GNSS applications need mobile broadband access

This problem is not solved yet. Location Based Services and GNSS applications in general do not only need position determination. They also need data communication. The volume of these data can be huge, if we consider detailed maps. And we all assume that there will be mobile phone operators that will deliver us these data quickly for a reasonable price.

In my opinion, in the year 2012, this is not the case yet. I am a smartphone user myself, and in my experience the data speed rarely exceeds the speed of an old dial-in phone line. The cost is excessive and even unbearable abroad. In practice, I only switch on my data communication when I can freely use a Wifi network or when I desperately need a mobile data link. Mobile phone operators talk about 4th generation LTE and we don't even have decent UMTS yet. What has happened in the last 10 years? Let us say it is the economy. I refer to my previous blogs on satellite navigation and communication and Internet access as a utility.

Durban

In many countries the climate conference in Durban didn't make it in the press as main news topic. Most countries had other concerns: financial crisis, credit ratings, membership of the Euro, etc. Our country focused on the government formation.

No matter what issues you had in your country, elections, failed or succeeded government agreements, all these issues are totally irrelevant compared to the issue at stake in Durban. It seems like mankind is unable to stop carbon emission, which may lead to an average temperature increase larger than 2 degrees. We simply don't know to which uncontrollable chain reactions this may lead. We are not capable of respecting the principle of precaution and the sense of urgency seems totally absent with our world leaders.

We tend to judge ancient times because they believed in witchcraft or because they oppressed the former colonies. But the judgement of our grandchildren and great-grandchildren about our era will be equally devastating. They will never understand our narrow-sightedness and our disrespect for the planet.