This whitepaper, titled “Precise Time as a Critical National Service,” published by NetInsight, explores Sweden’s leadership in creating GNSS-independent solutions for ensuring secure and reliable national time services within 5G networks. It highlights the collaboration between key players such as PTS (the Swedish telecom regulator), Netnod (a neutral organization for core technical infrastructure development), and Net Insight (creator of Precision TimeNet technology). The document emphasizes the importance of national robustness in time services and the initiatives to mitigate dependencies on foreign GNSS systems, which are critical for the entire economy, including IoT and M2M communications.

Key Sections or Highlights

• Introduction to GNSS Independence: The whitepaper outlines the strategic importance of moving away from GNSS dependency due to its vulnerabilities, exemplified by disruptions in parts of Poland, Lithuania, and southern Sweden. It discusses Sweden’s approach to developing a leading-time service, highlighting the roles of PTS, Netnod, and Net Insight.
• Background on Time Service Vulnerabilities: It delves into the risks associated with overreliance on GNSS for critical services like telecommunications, financial transactions, and national security, underlining the potential economic and societal impacts of GNSS disruptions.
• The Swedish Model for GNSS Redundancy: The document details the Swedish regulatory framework and the technical solutions adopted, including the mandate for 5G operators to implement GNSS-independent time synchronization by January 1, 2025. It also describes the public/private cooperation model that enabled the development of a national time distribution network.
• Precision TimeNet Solution: This section explains how Precision TimeNet technology offers a network-based synchronization solution that leverages existing infrastructure to deliver time synchronization efficiently and cost-effectively across Sweden, including its standardization efforts within ITU.

Targeted Questions or Challenges Addressed

• How can countries mitigate the risks associated with GNSS dependency for critical national services?
• What are the technical and regulatory approaches to developing a GNSS-independent time service?
• How can existing infrastructure be utilized to distribute precise time across national networks, particularly for 5G applications?

Benefits of Reading the Whitepaper

Readers will gain insights into:

• The importance of national time services and the vulnerabilities of GNSS dependency.
• Sweden’s pioneering approach to developing a secure, reliable, and GNSS-independent national time service.
• The practicalities and benefits of adopting network-based time synchronization technologies like Precision TimeNet, including cost reduction and acceleration of 5G rollouts.
• The role of public/private cooperation in achieving national goals for critical infrastructure development.

Author Information

The whitepaper is authored by NetInsight, a company at the forefront of developing technologies like Precision TimeNet for network-based time distribution. NetInsight, along with collaboration from PTS and Netnod, demonstrates a strong commitment to enhancing Sweden’s telecommunications infrastructure. This collaboration underscores the expertise and credibility of the organizations involved in addressing the challenges and solutions for secure national time services.