Historically, the Department of Transportation (DOT) has sponsored the Nationwide Differential GPS (NDGPS) and provided funding to the Coast Guard for operation, maintenance, and construction. Because NDGPS is outside the Coast Guard’s statutory authority, this sponsorship is critical to continued operations of the system. Without DOT or other government agency funding, the Coast Guard cannot continue its involvement in electronic aids to navigation systems serving exclusive non-maritime purposes.

The Fiscal Year 2007 President’s Budget contained no funding for the NDPGS program. The DOT is currently assessing the continued need for NDGPS, and is searching for other government agency candidates to assume or to share in sponsorship. In the interim, the Research and Innovative Technology Administration (RITA) is sponsoring NDGPS, while pursuing a resolution to the long-term operational requirements for NDGPS.

The current balance of NDGPS funds is adequate to cover FY07 routine operating expenses, but construction and expansion of all new NDGPS sites has been halted. Operational funding has been requested by RITA for FY08, again with no funding for expansion, while conducting the system assessment. In this interim period, the Coast Guard will continue to operate and maintain existing sites as funding levels permit. FY09 funding levels and sources have not yet been identified. The Maritime DGPS, which is funded by the USCG, will continue operations regardless of the results of the DOT NDGPS system assessment.

Please direct any concerns for the future of the NDGPS program in writing to:

Timothy A. Klein
Senior Policy Advisor
Research and Innovative Technology Administration
U.S. Department of Transportation
RTG-30, Room 3105
400 Seventh Street, SW
Washington, DC 20590
NDGPS@dot.gov