Planned satellite based augmentation system
The Southern Positioning Augmentation Network (SouthPAN) is a joint initiative of the Australian and New Zealand Governments that provides satellite-based augmentation system (SBAS) for Australia and New Zealand. On 26 September 2022, SouthPAN early Open Services became live, with safety-of-life certified SouthPAN services planned for 2028. SouthPAN is the first SBAS in the Southern Hemisphere.
SouthPAN will implement the following services:
- L1 SBAS. L1 SBAS augments GPS and is an Aeronautical Radio Navigation Service (ARNS). This signal will be used for Safety-of-Life applications and therefore needs to be certified by the National Aviation Authorities—that is, the Australian Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) and New Zealand Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).
- DFMC SBAS. Dual Frequency Multi Constellation (DFMC) SBAS is a future ARNS that will be defined in ICAO Annex 10 Amendment 93. This service will have the potential to be certified as a safety critical system for aviation and other sectors in the future.
- PVS. Precise Point Positioning (PPP) via SouthPAN (PVS) service will provide horizontal accuracies of 15cm (95% Confidence) to a range of industries following a convergence time in the tens of minutes. The PVS service will be open access and able to be incorporated onto mass-market GNSS devices across Australia, New Zealand and their maritime zones.
Between 2017 and 31 July 2020, Geoscience Australia ran a SouthPAN SBAS test-bed project to assess the economic, social and environmental benefits of improved positioning technology through industry case study projects.[1][2]
