What We Know About GPS Alternatives Nearing Reality

Two navigation technologies that do not depend on the Global Positioning System are nearing practical use, according to a report published by The Economist on Sept. 27, 2026. The magazine describes systems built around Earth's quantum field and signals from satellite constellations other than GPS as potential backups that could, in some circumstances, prove more reliable than GPS itself.

The report frames the development around a known weakness in the current system: GPS signals can be jammed or spoofed, according to The Economist, meaning the positioning data that ships, aircraft, financial networks and phones rely on can be blocked or falsified. The alternatives under development are aimed at giving critical systems a way to keep functioning, or to detect manipulation, when GPS signal is degraded or unavailable.

Quick facts

• Economist report published: Sept. 27, 2026
• Two approaches described: navigation via Earth's quantum field, and positioning using signals from satellite constellations beyond GPS
• Core GPS weakness cited: vulnerability to jamming and spoofing

What did the Economist report about alternatives to GPS?

The Economist's account groups the emerging approaches into two categories. One relies on sensing properties of Earth's own quantum field to determine position without reference to any satellite at all. The other uses signals broadcast by satellite constellations that are not part of the GPS system, giving receivers an independent source of positioning data if GPS becomes unreliable. The publication states both approaches are approaching the point of practical viability, though it does not specify a commercial launch date for either.

How would navigation using Earth's quantum field work?

According to The Economist, the quantum-field approach would allow a device to calculate its position by measuring characteristics of Earth's quantum field directly, rather than receiving and timing radio signals broadcast from orbit. Because this method does not depend on an external transmission that can be intercepted, blocked, or faked, the report describes it as potentially more resistant to the kind of interference that affects GPS. The Economist's account does not detail the specific hardware or physical mechanism involved beyond identifying the quantum field as the underlying signal source.

Could other satellite constellations serve as GPS backups?

The second approach identified by The Economist uses signals from satellite constellations separate from GPS as an alternative or supplementary positioning source. The logic, as described in the report, is straightforward: if a receiver can draw location data from more than one independent satellite system, an attack or malfunction affecting GPS specifically would not necessarily disable the receiver's ability to determine its position. The Economist frames this as a near-term, lower-complexity complement to the more novel quantum-field method.

Why does GPS need a backup in the first place?

The Economist's reporting centers on GPS's exposure to jamming, which blocks or overwhelms the satellite signal a receiver needs to calculate position, and spoofing, in which a false signal is transmitted to trick a receiver into calculating an incorrect position. The report characterizes both alternatives under development, quantum-field sensing and multi-constellation satellite signals, as responses to that exposure, with the shared goal of keeping navigation systems functional when the primary GPS signal cannot be trusted.

Glossary

Global Positioning System (GPS): The U.S. satellite network that most civilian and military navigation and timing systems currently rely on for positioning data.

Jamming: Interference that blocks or overwhelms a satellite signal so a receiver cannot determine its position.

Spoofing: The transmission of a false satellite signal designed to trick a receiver into calculating an incorrect position.

Quantum-field navigation: A method described by The Economist that determines position by measuring properties of Earth's quantum field rather than by receiving timed radio signals from orbiting satellites.

Satellite constellation: A network of satellites, such as GPS, that broadcasts signals receivers use to calculate location; multiple constellations can serve as independent backups to one another.

The Economist's report does not lay out a regulatory timeline, cost estimate, or named developer for either technology, and its account focuses on the technical concept rather than a specific product or program. Readers seeking the underlying reporting and any additional technical detail can consult the original Economist article.