VIAVI to test resilient timing tech under US DOT CPNT plan

VIAVI Solutions has received an award from the US Department of Transportation (DOT) through its Complementary Positioning, Navigation, and Timing (CPNT) Action Plan Rapid Phase II. As part of this programme, VIAVI will integrate and test its SecureTime altGNSS GEO-L service and SecurePNT 6200 resilient timing solution at the VIAVI Automated Lab-as-a-Service for Open RAN (VALOR) and the Open RAN Center for Integration and Deployment (ORCID) laboratories. Both VALOR and ORCID are funded by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) Public Wireless Supply Chain Innovation Fund (PWSCIF).

Incidents of GPS/GNSS interference, including jamming and spoofing, have increased in recent years, highlighting the need for a resilient Position, Navigation, and Timing (PNT) ecosystem capable of functioning in denied, degraded, or disrupted space operational environments. VIAVI’s SecureTime GEO-L service and SecurePNT-6260 provide a complementary capability by switching to a GPS-independent GEO-L satellite-based time service and a precision holdover clock during interference, ensuring continuity of timing for critical infrastructure.

The DOT CPNT Action Plan seeks to evaluate systems that augment or replace GPS/GNSS, offering accurate timing services for critical infrastructure such as data centres, financial networks, power grids, and mobile networks. Data gathered from testing at VALOR, ORCID, and forthcoming field trials will support broader adoption of CPNT technologies aimed at enhancing the resilience of national infrastructure.

Doug Russell, Senior Vice President and General Manager for Aerospace and Defence at VIAVI, noted that the integration and testing activities reflect the technology’s readiness for operational environments in critical infrastructure.

In addition to laboratory integration and testing, the VIAVI GEO-L service and associated user equipment will be evaluated during an upcoming government field exercise featuring live-sky GPS/GNSS jamming and spoofing.