NTC receives £180 million investment

3 minute read

The NTC is a major programme led by NPL that is responsible for developing the UK’s first nationally distributed timing infrastructure. An assured and trusted timekeeping source will support many aspects of UK industry, which increasingly requires precise and synchronised time. The NTC programme will enable the UK to accelerate innovation of new technologies, such as 5G / 6G applications, smart cities and connected autonomous vehicles. It will ensure industries are future-ready with accurate and reliable time, providing confidence in the continuity of everyday services. 

Atomic clocks generate an exceptionally accurate time signal and are at the heart of the NTC. They will be deployed in sites across the UK to create a resilient time source that is kept accurate using state-of-the-art caesium clocks; so accurate that it would take 160 million years for them to drift by just one second. This resilient time source will become our national time scale, UTC(NPL). An outage of satellite-based positioning, navigation and timing (PNT) services could cost the UK more than £1.4 billion in just 24 hours. A robust safety net will not only strengthen the UK’s security but also safeguard the economy.   

This £180 million funding supports the delivery of the next phase of the NTC programme, building on a successful R&D phase. Two dedicated sites will harness the power of atomic clocks to share signals via fibre and satellites – providing the UK with terrestrial time to complement satellite timing signals. The NTC will also invest in both the UK supply chain for essential timing components, and the vital timing skills the NTC needs. 

Dr Peter Thompson, CBE, CEO of NPL said: “At NPL we are proud to be leading the way in providing trusted and assured timing to protect and enhance the UK’s digital infrastructure. This funding ensures the NTC programme can deliver huge benefits to industry and the economy, while underpinning secure applications in the future.” 

Science Minister Lord Vallance said: “Accurate timekeeping is about more than just keeping the clocks ticking, it is fundamental to keeping the country running - from banking and staying in touch with friends and family through to our emergency services having the information they need.   

The systems we rely on today are increasingly vulnerable to disruption, which is why we’re acting now to strengthen the infrastructure we rely on every day. This project will give us a safety net that will help protect our national security, safeguard our economy, and give people the confidence they need to go about their daily lives.” 

For further information or any enquiries, please contact the NTC programme team by completing this short form.