Beyond Satellites: A GCC Roadmap for Terrestrial PNT and eLoran

Part 4 of 4 of Bridge Connect Board Intelligence Series: Living Without GPS — Gulf Risk & Resilience

“When space-based timing becomes a vulnerability, the nations that own their terrestrial clock win the future.”

1 The Gulf’s Timing Dependence — and the Strategic Imperative

GNSS timing sits invisibly behind every Gulf economy:

• LNG exports depend on synchronised port logistics and VTS timestamps.

• Airspace management depends on precise GNSS-based separation.

• 5G and critical IoT networks depend on phase-aligned base stations.

• Energy grids depend on UTC-traceable synchrophasor data.

As the Qatar 2025 incident demonstrated, the region’s prosperity rests on signals that can be jammed, spoofed, or degraded at will. Each GCC nation now faces the same question the UK asked itself after repeated aviation and maritime GNSS outages:“What happens if the satellites go dark?”

The only credible answer lies in terrestrial Positioning, Navigation, and Timing (PNT) systems - independent of space and built to serve as a national utility.

2 Learning from the UK: eLORAN’s Return

2.1 The Historical Arc

• 1958–2000: The UK operated LORAN-C chains jointly with the U.S. and NATO partners.

• 2014–2018: Trinity House, the General Lighthouse Authorities (GLA), and the Ministry of Defence ran an eLORAN pilot covering Dover–Firth of Forth.

• 2018: Shutdown following U.S. transmitter decommissioning (Anthorn loss).

• 2023–2025: The UK Critical PNT Programme (Cabinet Office / DSIT) re-evaluated terrestrial timing as a national resilience requirement.

2.2 The 2025 RFP for a National eLORAN Licence

In mid-2025, the UK Government published a Request for Proposals (RFP) inviting bids for a 15-year national eLORAN operating licence, covering:

Parameter	Specification
Authority	Cabinet Office / DSIT in coordination with DfT & GLA
Objective	Provide national terrestrial PNT coverage for maritime, aviation, and timing users
Infrastructure	Up to six 1000-kW transmitters (Anthorn + 5 new coastal sites)
Signal Standard	ITU-R M.589-3, interoperable with European R-Mode
Timing Accuracy	< 50 ns (with differential corrections)
Licence Tenure	15 years exclusive, renewable
Interconnect	Fibre timing link to NPL (National Physical Laboratory)
Funding Model	Public–private partnership; anchor funding from UK resilience budget; service fees from maritime, telecom, and energy sectors
Timeline	Contract award expected mid-2026, operational service by 2028

The UK model creates a regulated timing service — similar to a water or energy utility — combining public safety, sovereign capability, and commercial sustainability.

2.3 Lessons for GCC Nations

1. Public–Private Model Works: Anchor funding + user fees create long-term viability.

2. Cross-departmental governance: Defence, Transport, Energy, and Telecom regulators must share oversight.

3. Receiver ecosystem first: Mandate dual-input timing receivers (GNSS + eLoran) in new procurement.

4. Terrestrial timing = deterrence: Control of national time resists both cyber and kinetic disruption.

3 The GCC Opportunity: A Regional Terrestrial PNT Network

The GCC’s geography is ideal for eLORAN.A network of five to six transmitters can cover the entire Gulf and adjacent waters, providing:

• Navigation coverage to 1,000 km range

• Timing accuracy better than ±100 ns

• Maritime safety redundancy

• Telecom timing backup

• Energy grid synchronisation

3.1 Possible Architecture

Transmitter Site (Indicative)	Host Nation	Coverage Radius (km)	Strategic Function
Ras Tanura / Dammam	Saudi Arabia	1,000	Core Gulf & energy corridor
Doha / Al-Khor	Qatar	800	LNG port coverage
Bahrain	Bahrain	600	Northern Gulf timing mesh
Muscat / Sohar	Oman	1,000	Eastern approach & Strait of Hormuz
Jizan	Saudi Arabia	1,000	Red Sea back-coverage
Abu Dhabi / Ruwais (optional)	UAE	600	Western Gulf industrial zone

These sites would create full maritime and onshore coverage, including timing penetration into major telco POPs and grid nodes.

4 Terrestrial PNT Options: Comparing Technologies

Option	Coverage	Accuracy	Maturity	Capex (Regional)	Resilience Notes
eLORAN	1,000 km per transmitter	50–100 ns (timing), <10 m (nav)	Proven	$150–200 m	Fully dissimilar to GNSS
R-Mode (AIS/AM/FM)	50–200 km coastal	20–50 m	Early deployment (EU)	$50 m	Reuses existing maritime infrastructure
Time over Fibre (PTP/SyncE)	Terrestrial / metro	<10 ns	Mature	High Opex	Needs diverse routing; vulnerable to cuts
Microwave Time Transfer	50–150 km LOS	<100 ns	Mature	Moderate	Ideal for telecom towers
Inertial / Clock Holdover	Local	<1 µs (short-term)	Mature	Device-level	Complementary only

Conclusion: eLORAN is the only large-area, dissimilar, and cost-scalable technology ready for national deployment now.

