Abstract
GPS timing receivers have long been relied upon by various
communications networks for achieving synchronization among the network
nodes. Cellular networks, particularly CDMA cellular networks, actively
employ GPS timing receivers for making their time critical decisions,
particularly handoff. Operations and parameters which set the network
quality of service (QoS) require that these GPS receivers provide timing
solution up to nano-second accuracy. Therefore, GPS timing receiver are
required to provide a disturbance free solution. However, as all GPS
receivers communicate with GPS satellites over the air interface; these are
inevitably vulnerable to RF interference. This interference disturbs the
timing receiver¿s performance, degrading its solution. This paper appreciates
this issue, identifies the problems caused and discusses in detail the
performance degradations of cellular networks due to instability of timing
signals from GPS.