The UK government has announced an £180 million investment into timing technology to protect critical services and digital infrastructure.

The technology in the National Timing Centre (NTC) will help to keep services such as phone networks and bank transactions up and running.

The government said these services currently rely heavily on global navigation satellite systems (GNSS), which beam ultra-accurate timing signals from space, but are vulnerable to disruption from attacks, jamming, and technical malfunctions.

Recent incidents as part of the war in Ukraine have shown how satellite signals can be deliberately disrupted, with jamming attacks repeatedly interfering with civilian aircraft and other critical services.

The government estimates that an outage lasting 24 hours could cost the economy some £1.4 billion.

The new technology will distribute a more resilient timing signal free over air, via internet and by fibre.

When existing systems fail, the government said the NTC will be there to support vital digital infrastructure.

The government said the funding will also help build British expertise in precision timing training, ensuring the UK has the skills needed to maintain secure, reliable timekeeping.

“Accurate timekeeping is about more than just keeping the clocks ticking, it is fundamental to keeping the country running - from banking and staying in touch with friends and family through to our emergency services having the information they need,” said science minister Lord Vallance. “The systems we rely on today are increasingly vulnerable to disruption, which is why we’re acting now to strengthen the infrastructure we rely on every day.”

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