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0 pointsdatamingle10y ago0 comments

A free service to the world, paid for by American tax payers out of the military budget. Kind of hard to complain.

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I can complain because it prevented (or significantly delayed) much better services through some arm twisting and corruption paid for by American tax payers out of the military budget.

datamingleOP10y ago

Where is the corruption? Galileo (Euro planned system) was going to use the same frequency as GPS. So, during conflict areas the US could not jam Galileo without also affecting GPS. So the US military probably made plans on destroying satellites if it was determined that the enemy was using Galileo.

The Euro group decided instead to use another frequency than the GPS frequency. Now....

"Galileo will start offering first services from 2015.[11] Full completion of the 30-satellite Galileo system (24 operational and 6 active spares) is expected by 2020."

I fail to see any corruption.

stefantalpalaru10y ago

A different frequency means that all the existing GPS hardware won't work with the new network.

> I fail to see any corruption.

http://www.aftenposten.no/spesial/wikileaksdokumenter/221020...

http://www.itworld.com/article/2792924/data-center/secret-u-...

http://www.theguardian.com/uk/2003/dec/08/world.internationa...

http://www.eetimes.com/document.asp?doc_id=1145904

datamingleOP10y ago

Yes, if you want to use a new network operator you would need to purchase new hardware for it. That happens all the time everywhere. I don't see the big problem.

All of those links do not point to any corruption. Budget overruns that are usual with large govt. contracts. And other links with hard negotiations with US officials over the already resolved issue with Galileo wanting to use the same frequency. They have already moved on to use another frequency.

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stefantalpalaru10y ago

I can complain because it prevented (or significantly delayed) much better services through some arm twisting and corruption paid for by American tax payers out of the military budget.

datamingleOP10y ago

The Euro group decided instead to use another frequency than the GPS frequency. Now....

"Galileo will start offering first services from 2015.[11] Full completion of the 30-satellite Galileo system (24 operational and 6 active spares) is expected by 2020."

I fail to see any corruption.

stefantalpalaru10y ago

A different frequency means that all the existing GPS hardware won't work with the new network.

> I fail to see any corruption.

http://www.aftenposten.no/spesial/wikileaksdokumenter/221020...

http://www.itworld.com/article/2792924/data-center/secret-u-...

http://www.theguardian.com/uk/2003/dec/08/world.internationa...

http://www.eetimes.com/document.asp?doc_id=1145904

datamingleOP10y ago

Yes, if you want to use a new network operator you would need to purchase new hardware for it. That happens all the time everywhere. I don't see the big problem.

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