GPSvaatjad

GPSvaatjad is a term used in geospatial and GNSS circles to describe a network of volunteers, researchers, and institutions that monitor the performance and integrity of global positioning systems. The concept emerged in the early 2010s within European and Nordic geospatial communities as interest grew in understanding GNSS reliability for critical infrastructure.

GPSvaatjad collect and share signal data from a distributed set of receiver stations to analyze GPS satellites’ pseudorange and carrier-phase measurements, multipath effects, atmospheric biases, and potential spoofing or jamming incidents. The primary aim is to document signal quality across diverse environments, contribute to resilience studies for aviation, transportation, and emergency services, and support open-source assessments of GNSS vulnerabilities.

Data are typically drawn from publicly available logs, citizen-science networks, and university installations, then standardized using common formats such as RINEX and time-stamped event logs. Participation is often noncommercial and emphasizes privacy-conscious data handling and transparency of methods.

Since its inception, GPSvaatjad has evolved into regional hubs across Scandinavia and Central Europe, fostering collaborations with universities, government agencies, and private research labs. Critics note that without formal governance and data-sharing protocols, uneven data quality and privacy concerns can limit usefulness. Related topics include GNSS, GPS spoofing, and signal integrity monitoring. References include conference proceedings and project reports from geospatial societies and participating institutions.