New Poll Shows Overwhelming Bipartisan Support for Building Ground-Based Backup to GPS

Rhea-AI Summary

NextNav, a leader in next-generation positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT) and 3D geolocation, has released a new national Public Policy Polling survey showing overwhelming bipartisan support for creating a ground-based complement and backup to GPS. The poll reveals that voters support this initiative by a margin of ten-to-one across various demographic categories.

Key findings from the survey of 1,133 registered voters include:

• 83% find GPS backup important for public safety and first responder effectiveness
• 82% consider it important for American commerce and national security
• 81% believe it necessary to compete with China
• 81% support GPS backup given that an outage would cost the economy $1.6 billion daily

Additionally, 68% of voters agree that creating a GPS backup represents an urgent national security need, with only 12% disagreeing. The survey, conducted January 24-25, 2025, has a margin of error of +/- 2.9%.

Positive

• Strong bipartisan public support (10:1 margin) could facilitate government funding and implementation
• Survey demonstrates clear market demand for NextNav's GPS backup solutions
• Positioning as a critical national security infrastructure provider enhances business prospects

Negative

• No immediate revenue impact or contract announcements
• Survey results alone don't guarantee government contracts or implementation
• Actual implementation timeline and funding remain uncertain

Insights

Financial Analyst

NextNav's release of a national poll showing 10-to-1 voter support for a ground-based GPS backup system represents a significant positioning advantage for the company in the PNT (positioning, navigation, and timing) sector. The poll strategically documents public backing for infrastructure that directly aligns with NextNav's technology offerings.

Particularly compelling is the poll's finding that a GPS outage would cost the US economy $1.6 billion per day, quantifying the market opportunity. The 68% of voters identifying this as an urgent national security need creates powerful leverage for NextNav when approaching government decision-makers.

The timing of this release is notable given the recent FCC statements mentioned in the article, suggesting a coordinated effort to capitalize on regulatory momentum. By highlighting bipartisan voter support across demographic categories, NextNav effectively positions its technology as a non-partisan infrastructure necessity rather than a discretionary investment.

While this poll doesn't directly announce new contracts or immediate revenue, it represents sophisticated groundwork for potential government appropriations. NextNav is essentially documenting public mandate for its technology category, creating favorable conditions for procurement decisions. The emphasis on multiple value propositions - public safety, national security, global competition with China, and economic stability - strategically appeals to various government stakeholders who control funding decisions.

By A Ten-to-One Margin Voters Support Creating Ground-Based Complement and Backup for GPS

RESTON, Va., March 10, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- NextNav, a leader in next-generation positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT) and 3D geolocation, released a new national Public Policy Polling survey which finds that, by a margin of ten-to-one, voters support the creation of a ground-based complement and backup to America’s Global Positioning System (GPS). Majority support is seen across various demographic categories such as gender, political party, and age groups.

“Officials across the government for years, including the FCC just last week, have sounded the alarm about the need to build a terrestrial complement and backup to GPS—a key component of a system of systems approach to strengthen the resilience of America’s critical infrastructure,” said Ed Mortimer, NextNav’s Vice President of Government Affairs. “Now voters are joining the call to rise to the challenge of meeting this public safety and national security imperative. These poll results show strong bipartisan support and are particularly compelling in a public policy environment where single-digit opposition to any issue is rare.”

Large majorities of voters see a terrestrial complement and backup to GPS as vital to safeguarding public safety, keeping pace with foreign rivals, protecting U.S. national security, and preserving a strong economy:

• Public Safety. A total of 83% say they find it either very convincing (54%) or somewhat convincing (29%) that backup to GPS will ensure public safety professionals, like first responders, are able to act fast to locate people.
  
• National Security. A total of 82% say they find it either very convincing (47%) or somewhat convincing (35%) that a backup to GPS is crucial for safeguarding American commerce, public safety, and national security.
  
• Global Competition. A total of 81% say they find it either very convincing (47%) or somewhat convincing (34%) that a backup to GPS will allow the United States to keep pace with China.
  
• Economic Stability. A total of 81% say they find it either very convincing (48%) or somewhat convincing (33%) that the US should move forward with the creation of a backup to GPS since a GPS outage would cost our economy $1.6 billion per day.
  

In another key finding, nearly 7 out of 10 (68%) of voters agree that creating a backup to GPS represents an urgent national security need for the United States, with only 12% disagreeing.

The poll was conducted by Public Policy Polling. The independent pollsters surveyed 1,133 registered voters nationally from January 24-25, 2025. The margin of error is +/- 2.9%. 60% of interviews for the survey were conducted by text message and 40% by telephone. For access to the polling memo, click here.

About NextNav
NextNav Inc. (Nasdaq: NN) is a leader in next-generation positioning, navigation and timing (PNT), enabling a whole new ecosystem of applications and services that rely upon 3D geolocation and PNT technology. Powered by low-band licensed spectrum, NextNav’s positioning and timing technologies deliver accurate, reliable, and resilient 3D PNT solutions for critical infrastructure, GPS resiliency and commercial use cases.

For more information, please visit https://nextnav.com/ or follow NextNav on X at https://x.com/NextNav or LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/company/nextnav/.  

Forward Looking Statements
This press release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the “safe harbor” provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements are based on NextNav’s management’s current expectations and beliefs, as well as a number of assumptions concerning future events.

Source: NN-FIN

Media Contact:
NNmedia@nextnav.com

FAQ

What percentage of voters support creating a ground-based backup for GPS according to NextNav's survey?

The survey shows support by a ten-to-one margin, with majority support across demographics including gender, political party, and age groups.

How much would a GPS outage cost the US economy per day?

According to the survey, a GPS outage would cost the US economy $1.6 billion per day.

What percentage of voters see GPS backup as important for public safety professionals?

83% of voters find GPS backup important for public safety, with 54% finding it very convincing and 29% somewhat convincing.

How many voters consider GPS backup an urgent national security need?

68% of voters agree that creating a GPS backup is an urgent national security need, while only 12% disagree.

What was the methodology of NextNav's GPS backup survey?

The survey was conducted by Public Policy Polling, interviewing 1,133 registered voters nationally from January 24-25, 2025, with 60% by text message and 40% by telephone.