- Paulinus Okechukwu UGWOKE
- Israel Baiye
- Emil Eugen IUGA
Advanced
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Event Organizer(s)
Description
This advanced training course equips participants with in-depth knowledge of how Multi-Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) Constellation Systems can be leveraged to enhance the robustness, accuracy, and resilience of telecommunication networks in the digital economy era.
Today, most base stations and telecom infrastructures depend primarily on the Global Positioning System (GPS) for synchronization and timing. While GPS has been the backbone of network timing, its limitations are increasingly evident in the 5G era and the transition toward 6G, where ultra-reliability, high precision, and low latency are critical. Sole reliance on GPS exposes networks to vulnerabilities such as outages, interference, jamming, and spoofing, with potential disruptions to critical services including finance, IoT, emergency response, and broadband connectivity.
Multi-GNSS, incorporating systems such as Galileo, GLONASS, BeiDou, and regional constellations like QZSS and NavIC (IRNSS)- augmented by technologies such as SBAS, GBAS, PPP, and RTK - offers enhanced accuracy, integrity, and resilience. These capabilities create opportunities to develop secure, future-ready telecom infrastructure.
Through this training, participants will:
- Explore the technical foundations and applications of multi-GNSS for telecom synchronization.
- Analyze resilience strategies for protecting networks against GNSS-related threats and vulnerabilities.
- Learn about solutions such as augmentation, redundancy, and integrity monitoring for GNSS-dependent telecom systems.
- Understand the role of multi-GNSS in strengthening critical sectors such as IoT, smart cities, financial services, network resilience, disaster response, and rural broadband access.
The course also examines regulatory and policy frameworks, including international coordination, spectrum management, and space sustainability. In addition, participants will gain exposure to emerging innovations such as AI/ML-driven GNSS data correction, quantum timing, and next-generation resilient Positioning, Navigation, and Timing (PNT) solutions.
By the end of the program, participants will have both the technical expertise and strategic perspective required to design, implement, and manage resilient GNSS-based synchronization frameworks for 5G, 6G, and beyond, ensuring telecommunication systems remain secure, reliable, and capable of supporting the demands of the digital economy.
The training is aimed at the following professionals
- Telecommunication Engineers and Network Operators
- GNSS Engineers and Navigation Specialists
- 5G/6G Infrastructure Developers
- IoT Solution Providers
- Regulators and Policy Makers in ICT/Space/Telecom
- Researchers and Academics in GNSS, Telecommunications, SATCOM and Satellite Navigation Systems
- Critical Infrastructure Planners (Finance, Energy, Smart Cities)
This course is an advanced course; therefore, it requires an intermediate to advanced knowledge in telecommunication systems, GPS/GNSS, or Low earth orbit communication satellites and applications in digital economy era
Upon completion of this course, participants will be able to:
- Differentiate and analyze GNSS constellations and PNT fundamentals
- Explain the unique features of GPS, Galileo, GLONASS, BeiDou, QZSS, and NavIC
- Evaluate the limitations of GPS-only synchronization in 5G/6G networks
- Apply GNSS error mitigation and resilience strategies.
- Identify key error sources (e.g., ionospheric delays, multipath, spoofing, jamming)
- Recommend at least two mitigation approaches(such as augmentation, authentication, or redundancy)
- Demonstrate integration of multi-GNSS in telecom systems.
- Compare GPS-only with multi-constellation/multi-frequency synchronization performance
- Design a synchronization frameworkfor a telecom application (e.g., financial services, IoT, broadband, or disaster response)
- Evaluate regulatory and policy frameworks related to GNSS
- Examine international coordination (e.g., ITU, ICAO) and spectrum management issues,
- Compare key characteristics of GNSS sovereignty vs. global access
- Assess future technologies and broader implications
- Compare emerging solutions (AI/ML corrections, quantum timing, LEO PNT)
- Reflect on the ethical, social, and cybersecurity implications of GNSS reliance.
The course (2 weeks duration) study method involves the following:
- Course Materials: The relevant course material (Presentations) and pre-recorded video is made available on the ITU Academy learning portal at the beginning of the course to facilitate self-study. Each week is based on 2 hours of lecture presentations per week.
- Online Discussion Forums: Discussion Forums are organized weekly at the ITU Academy based on discussions about topics and case studies. Students are highly encouraged to participate and interact with instructors and other students (e.g., forum participation, Moodle messenger, etc.).
- Chat Sessions: weekly live chat sessions via Zoom platform (2pm CEST) with the students to facilitate questions about the material covered for the week and the assignments. The dates for the live chat session(s) will be communicated to participants on the first day of the course.
- Quizzes: One mandatory online quiz (i.e., multiple choice questions) at the end of each week.
- Assignment. A downloadable Word document Template is provided for submission of case study research assignments at the ITU Academy.