5 Implementation Roadmap (36 Months)

Phase	Duration	Key Activities	Outcome
0 – Policy & Governance	0–6 months	Form GCC PNT Council (Transport, Telecom, Energy, Defence); align spectrum allocations; draft RFP & standards	Regional mandate for terrestrial PNT
1 – Pilot Deployment	6–18 months	Install 2 transmitters (Ras Tanura + Doha); integrate with national timing centres (KACARE / CITC / Qatari MoT); test maritime + telecom timing	Demonstrated coverage & performance
2 – Full Rollout	18–36 months	Build remaining 3–4 transmitters; deploy receiver networks; regulatory certification; cross-sector training	GCC-wide operational service
3 – Integration & Commercialisation	30–36 months	Establish operator licence (PPP); begin commercial timing & navigation services	Sustainable public-private operation

6 Governance and Funding Model

6.1 Institutional Framework

• Lead Regulator: Saudi CST or GCC-level coordination office.

• Technical Authority: National standards bodies (e.g., SASO, Qatari Communications Regulatory Authority).

• Operational Partner: Public–private joint venture (telecoms, port authorities, energy utilities).

• Timing Reference: National Physical Labs (KACARE–NPL link for traceability).

• Oversight: GCC PNT Resilience Council reporting to energy and transport ministers.

6.2 Funding Streams

• Public Safety Core Funding: From national resilience budgets.

• Commercial Service Fees: Port authorities, airlines, telcos, and energy utilities pay service levies.

• International Development Support: Potential co-funding via ITU, IMO, or World Bank resilience programmes.

• Insurance Incentives: Lower premiums for GNSS-resilient assets.

7 Integration with Telecom and Energy Networks

7.1 Telecom Timing Mesh

• Each eLORAN transmitter links via PTP and SyncE to major national POPs.

• eLORAN → PTP → Base Station hierarchy ensures GNSS-independent sync.

• Operators can achieve UTC traceability < 100 ns for critical 5G and edge sites.

7.2 Energy & Industrial Timing

• Grid PMUs and substations receive timing via eLORAN receivers integrated with Rubidium clocks.

• Industrial control systems (ICS) and SCADA event logs stay coherent during GNSS-out periods.

• Enables predictive maintenance and forensic event reconstruction with consistent timestamps.

7.3 Maritime & Aviation Integration

• eLORAN signals enhance navigation integrity in port approaches and airspace corridors.

• Maritime receivers combine eLORAN with GNSS and inertial sensors for seamless transitions.

• Aviation timing resilience supports ADS-B and CNS/ATM continuity under degraded GNSS.

8 Training, Certification & Awareness

Bridge Connect recommends the establishment of a GCC PNT Academy, building on existing maritime and telecom training platforms (e.g., Wray Castle Training), to deliver:

• Certified eLORAN Engineer Programme (maintenance, calibration, monitoring)

• PNT Policy Executive Workshops for regulators and boards

• Operational Drills simulating GNSS-out scenarios in ports, airports, and telco cores

• Cross-sector awareness modules for insurers and investors

Such a capability ensures local ownership, reduces vendor dependency, and builds sovereign know-how.

9 The Strategic Case for Saudi Leadership

Saudi Arabia is uniquely positioned to anchor the GCC’s terrestrial PNT architecture:

• Geography: Central location for transmitter network.

• Industrial Scale: Energy, logistics, aviation, and telecom operators ready to co-fund.

• Regulatory Maturity: CST already advancing spectrum governance and national resilience frameworks.

• Vision 2030 Alignment: Strengthening critical infrastructure resilience and digital sovereignty.

By leading the initiative, Saudi Arabia could deliver the first sovereign Gulf timing grid, providing a regional public good that enhances both national security and economic competitiveness.

10 Key Board Takeaways

1. GNSS dependence = systemic risk.Every Gulf economy relies on signals that can be denied or spoofed at negligible cost.

2. Terrestrial timing is the only dissimilar backup.eLORAN offers independence, coverage, and cost-efficiency unmatched by alternatives.

3. The UK’s 2025 RFP provides a proven governance blueprint.The model is exportable, financeable, and regulator-ready.

4. The Gulf can achieve operational resilience within three years.A phased 36-month plan delivers coverage, governance, and commercial sustainability.

5. Bridge Connect can help you design the roadmap.From policy framing to engineering specification, our team supports boards, ministries, and operators in building terrestrial timing capability.

Bridge Connect Advisory - Your Partner in Timing Resilience

Bridge Connect helps governments, operators, and investors define the business case and engineering roadmap for post-GNSS resilience - combining technical audits, procurement frameworks, and board-level advisory.

Let’s design your terrestrial timing architecture - before GNSS disruption designs one for you.

Next Series

Bridge Connect’s upcoming Critical Infrastructure Resilience series will explore:

• Quantum-safe telecom security,

• AI-assisted PNT anomaly detection, and

• Cyber-resilience of terrestrial networks.