Amid tensions between Alexandre de Moraes and Donald Trump, related to the restrictions imposed on former President Jair Bolsonaro, the United States would have threatened to cut Brazil’s access system (GPS) on Tuesday (22). The threat about the GPS signal meets the 50% American tariffs on Brazilian products exported to the country, announced last week. The measures raised concerns about possible impacts on strategic areas, such as military cooperation and satellite use.
The operation of the global positioning system is through the exchange of information between the smartphone and the satellites. The device receives signs of at least three satellites, which inform their position and time. From this data, an algorithm calculates the location (latitude and longitude). When there is a sign of a satellite room, it is also possible to identify altitude.
GPS is controlled by the United States, which created it during the Cold War, initially for military purposes. Today, however, the system is no longer the only one with global coverage: there are also Glonass (Russia), Beidou (China) and Galileo (European Union). All are part of GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite Systems), Satellite Navigation Global Network Set. The use of multiple systems increases the accuracy and reliability of data, especially in urban areas or with weak signal.
But would it be possible to cut the GPS signal in a country like Brazil, which has 8.5 million square kilometers? Satellites signs are transmitted globally on straight lines, which makes it difficult to selectively block them by country. Still, there is a technique called Jamming, which consists of issuing radio signals at the same frequency used by GPS satellites, which may interfere or block the receipt of data from devices.
Despite the speculation, experts consider it unlikely to cut the GPS signal in Brazil. The measure would also bring significant damage to the United States, given the strong trade relationship between the two countries. Technology companies, in particular, would be impacted, as the GPS system is widely used in Brazilian territory. Such a restriction would also affect other South American countries, making the impact even broader.
