Strengthening the UK's timing infrastructure

3 minute read

NPL has today announced the release of its upgraded Network Time Protocol (NTP) service, marking a significant step forward in the UK’s national timing infrastructure.  

The new guidance forms part of the National Timing Centre (NTC) programme, a major initiative led by NPL to establish the UK’s first nationally distributed timing infrastructure. The NTC programme is designed to enhance the resilience of the UK’s time and frequency services, supporting innovation across technologies including 5G and 6G communications, smart cities, satellite navigation and autonomous systems.  

NTP allows computers to synchronise their internal clocks with a trusted external source, ensuring accurate timestamping of digital events, from sending emails to saving files. Without regular synchronisation computer clocks can drift significantly, leading to errors and vulnerabilities in time-sensitive systems.  

Originally developed in the 1980s, NTP has evolved into a robust protocol used by most operating systems and networks across many industry sectors. NPL’s updated guidance to its service outlines best practices for implementing NTP securely and reliably, including the use of authentication and hardware timestamping for improved accuracy. 

NPL previously operated two independent NTP servers and now operates five servers from three different locations in the UK, which helps to enhance resiliency. These servers are synchronised to atomic clocks at NPL and are classified as stratum 1 servers which are directly linked to primary reference sources offering a robust, ground-based alternative to satellite signals. The new secure NTP service is being delivered using the resilient infrastructure of the existing NPLTime® service. NPLTime® has been providing a commercial service to the finance and other sectors for the past seven years. 

Dr Leon Lobo, Head of the National Timing Centre programme at NPL, commented: “Precise and resilient timekeeping is fundamental to the UK’s digital infrastructure. This updated service reflects our commitment to supporting the reliability and security of essential systems we depend on, technological innovation and economic growth.” 

The project was funded by the UK Government’s Integrated Security Fund and delivered in collaboration with the National Positioning, Navigation and Timing (PNT) Office at the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT). This project ensures that the UK’s time distribution services remain secure, reliable, and fit for the future. 

Find more information on NPL’s updated NTP service and the National Timing Centre programme.