US university cracks secret EU satellite code

A university in the US has cracked the secret codes of the European satellite system Galileo's first satellite in orbit, making it doubtful that the €3.4 billion project will pay for itself through commercial fees as promised by Brussels.

"That means free access for consumers who use navigation devices," said the scientist who broke the code, Mark Psiaki, in a statement.

It could cost the EU dearly as it wants to charge high-tech firms "licence fees" to access that same data, before they can make and sell compatible navigation devices to the public.

But the European Commission told the Telegraph last night that Mr Cornell's success in cracking codes for the prototype was irrelevant, as final codes for the Galileo system would not only be different, but would be made available by the EU.

EuObserver