GPS has made a major impact on our world. How is it a free service that anyone with a phone can access? How is it profitable for companies to offer services like navigation without subscription fees or ads?
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GPS is free, in short, because it provides the US government with more benefits than keeping it only accessible to military or pay users. Giving people access geospatial data is a boon to the economy, transport, navigation, etc. That said, I’d imagine this probably stems in part from the fact that USGS data is freely available in the US – GPS helps citizens unlock the power of those datasets. Additionally, GPS was first released to the public to ensure safe navigation following the shoot down of Korean Airlines 007. Releasing its use to the public was partially in response to cold war pressures — particularly difficulties associated with navigation at high latitudes near Soviet borders.
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