UK makes major breakthrough in atomic clocks which could make GPS and Galileo REDUNDANT

Additionally, it removes the threat of political disagreements. For example, the UK currently relies on the US’s GPS and EU’s Galileo satellite for tracking, but with portable atomic clocks each individual is independent.

Dr Alessia Pasquazi from the Emergent Photonics Lab (EPic Lab) in the School of Mathematical and Physical Sciences at the University of Sussex said: “With a portable atomic clock, an ambulance, for example, will be able to still access their mapping whilst in a tunnel, and a commuter will be able to plan their route whilst on the underground or without mobile phone signal in the countryside.

“Portable atomic clocks would work on an extremely accurate form of geo-mapping, enabling access to your location and planned route without the need for satellite signal.

“Our breakthrough improves the efficiency of the part of the clock responsible for counting by 80%. This takes us one step closer to seeing portable atomic clocks replacing satellite mapping, like GPS, which could happen within 20 years.