aPNT+™ Solution – Assured PNT Services

The Oscilloquartz aPNT+ platform is a comprehensive assured positioning, navigation and timing solution built for critical infrastructure operators who require timing resilience that does not depend on the availability of GNSS signals. Developed by Oscilloquartz, a division of Adtran, with over 75 years of expertise in timing and synchronisation, the platform addresses the full spectrum of PNT threats, from deliberate jamming and spoofing attacks to unintentional signal disruption and technical failure.

Where conventional timing infrastructure treats GNSS as its primary reference, aPNT+ treats every source, including GNSS, as one input among many. The platform continuously monitors signal integrity across all sources, identifies threats in real time, and switches automatically to uncompromised timing references without human intervention. The result is a timing infrastructure that holds under conditions that would disable a GNSS-dependent system entirely.

The aPNT+ platform is built around three fundamental capabilities that operate together as a single integrated function.

• Multi-layer detection — Continuous monitoring identifies both malicious and unintentional disturbances to GNSS signals, including jamming, spoofing, meaconing, and antenna shadowing. Oscilloquartz Syncjack technology provides detection of meaconing attacks, a capability not available in competing platforms.
• Multi-source backup — Timing is drawn from multiple independent inputs including GNSS, fibre, Low Earth Orbit satellites, atomic cesium clocks, and Iridium Satellite Time and Location services. No single point of failure can disrupt synchronisation across the network.
• Multi-level fault-tolerant mitigation — An AI and machine learning assisted management system handles real-time synchronisation decisions, minimising human error and ensuring operational continuity across any fault condition.

With the aPNT+ platform, network operators can achieve enhanced level 4 resilience as defined in the DHS PNT Conformance Framework, the international benchmark for assured PNT infrastructure. This level of resilience provides protection against natural disasters, terrorist activities, and deliberate cyber threats, as well as unintentional jamming, antenna shadowing, device malfunctions, and communications network outages. The platform also aligns with the Australian Government’s Critical Infrastructure Resilience Strategy and its requirements for reducing dependency on GNSS as a single point of failure in national infrastructure.

The aPNT+ platform was independently validated at Jammertest 2024 in Norway, a public testing environment specifically designed to evaluate PNT resilience against live jamming and spoofing conditions. Key products including the OSA 5422 and OSA 5430 grandmaster clocks, along with the OSA 5401 and OSA 5405 small form factor solutions, were evaluated against adversarial conditions. The results are publicly documented and available for independent review.

The Oscilloquartz OSA 3300 HP optical cesium clock, a core component of the aPNT+ platform, is already in Australian Defence service. As utilised by Australian Defence’s Science and Technology Group at its Adelaide facility, the OSA 3300 HP serves as the time and frequency reference for advanced PNT research, marking the first deployment of optical cesium technology within Australian defence research infrastructure.

Features and Benefits

• Zero-trust architecture — No single timing source is treated as inherently reliable. Every input is continuously verified against independent references.
• AI and ML assisted threat management — Real-time detection and automated response reduces reliance on manual intervention and minimises operational risk.
• Multi-source redundancy — GNSS, fibre, LEO satellites, atomic clocks, and Iridium STL services provide layered timing resilience across any threat environment.
• Iridium STL integration — Indoor and underground timing capability where conventional GNSS signals cannot penetrate.
• DHS level 4 resilience — Meets the most stringent international standard for assured PNT infrastructure.
• Seamless integration — Compatible with existing network infrastructure, combat management systems, secure data links, and electronic warfare networks.
• Scalable deployment — From small form factor solutions for edge and airborne applications to high-capacity grandmaster clocks for core network and naval platform deployment.
• Australian local support — CoverTel is the authorised Australian partner for Oscilloquartz, with an established record of supplying NATO-certified products to the Australian Defence Force and local expertise in PNT integrity consulting, compliance, and synchronisation audit services.