Abstract
This research contribution highlights the role of academia and industry in Pakistan to cope with the mushrooming applications and technology of Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS). The Global Positioning System (GPS) of U.S is fully operational, and the GLObal’naya NAvigatsionnaya Sputnikovaya Sistema (GLONASS) of Russia has got the latest up-gradation. The modern navigation constellations like Galileo of European Union and Beidou of China are in the process of development along with some regional navigation systems, like QZSS of Japan and GAGAN by India. This opportunity window triggers the techno-academic giants to develop the human resource for this burgeoning field of GNSS and to contribute in GNSS market for the sustainable growth and development. This paper performs the SWOT analysis about the prevalent GNSS conditions in Pakistan and foresees the prospective application areas of GNSS technology in Pakistan. It show cases the architecture of GNSS and highlights the basic principle of Positioning, Navigation and Timing (PNT) using GNSS signals. Also, it presents a broad framework and policy to develop a “GNSS Technology Centre” in Pakistan at Institute of Space Technology (IST), Islamabad, under the umbrella of the pioneers in this field like United Nations and the other developed countries.
