Civil GPS Service Interface Committee
International Information Subcommittee

Regional Meeting
Frankfurt 1994

The International Information Subcommittee (IISC) of the Civil GPS Service Interface Committee (CGSIC) convened in Frankfurt, Germany, on March 10-11, 1994.

The original meeting minutes are below.

CIVIL GPS SERVICE INTERFACE COMMITTEE ( CGSIC )

INTERNATIONAL INFORMATION SUB-COMMITTEE ( IISC )

RECORD OF MINI - MEETING 1Oth/11th MARCH 1994

1.   Attendees

George Preiss  -    ( Statens Kartverk )     -    IISC Chairman
Mike Savill    -    ( UKCSG )                -    IISC Secretary
Georg Weber    -    ( IFAG )                 -    IISC Vice - Chairman
Hans van der Wal    -    ( Netherlands Ministry of Transport )

2.   Meeting Agenda located Annex A

Item 1    -    14th meeting - Salt Lake City - Matters arising

The meeting record was accepted and the revised IISC Charter requires
adoption by the CGSIC Co - Chairmen. Paragraph 16 should read UK Department
of Trade and Industry vice Department of Transport.

Item 2    -    15th meeting - Edinburgh - Matters arising 

The draft meeting record was edited and will be presented for acceptance at
the next full IISC meeting. 

George Preiss undertook to arrange distribution of the 14th and 15th meeting
records, plus the Mini - Meeting record.

Item 3    -    Civil GNSS Office Establishment - Paris Oct 93 meeting

The meeting decided that for the time being, no action was required and the
further update by Walter Blanchard to the DSNS 94 conference would be
important.

Item 4    -    European Radionavigation Plan - Brussels 93 meeting

The Secretary attended this meeting and delivered a brief verbal report about
it. The IISC representatives decided the US authorities should again be
requested to approve the draft EC letter submitted to the Co - Chairmen
during December 1993.

Item 5    -    US DOD/DOT Task Force Report - Discussion

Extensive discussion occurred on this report. The meeting reviewed the
issues, taking into account previous IISC meeting comments.

The meeting debated the Task Force Options and Recommendations and decided
that on Issues concerning Management, Augmentation and International
Acceptance, IISC could sensibly comment. These observations would be
forwarded in a letter to the Co - Chairmen. See Annex B.

Item 6    -    US DOD/DOT Task Force Report - IISC Response

Initial response as per letter referred in Item 5. However, the meeting
anticipated much more information concerning TFR implementation would be made
available at the next CGSIC meeting. Therefore, IISC reserved its position,
particularly concerning the legislative effect of applying the Federal
Advisory Committee Act to CGSIC.

Item 7    -    Integrity Monitor/DGPS systems register

The meeting believed it was unrealistic to compile a list of every Integrity
Monitor/DGPS system installation known to IISC delegates. The main function
of IISC is to exchange information and therefore delegates to full meetings
should if possible describe Integrity Monitor System applications and 
developments both for GPS and DGPS within their own countries. Significantly,
IALA are preparing a list of all affiliated marine DGPS systems worldwide.

Item 8    -    Housekeeping

a.   Point of Contact List    -    In future, George Preiss will maintain
this list and also request formal publication approval from the POC's. Both
Hans van der Wal and the Secretary to provide the Chairman with the latest
information, currently available to them.

The guidelines for report distribution received further discussion and
clarification. See 14th meeting report.

b.   Information Package      -    George Preiss emphasized the need to
update this document which is available from Statens Kartverk. Bulletin
Boards are now separately listed in the British Admiralty List to Radio
Signals Volume 2.

c.   Semi-active Distribution -    The meeting agreed the necessity to bring
this protracted issue to a satisfactory conclusion. Hans van der Wal
committed the Netherlands to pay for the establishment of a suitable
Electronic Mail Box in the United States; Georg Weber committed IFAG to do
any necessary redistribution within Europe; and the Secretary undertook to
write to the US GPS Industry Council, seeking their help to identify a
suitable service provider. See Annex C

d.   DSNS 94 - London         -    Decision reached to cancel the proposed
IISC meeting as neither of the CGSIC Co-Chairmen would be attending.

e.   16th Meeting - Washington DC  -    Preliminary meeting agenda discussion
for the June 3rd meeting. The final agenda will be circulated by George
Preiss. 

f.   GPSIC visit              -    The proposed visit by IISC members to
GPSIC is arranged for Wednesday 1.6.1994.

Item 9    -    Any other business

i.   If asked, the CEC will give consideration to hosting a European IISC
Mini - meeting after each CGSIC meeting. Furthermore, the current schedule of
two CGSIC meetings per year was considered satisfactory.

ii.  George Preiss and Georg Weber to consult and create a letterhead and
faxhead for IISC. In turn, these items to be made available on Word Perfect
and Word compatible source files. 

iii. Norway has drafted provisional rules for PPS applications.

iv.  The issues related to Bulletin Board content, technical operation and
financing requires to be revisited by the Subcommittee. Also Bulletin Board
operators should be encouraged to hold IISC meeting record file and the
associated draft charter.

v.   Secretary/Chairman yet to prepare IISC achievement list.

