Trusted timing for the telecommunications industry and beyond

5 minute read

In telecoms, timing has always been essential. Yet for most of the industry's history, it has also been largely invisible. When everything works as expected, accurate time stays in the background, quietly enabling synchronisation, network operations and billing. But from our conversations with industry partners, technology vendors and communications service providers, it is becoming increasingly clear that this is changing. Time is no longer just a utility. It is becoming a strategic capability.  

At NPL, we spend a lot of time thinking about time. Through our work on the National Timing Centre programme and across a range of collaborative research projects, we are seeing first-hand how the demands of AI, automation and next-generation connectivity are raising the importance of trusted, resilient and traceable timing.  

Reliable timing for autonomous networks and other sectors 

The telecoms sector is focused on two major transformations: firstly, networks are evolving to support increasingly AI-driven services, and secondly, operators are looking to use AI to make networks more autonomous and efficient.  

AI models rely on vast amounts of data. However, the value of that data is closely linked to its timing. In distributed systems, decisions often depend on understanding the sequence of events, correlating information from multiple sources and identifying cause and effect. Accurate timestamps are often used to make this possible.  

Yet timestamps are often taken for granted. In many systems, their accuracy is assumed rather than verified. As AI becomes responsible for increasingly important operational decisions, that assumption becomes harder to justify. From our perspective, trusted timing is becoming a key enabler of trustworthy AI.  

The industry's ambition for autonomous networks takes this challenge even further. 

As network functions become more distributed and software-defined, maintaining synchronisation across multiple systems becomes increasingly complex. Performance is no longer measured simply by how fast data moves through a network. The focus is on determinism, predictability and the ability to understand system behaviour with confidence.  

If autonomous systems are expected to monitor themselves, make decisions and optimise performance in real time, they need accurate and trustworthy reference points. Precise timing provides that foundation, making it possible to measure latency accurately, correlate events and maintain confidence in automated operations.  

Alternatives to GNSS systems 

We see similar challenges emerging across other sectors. Autonomous transport systems, for example, depend on resilient timing to operate safely and effectively. In a recent NPL project with Cranfield University, iQuila and Quantum Dice, we explored autonomous drone operations in environments where GNSS signals were degraded or unavailable. The work demonstrated how alternative, traceable timing sources can help maintain synchronisation and secure communications, supporting safe operation even in challenging conditions.  

For decades, telecoms networks have relied heavily on GNSS systems such as GPS as their sole source of precise time. These systems have delivered enormous value and remain a critical part of global infrastructure. However, they were never intended to be the sole timing reference for increasingly interconnected digital societies.  

As networks underpin more economic activity, public services and national infrastructure, the consequences of timing disruptions grow more significant. This is prompting organisations to think differently about resilience. 

Increasingly, we are seeing interest in a more diverse approach to timing, combining GNSS with terrestrial alternatives and direct access to trusted national time scales such as UTC(NPL). The goal is not simply backup, it is resilience through diversity.  

From background function to strategic differentiator 

There is also a broader strategic dimension to this conversation. Just as organisations have become more aware of issues surrounding data sovereignty, there is growing recognition that understanding where time originates, and how it can be assured, is equally important.  

What excites us is that timing is not just a challenge to solve: it may also be an opportunity to innovate. 

As networks evolve toward 5G Advanced and eventually 6G, operators are increasingly focused on delivering predictable performance. In many applications, consistency matters as much as speed. Managing jitter and ensuring reliable service delivery depend on accurate synchronisation and measurement.  

Looking further ahead, timing itself could become a valuable service. Sectors such as finance, energy, transport and manufacturing all depend on precise and trusted time. Telecoms operators already operate infrastructure capable of distributing timing at scale. Future networks could potentially deliver resilient, traceable timing services alongside traditional connectivity offerings.  

One of the most interesting shifts we are witnessing is a growing recognition that time is no longer something organisations can afford to view as an invisible background function. 

The performance of AI systems, the success of autonomous operations, the resilience of digital infrastructure and the experience of end users all depend on trusted timing. What was once taken for granted is becoming a point of strategic differentiation.  

For those of us working in measurement science and timing infrastructure, that makes this a particularly pivotal moment. The conversation is no longer about whether timing matters. It is about how organisations can build the trusted, resilient timing capabilities that future UK infrastructure will depend upon. 

When the next generation of networks arrives, time won't just be keeping pace with innovation - it will help to define what is possible.  

Find out more about the NTC programme

29 Jul 2026