Papers - CDGPS - Canada-wide DGPS Service: Quality Real Time GPS Positioning

Kim Lochhead
Geodetic Survey Division, Geomatics Canada, Natural Resources Canada
lochhead@nrcan.gc.ca

Amin Kassam,
Base Mapping and Geomatics Services Branch, B.C. Ministry of Sustainable Resource Management.
Amin.Kassam@gems6.gov.bc.ca

Rob Hare
Canadian Hydrographic Service, Pacific Region
HareR@pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca

Léo-Guy LeBlanc
Service New Brunswick
leo-guy.leblanc@snb.ca

Abstract

The Canada-wide DGPS service (CDGPS) project is a Canadian Federal/Provincial/Nunavut Government partnership to deliver GPS corrections to all Canadians via the MSAT communication satellite. These corrections will be freely accessible and are based on Geodetic Survey Division, Natural Resources Canada's GPS·C real-time wide-area GPS correction information. By applying these quality GPS corrections, users will improve their real-time GPS positions and allow for direct access to the Canadian Spatial Reference System (CSRS).

On behalf of the Federal/Provincial/Nunavut partners, the Base Mapping & Geomatics Services Branch (BMGS) of the BC Ministry of Sustainable Resource Management are acting as project managers. A contract is in progress to develop a user receiver and the MSAT "hub" system to allow for the broadcast of GPS·C corrections. The service is expected to be on-line in Spring 2002.

Over the last several years the delivery and use of the GPS·C technology has been demonstrated in various parts of Canada utilizing the BMGS's Global SurveyorTM MSAT receivers and a prototype MSAT satellite communication hub. Clients include the Canadian Hydrographic Service, who has utilized this prototype system since 1998 in the Canadian Arctic.

As well, since 1998, the Canadian Hydrographic Service has been utilizing the operational Global Surveyor TM service available in British Columbia, for its operations on the West Coast. This has helped prove the MSAT technology in an operational setting. In addition, and in preparation for the national CDGPS service, this local DGPS service has been utilizing the GPS·C technology since late 2000.

This paper provides a description of the CDGPS project, prototype testing, pre-cursor operational utilization on the West Coast using the Global Surveyor service TM, service availability to clients, and plans for the future.

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