Global navigation satellite systems as critical infrastructure: A cross-sectoral impact assessment of service interruptions in Europe

Our societies are ever more dependent on Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) like Galileo, GPS, Glonass or BeiDou. Navigation technology has penetrated so deeply into all sectors of society that one may argue that it constitutes critical infrastructure. The paper identifies and analyses the cross-sectoral dimensions of GNSS criticality, such as the high geostrategic and military importance, the dual-use character, the broad cross-sectoral application, the ubiquitous timing service of atomic clocks and the increasing sectoral requirements for availability and precision. Based on a synthetic literature review and an expert workshop, the paper also identifies numerous cross-sectoral spillover effects that could flow from a potential disruption of GNSS to other GNSS-dependent sectors including transport, telecommunications and the Internet, electric power generation and distribution, financial services and banking, agriculture, fisheries, emergency and security services, armed forces and defence, science, environmental and weather monitoring, construction, even space operations and various other applications.