Iridium Unveils Revolutionary Global GPS Device Protection on a Chip

Iridium Communications announced a leap forward in the security of GPS and other GNSS-reliant devices against jamming, spoofing and timing interruptions with the unveiling of a dedicated, miniature application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), the Iridium®PNT ASIC. 

Engineered for seamless integration into a wide range of electronic devices, the Iridium PNT ASIC will deliver authenticated, pole-to-pole positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT) data. It will provide a resilient alternative to traditional GNSS, offering protection against spoofing and jamming for consumer, industrial, and government applications.

The jamming and spoofing of GNSS systems have gone from being an occasional threat to a near constant occurrence over the past few years. Several high profile events, like the September 2025 jamming of European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen's aircraft navigation system and a malfunction of GNSS systems in the waters outside of Qatar, causing a pause in maritime operations in October 2025, are two recent examples. A September 2024 report from OPSGROUP cited a 500% increase in the spoofing of commercial airliners, specifically stating that on average 1,500 flights a day are encountering GPS spoofing.

Couple this dramatic rise in threats with the economic risks, estimated at billions of dollars per day globally, and the need for a simple, easily integrated solution is undeniable. For example, in 2019, a single day GPS outage in the United States was estimated by the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to cost the economy approximately $1 billion. When adjusted for inflation in 2025, this could be well over $1.3 billion per day.

Measuring just 8mm by 8mm and capable of fitting into devices ranging from consumer products up through major infrastructure systems like power grids, transportation systems and telecom networks, the Iridium PNT ASIC democratizes GNSS resilience. When embedded in a device, the Iridium PNT ASIC receives a cryptographically secure time and location data signal from the Iridium satellite network that is 1,000 times more powerful than GPS and capable of working inside buildings. This can help GNSS-dependent applications to not only detect a problem but also maintain operations until it is resolved. The Iridium PNT ASIC will also continuously verify signal integrity, making it the ideal alternative or primary source of PNT data.

The alternative PNT market is expected to reach $3.5 billion by 2032, driven by demand for secure, reliable timing and location data across all sectors of critical infrastructure. Available today, Iridium PNT protects digital infrastructure for financial markets, governments, and major corporations. Its applications span data centers, 5G wireless networks, aviation, maritime, land mobile, and IoT, making it a foundational service for the future of secure, connected systems.