GPS to suffer roll-over date problems

NEWS The Global Positioning System (GPS) is likely to supply inaccurate information or fail completely as the satellite-based service meets its own roll-over date-horizon this weekend. The problem is similar, but unrelated, to the millennium bug and occurs as the GPS Universal Time Co-ordinated (UTC) "counter" has its End of Week (EOW) roll-over - set to occur every 1024 weeks. The clock will be set back to zero, meaning some computers will be unable to distinguish between the actual date and 6 January 1980 - the date the GPS started. Many US agencies have been issuing warnings to users advising them to contact the manufacturer of their GPS receiver. Most receivers made in the last five years should be able to read the date change. Experts played down the impact that problems with GPS could have for the distribution and logistics industries. But Craig Sears-Black, commercial director for Isotrak - which produces GPS-based logistics systems - said it could be a "big problem" if users are unprepared.