We are delighted to announce that we have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Xona Space Systems Inc.*¹ to collaborate on developing solutions utilizing Xona Pulsar, a Low Earth Orbit Positioning, Navigation, and Timing (LEO PNT) service for next-generation satellite navigation. Through this agreement, both companies will leverage their respective technological expertise and business strengths to explore opportunities for delivering advanced and promising LEO PNT solutions.
Nowadays, our society significantly depends on Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS), such as the Global Positioning System (GPS), while their vulnerability to interference, jamming, and spoofing*² has been widely recognized as a critical concern. An executive order issued in 2020 pointed out that the disruption or manipulation of GPS‑based PNT services could adversely affect the national and economic security of the country and emphasized the necessity of GNSS‑independent services. Taking these trends into account, Furuno has been actively pursuing LEO PNT as a promising technology capable of complementing or even substituting GNSS.
LEO PNT refers to systems that use a satellite constellation of 200 to 400 satellites deployed in low Earth orbit at an altitude of approximately 500km to 2,000km. This LEO constellation is designed specifically for PNT rather than non-terrestrial networks (NTN) and is often called a dedicated LEO PNT constellation to distinguish it from those intended for NTN. LEO PNT provides global positioning and timing services similar to GNSS, but with significantly better performance.
Xona is a pioneer in LEO PNT technology and offers a commercial service called Pulsar, which uses a dedicated LEO PNT constellation of 258 satellites. This service enhances resiliency and improves the accuracy of positioning and timing compared to conventional GNSS, as the proximity of LEO satellites to Earth makes their signal power about 100 times stronger. Additionally, Pulsar adopts a signal architecture similar to GNSS for compatibility, making it easy to integrate into existing GNSS products.
Integrating Xona Pulsar into Furuno’s products will provide an alternative to GNSS while significantly boosting performance by complementing existing GNSS services. This is particularly beneficial for our timing solutions. Our Pulsar-enabled timing solutions allow users to maintain accurate synchronization even when GNSS is degraded due to unexpected failures, including jamming and spoofing. Amid growing threats of such interference, Furuno continues to deliver more accurate, resilient, and secure GNSS solutions to the markets. This agreement marks a small but meaningful step toward innovating our solutions as we advance to explore new opportunities: CHALLENGE the INVISIBLE.
*1: Xona Space Systems, Inc. is a U.S.-based startup aiming to become the world's first provider of commercial satellite positioning services using Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites. (URL: https://www.xonaspace.com/)
*2: Jamming and Spoofing: Jamming means radio waves that interfere with GNSS signals. Spoofing means that malicious actors intentionally mimic and broadcast GNSS-like signals with the intent to trick nearby GNSS receivers into calculating incorrect position and/or time.
Related Links
Announced on September 3, 2025:Furuno presenting at ION GNSS+ 2025, International Conference on Satellite Positioning Technologies
https://www.furuno.co.jp/en/news/general/general_category.html?itemid=1697&dispmid=961
Announced on April 23, 2024:Furuno Presenting and Exhibiting at WSTS, North America’s Leading Timing & Sync Event
https://www.furuno.co.jp/en/news/general/general_category.html?itemid=1488&dispmid=961