Naltec Unveils Tiny Module to Defend Infrastructure from GPS Attacks

MANASSAS, Va. – April 30, 2026 – In an era where the invisible backbone of modern society—the Global Positioning System (GPS)—faces unprecedented threats, NAL Technologies (Naltec) has introduced a new device designed to safeguard critical infrastructure. The company today unveiled its Alternative Location and Timing Module (ALTM-T), an embeddable receiver that provides a crucial backup for the precise timing signals essential for power grids, financial markets, and transportation networks.

The announcement comes as reliance on GPS and other Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) has become a significant point of vulnerability. Naltec's new module, touted as the market's most efficient in terms of size, weight, and power (SWaP), aims to provide a resilient and robust alternative, ensuring operational continuity even when GPS signals are jammed, spoofed, or otherwise unavailable.

By James Green

The Growing Threat to a Global Utility

For decades, GNSS has been a silent, reliable utility, providing the precise timing and location data that underpins countless systems. In financial trading, timestamps accurate to the microsecond are a regulatory necessity for market transparency. In energy, power grids require perfect synchronization to prevent blackouts. And in telecommunications, 5G networks depend on precise timing to function. However, the very signals that enable this modern world are faint, transmitted from thousands of miles away, and increasingly easy to disrupt.

Recent data paints a stark picture of this vulnerability. Reports indicate a dramatic rise in GPS interference, with some sources tracking nearly 700 jamming or spoofing events daily in 2024. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) noted that reports of spoofing—the act of broadcasting false signals to deceive receivers—doubled in the first half of 2025 alone. These disruptions are no longer confined to conflict zones; they are spilling over to impact global shipping routes, air travel, and even ground transportation, with criminal networks reportedly using spoofing technology to hijack commercial trucks.

A failure of GNSS could trigger what NAL Technologies' APNT Solutions Director, Rob Gillette, calls consequences that "could cascade rapidly across utilities, transportation, and financial markets." This growing risk has spurred a government and industry-wide push for what is known as Assured Positioning, Navigation, and Timing (APNT), a strategy focused on creating resilient, multi-layered systems that don't rely on a single point of failure.

A Resilient Alternative from Orbit

Naltec's ALTM-T is a direct answer to this call for resilience. The small, embeddable module is engineered to provide an independent source of timing data by tapping into the Iridium® satellite constellation. Unlike GNSS satellites in medium or high Earth orbit, Iridium's constellation operates in Low Earth Orbit (LEO), making its PNT signal approximately 1,000 times stronger than that of GPS.

This signal strength provides two critical advantages. First, it allows the signal to penetrate indoor environments and other areas where GPS is typically denied, such as urban canyons. Second, its power makes it far more resistant to both intentional and unintentional interference, including jamming attacks. By providing a robust and encrypted timing source, the ALTM-T ensures that critical systems can maintain synchronization and operational integrity.

"APNT technology complements GNSS/GPS, which is the invisible backbone of modern infrastructure," said Gillette in the company's press release. "With ALTM-T, users will benefit from enhanced performance delivered from APNT by Naltec, to ensure resilient precision timing synchronization."

Naltec is a veteran in this space, having successfully deployed over 13,000 Iridium PNT-enabled receivers since launching its first ALTM product family in 2019, establishing a significant footprint in the market for alternative PNT solutions.

Engineering Innovation: Tiny Tech, Massive Impact

A key breakthrough of the ALTM-T lies in its remarkable efficiency. The module is engineered to be the lowest Size, Weight, and Power (SWaP) receiver in its class. For system designers and engineers, SWaP is a critical set of metrics that determines where and how a component can be integrated. A lower SWaP profile means a device can be added to more systems, especially those constrained by physical space or battery life, without requiring a costly redesign.

The ALTM-T consumes less than 600 milliwatts of power while delivering timing precision of under 50 nanoseconds RMS. While some specialized timing modules on the market may offer slightly higher accuracy, they often do so at a significant power cost. For instance, competing modules can consume upwards of 10 watts (10,000mW)—more than 16 times the power of the ALTM-T. This ultra-low power consumption makes it an ideal solution for a new generation of embedded devices.

Furthermore, the module conforms to the M.2 3042 B-key standard, a common form factor used for expansion cards in modern computing hardware. This standardization simplifies integration, allowing manufacturers to easily add resilient timing capabilities to a wide range of products, from data center servers to remote industrial sensors.

Riding the Wave of Assured PNT

The launch of ALTM-T is not happening in a vacuum. It represents a significant development within a rapidly growing market. The global assured PNT market was valued at nearly $850 million in 2025 and is projected by industry analysts to surge to over $10 billion by 2035, fueled by massive investments in defense modernization and critical infrastructure protection.

This trend is driven by a strategic pivot away from GPS-only solutions toward a multi-layered architecture that incorporates satellite, terrestrial, and inertial systems. Iridium itself has been making aggressive moves to capitalize on this shift, acquiring the PNT service provider Satelles in 2024 and announcing plans to release a dedicated Iridium PNT microchip (ASIC) in mid-2026. This strategy aims to embed resilient PNT directly into a vast array of devices, from autonomous vehicles to consumer electronics.

Naltec's ALTM-T, with its immediate commercial availability and shipping, positions the company at the forefront of this adoption curve. By offering a ready-to-integrate, highly efficient, and robust solution, Naltec is providing a tangible tool for organizations seeking to comply with emerging government guidance from bodies like the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), both of which have championed the responsible and resilient use of PNT services.

For industries dependent on the ticking of an invisible clock, this new technology offers a powerful shield against a world of growing digital threats. The company will be showcasing the new module and its entire ALTM family at the upcoming ATIS Workshop on Synchronization and Timing Systems (WSTS) from May 4-7.