Conditional Access for Mobile Location-Aware Business

Stig F. Mjolsnes

Abstract:	This paper presents findings from a theoretical feasibility study carried out for GalileoSAT, ESA, on requirements and techniques for commercial access control of satellite navigation service. Both enhanced GPS and the Galileo satellite systems are scheduled to support commercial mobile terminals, networks and services with time-andplace information. The design and implementation of secure and cost-effective access control mechanisms could turn out to be a key component for direct commercial exploitation. The question is then how this can be achieved. Currently, four broad categories of signal service are identified for Galileo; one free of charge, one for commercial access, one for safety-of-life applications, and one for public security. This will require certain provisions with regard to frequencies, signal structures and access messaging of the downlink. Regarding the commercial service, taking on and sustaining a business model that assumes the satellite navigation signal to be access controlled individually for a very large dynamic number of users will be quite demanding on a selfcontained satellite system, and bear resemblance with the access control problem and user environment of satellite digital video broadcast systems. Essentially, the capacity limitation in the navigation service broadcast channel together with the lack of a cost-efficient integrated “return channel” imply that currently specified GNSS cannot provide a self-contained platform for user access restrictions to business-operated location-aware service creation on a European or world-wide scale. Thus the most significant aspect to successful commercial access control design in the Galileo context were found to be the availability and capacity of a bi-directional data communication channel, to effectively enable: • Feasible cryptographic key distribution and management of location-aware (roaming and visiting location) access rights. • Complete integration of payment with valueadded service access. • Efficient piracy and attack control. Mobile bi-directional packet switched networks will not only be able to support the pull model for access rights distribution and management employing efficient and scalable security protocols, but this architecture will place commercial access control functionality exactly where it is needed; at the networked server entry points of valueadded Internet-based geo-information, such as shared client-server computations for fast, accurate positioning. The confluence of several technology developments substantiates the proposal: The freely available satellite ranging signals, augmentation systems and services, 4G mobile networks and server-assisted computing.
Published in:	Proceedings of the 14th International Technical Meeting of the Satellite Division of The Institute of Navigation (ION GPS 2001) September 11 - 14, 2001 Salt Palace Convention Center Salt Lake City, UT
Pages:	2600 - 2611
Cite this article:	Mjolsnes, Stig F., "Conditional Access for Mobile Location-Aware Business," Proceedings of the 14th International Technical Meeting of the Satellite Division of The Institute of Navigation (ION GPS 2001), Salt Lake City, UT, September 2001, pp. 2600-2611.
Full Paper:	ION Members/Non-Members: 1 Download Credit Sign In