The live sessions will take place as per the schedule below:
- Week 1 session: Friday, 23 October 2026 starting from 2 pm CET
- Week 2 session: Friday, 30 October 2026 starting from 2 pm CET
The participants will be evaluated according to their substantive posts on the discussion forum, active participation in the online chat sessions, and other course activities, reflecting both the quantity and quality of time spent on the course. Two quizzes at the end of the two weeks (i.e., week 1 and week 2), and one Individual Assignment to be submitted and graded. Templates outlining the format for the assignment submission will be provided via the ITU Academy platform. Each quiz will have multiple choices of questions suitable for evaluation of course participants through the ITU Academy platform. The maximum grade for the course will be 100 points. The evaluation details and criteria for earning certificates are as follows.
A total score of 70% and above is required to obtain the ITU course completion certificate, through the following evaluation parameters:
Two quizzes (15% per quiz) : 30%
Individual Assignment : 40%
Two Chat Sessions (5% each) : 10%
Two Forums (10% each) : 20%
Total Evaluation: 100%
Week 1 :
- Module 1 : Introduction to Low Earth Orbit Satellites
Overview of GNSS constellations: GPS, Galileo, GLONASS, BeiDou, QZSS, IRNSS.
Why is single-GNSS (GPS) insufficient for 5G/6G networks?
Architecture of GNSS systems (space, control, and user segments) .
Introduction to multi-frequency GNSS and its benefits.
- Module 2 : GNSS Positioning, Navigation, and Timing (PNT) for Telecom Networks
GNSS signals and frequency bands (L1, L2, L5, E1/E5, E6).
Timing and synchronization requirements in telecom networks (e.g., 1.5 μs for LTE, 130 ns for 5G) .
GNSS error sources (ionospheric/tropospheric delays, multipath, satellite clock errors) and mitigation methods.
Advantages of multi-frequency measurements in error mitigation.
- Module 3 : Multi-GNSS Integration in 5G/6G Networks
Role of precise timing in 4G, 5G, and upcoming 6G networks.
Multi-GNSS solutions for telecom synchronization.
Multi-constellation + multi-frequency integration for telecom resilience.
Case studies: telecom failures caused by GNSS outages and lessons learned.
Module 4 : Vulnerabilities, Threats, and Resilience Strategies
GNSS jamming, spoofing, and signal interference.
Cybersecurity threats in GNSS-reliant telecom.
GNSS authentication potential (e.g., Galileo OS-NMA, encrypted signals) as anti-spoofing measures.
Redundancy and fallback strategies (holdover clocks, eLORAN, multisensor fusion)
- Module 5 : GNSS Augmentation and Integrity Monitoring
Satellite-Based Augmentation Systems (SBAS) and Ground-Based Augmentation Systems (GBAS) .
Precise positioning methods: RTK and PPP.
Integrity for Safety of Life (SoL) applications.
Real-time GNSS integrity monitoring for telecom synchronization .
Authentication-enabled augmentation (authenticated SBAS/PPP corrections).
Week 2 :
- Module 6 : Multi-GNSS in Digital Economy Applications – Part 1
GNSS for IoT and Smart Devices.
Multi-GNSS in Smart Cities and Industry 4.0.
Telecom-enabled precision agriculture and environmental monitoring.
Use of multi-frequency for high-precision IoT applications.
- Module 7 : Multi-GNSS in Digital Economy Applications – Part 2
GNSS in financial services (ultraprecise transaction timing).
GNSS-based broadband in underserved/rural areas.
GNSS for disaster response and resilient emergency communication.
Role of authentication in protecting financial services from GNSS spoofing.
- Module 8 : Regulatory and Policy Considerations
International regulatory frameworks (ITU, ICAO, GNSS coordination groups)
National licensing and spectrum allocation for GNSS
GNSS security, sovereignty, and data-sharing policies
Regulatory perspectives on authentication-enabled GNSS services.
- Module 9 : Future Trends and Emerging Technologies
Next-generation GNSS constellations (Galileo upgrades, BeiDou Phase III, GPS III)
GNSS integration with 6G and beyond
LEO PNT Systems
Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning for GNSS correction and optimization
Quantum timing and resilient PNT for telecom networks
Future of multi-frequency authenticated GNSS signals in telecom.
- Module 10 : Case Studies and Practical Applications
Real-world examples of GNSS-enabled telecom resilience (financial networks, smart grids, mobile networks)
Week 2 Quiz.
Individual Assignment.
Group project: designing a multi-GNSS-based telecom synchronization framework.
Ethical, social, and cybersecurity implications of GNSS reliance.
Final assessment and certificate distribution.
Tutors
Registration information
Unless specified otherwise, all ITU Academy training courses are open to all interested professionals, irrespective of their race, ethnicity, age, gender, religion, economic status and other diverse backgrounds. We strongly encourage registrations from female participants, and participants from developing countries. This includes least developed countries, small island developing states and landlocked developing countries.
