush has ordered plans for
> temporarily disabling the U.S. network of global positioning satellites
> during a national crisis to prevent terrorists from using the navigational
> technology, the White House said Wednesday.
> Any shutdown of the network inside the United States would come under only
> the most remarkable circumstances, said a Bush administration official who


..who obviously has very little understanding of the widespread implications this would create.  Besides the obvious 
disruption of tracking systems for trucks & railways (including hazmat and specifically nuclear waste), it would wreak 
havoc with the telecommunications network.  The overwhelming majority of telecom BITS timing is currently derived from 
GPS-based Primary Reference Sources.  These inexpensive stratum one clocks are in virtually every telecom site in the 
world and will fall back to 
less stringent timing after different periods depending on what sort of backup clock is present.  The larger sites 
typically have Rubidium backup (which will typically maintain stratum one for 21-30 days) but many smaller sites (like 
cell sites) have only quartz backup, typically good for 24 hours.  The default behavior of most PRS clocks is to stop 
outputting clock when they can no longer put out stratum one quality.  This will bring a typical central office switch 
to a screeching halt, and 
will also immediately disable most SS7 network equipment.  Taking down the SS7 network will disrupt PSTN and wireless 
phone calls and will also will halt credit card transactions, the use of phone cards, wireless roaming, and other 
applications.  The SS7 network is an ideal terrorist target, and disrupting its timing source is practically the only 
way to do that (short of a widespread coordinated attack on literally dozens of hardened buildings.)






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