Serge Morel        P.O. Box 17222     Sarasota, FL   34276-0222                 Fax:   (941) 378- 8008     e-mail:   serg@gte.net 9/20/2000 Page 206 of 579 But the Pentagon said that over the next decade, it would stop impairing the navigational signals, and new technology will be brought in to protect national security instead. The Clinton administration says the move should quadruple sales of the systems to $8 billion a year and create 100,000 new jobs by the end of the century. Moreover, the U.S. government plans to maintain the satellite network at no cost to commercial users anywhere in the world. GPS manufacturer Robert Trimble of Trimble Navigation saw that proviso as the key point in Friday's announcement. "The big deal about today's announcement is the assurances that are given to other foreign, sovereign powers that the U.S. intends to provide GPS free of charge for the foreseeable future to the rest of the world. This allows foreign governments to put GPS in their infrastructure, and it basically doubles the market access," said Robert Trimble of Trimble Navigation, a company that manufactures the systems. Unimpaired, GPS will let a person pinpoint his location anywhere in the world to within three feet (about a meter). The more accurate GPS system will be available for cars, airplanes, trains, trucks, ambulances -- and even hikers.                                                 "Today, not many Americans know what GPS is.                             Five years from now they won't know how they ever lived without it." -- Transportation Secretary Federico Pena   Vice President Al Gore drew laughter from his audience Friday when he described the future with Global Positioning Satellite systems.        "There are women in this room who years from now, will tell their grandchildren, 'You know, when I was a young woman we didn't have these dashboard displays, and your grandfather refused to stop and ask directions,'" he said. The heart of the GPS industry is in California, a state whose votes are crucial to the president's re-election campaign. According to the White House, many of the new jobs will benefit that area, a fact that didn't escape President Clinton. He called California radio stations to make sure they didn't miss the message. Related Sites           GPS-36 - NASA             The Global Positioning System (GPS)             GPS: NAVSTAR Global Positioning System             GPS OPERATIONS - Navy Operations             Overview of Entire Constellation: An overview of the current (updated often) status of the entire constellation and system events.             Description of the GPS System Feedback | CONTENTS | SEARCH | CNN HOME PAGE | MAIN US NEWS PAGE | Copyright © 1996 Cable News Network, Inc. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. External sites are not endorsed by CNN Interactive. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________ _______________