                                  ANNEX A


                   CIVIL GPS SERVICE INTERFACE COMMITTEE

                  INTERNATIONAL INFORMATION SUB-COMMITTEE
                                     
              MINI MEETING - FRANKFURT - 10TH/11TH MARCH 1994


                                  AGENDA


Item 1    -    14th meeting - Salt Lake City - Matters arising

Item 2    -    15th meeting - Edinburgh - Matters arising

Item 3    -    Civil GNSS Office Establishment - Paris Oct 93 meeting

Item 4    -    European Radionavigation Plan - Brussels Dec 93 meeting

Item 5    -    US DOD/DOT Task Force Report - Discussion

Item 6    -    US DOD/DOT Task Force Report - IISC Response

Item 7    -    Integrity Monitor/DGPS systems register

Item 8    -    Housekeeping

               a.   Point of Contact List
               b.   Information Package
               c.   Semi-active Distribution
               d.   DSNS 94 - London
               e.   16th Meeting - Washington DC
               e.   GPSIC visit

Item 9    -    Any other business






      
                                  ANNEX B


         OBSERVATIONS ON THE JOINT DOD/DOT TASK FORCE REPORT (TFR)


Introduction

The International Information Sub-Committee (IISC) held a mini-meeting on
10/11 March 1994 at IFAG in Frankfurt.  The meeting was attended by George
Preiss, Georg Weber, Michael Savill and Hans van der Wal.  Both Australia and
Japan had been informed of the meeting and responded by submitting their
comments.

The meeting recognized and commended the excellent and comprehensive work
which had been done by the Task Force members.

The meeting discussed the seven Core Issues of the TFR and wished to make the
following observations.

Issue 1: GPS Management Structure

The meeting noted the reference to the Interagency Advisory Council which was
introduced in Diagram 1 of the Report.  There was concern to clarify the role
of this new Council as related to the CGSIC in its future Federal Advisory
Committee form.  The other concerns of the meeting, however, were:-

*    That membership of the CGSIC would continue to be open to the national
     representatives of other Nations;

*    That direct representation of international Civil Users' interests would
     continue;

*    That Civil Users without a natural international organization to
     represent them, ie ICAO, IMO, IALA, etc, would be able to be
     represented;

*    That CGSIC meeting attendance would continue to be open, as at present,
     to concerned individuals and representatives of private sector
     companies, both national and international, and not just to national
     governmental representatives.

Additionally, the meeting wondered if international membership of a Federal
Advisory Committee would be supported/funded by US Authorities.

Issue 5: Regulation of GPS Augmentations

The meeting noted the recommendation on regulating private augmentations when
they are used for navigation, and suggested that the statement given was
perhaps open to misinterpretation.  The meeting also felt that there are
trends towards the privatization of public infrastructure facilities in a
number of nations in order to try and control the burden on national
treasuries.  The meeting believed that the regulation of private sector
augmentations needs further attention.

Issue 6: International Acceptance

The meeting strongly welcomed the suggestion of arranging a Presidential
Statement.

The meeting believed that the IISC, with its international Civil User
membership, can significantly contribute to improved international
acceptance, in the sense of top-down information dissemination.  Furthermore,
the meeting thought that the Internal Standardisation Organisation (ISO)
could be approached to assist with the development of internationally
acceptable operational standards.


Conclusion

The IISC Officials are anxious to ensure that the necessary preparations can
be properly made for the next CGSIC meeting.  Therefore, it would be
appreciated if any further internationally relevant TFR developments and
information could be distributed to the IISC Secretary for onward
dissemination.


                                  ANNEX C

To:  Mr Michael Swiek
     Executive Secretary
     United States GPS Industry Council
     Nomos Corporation
     1100 Connecticut Ave.,NW
     Suite 535
     Washington,D.C. 20036

Copy:     George Preiss, IISC Chairman
          Georg Weber, IISC Vice Chairman
          Hans van der Wal, Dutch Ministry of Transport

Dear Mike,
               Thankyou for your kind letter dated 21.12.1993 and I believe
a most welcome dinner invitation prior to the June GPSIC meeting. As a result
of the recent IISC Mini - meeting in Frankfurt, I wish to inquire if any
USGIC member could assist IISC with the Active Distribution issue. 

As you are no doubt aware, there are many Electronic Bulletin Boards
operating world wide, particularly within Europe. Although, of course many
individuals and companies directly access GPSIC, if national Bulletin Boards
could provide the latest GPS status information, their usage would perhaps
increase, enlarging the local customer base and therefore further justifying
finance and support for their operation.

In particular, the Bulletin Boards ought to automatically receive
notification of unscheduled GPS outages; the question is how to organise this
function. The IISC understands that if a Electronic Mail Box is provided for
their use in the United States which could in fact distribute incoming
messages to a list of international Points of Contact ( maybe internal United
States as well ), GPSIC would be prepared to route NANU's concerning
unscheduled outages to this mailbox.

The Netherlands have offered to pay for such a mailbox, provided someone else
will identify and specify the requirement. Well, the UK, German and Norwegian
BB's are capable of receiving information via certainly Internet and other E
mail Service Providers. Therefore, do USGIC have a member who could assist
IISC in identifying a suitable US Service Provider for the proposed mailbox,
and perhaps liaise in its establishment.

Although, the number of unscheduled GPS outages are minimal, for a Bulletin
Board to be reliable, it must provide the latest available information. For
reference, UKCSG meeting record from 1992 attached and also the formal Civil
GPS Service Issue Response dated 18 September 1993.

In conclusion, the IISC are anxious to conclude the matter of Active
Distribution, optimistically in a successful manner. I look forward to seeing
you in Washington and please refer any further enquiries on this subject to
either Georg Weber or myself.


Yours Faithfully,

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