Calian’s C-band Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) antenna, described as the industry’s first commercially manufacturable model, has been successfully validated by TrustPoint against a live orbital signal.
Through multiple live-signal tests, the antenna reliably acquired and maintained reception of TrustPoint’s C-band broadcast from Low Earth Orbit (LEO). The demonstration marks a milestone in the development of commercially scalable hardware for resilient, GPS-independent Positioning, Navigation and Timing (PNT).
TrustPoint’s C-band architecture is designed to complement traditional GNSS, providing an additional navigation capability for environments where GPS availability cannot be assumed. Operating in a less congested frequency band offers inherent resistance to jamming, reduces ionospheric error, supports smaller antennas and improves availability in urban environments. These characteristics make the technology particularly relevant to defense applications, autonomous systems and critical infrastructure operators.
Anil Goparaju, Head of Product at TrustPoint, commented, “Calian has spent years building antennas the GNSS industry already trusts. Now they’ve built one for C-band, and we validated it against a live signal in orbit. What’s exciting is how quickly the ecosystem around TrustPoint’s signal is taking shape. Every product partner that integrates and validates against our signal expands the set of real-world options available to customers and moves resilient, GPS-independent PNT closer to broad deployment.”
Calian brings decades of experience supporting defense, space, Satellite Communications (SATCOM) and GNSS programs worldwide. The demonstration contributes to broader efforts to establish a scalable, resilient PNT ecosystem for GPS-challenged environments.
Christopher Russell, Vice President of Global Sales & Growth at Calian, added, “For decades, Calian has supported defense, space and commercial customers with mission-critical antenna and RF technologies operating in some of the world’s most demanding environments. Extending that expertise to C-band was a natural next step. This achievement demonstrates not only the adaptability of our antenna portfolio, but also our commitment to advancing the next generation of resilient LEO PNT capabilities that customers can trust when performance matters most.”
The demonstration forms part of a broader partnership between Calian and TrustPoint. The companies are also developing a multi-band antenna designed to receive L1/L5 and C-band signals, with the aim of providing commercial and defense users with additional hardware options for resilient access to TrustPoint’s navigation services.
This latest milestone follows TrustPoint’s previous demonstration of C-band positioning using NovAtel receivers in GPS-denied environments, further expanding the range of hardware capable of supporting its navigation architecture.
Under a Tactical Funding Increase contract with the U.S. Space Force, TrustPoint is also establishing an end-to-end PNT system comprising four satellites and four ground stations. The project targets live trilateration and initial operational services within 12 months, representing an advancement toward operational deployment of GPS-independent PNT capabilities.
Patrick Shannon, Founder and CEO of TrustPoint, stated, “C-band has already proven its value across numerous industries and applications. It was only a matter of time before PNT caught on. We anticipate a future where C-band GNSS is integrated into every device, ultimately defining tomorrow’s automated world by bringing true resilience to navigation and timing.”
