How come the governments/EU doesn't supply the map data anyway? They make and maintain the roads with our taxes after all and know what's out there, seems like the traversal mapping should be included with that tax. And if the EU feels it makes sense to support a multi billion euro new GPS satellite system then why not electronic mapping data for the people too? would nicely compliment it.
The EU does not control all aspect of national governments. There are several different ways of financing national geodata projects. The UK has a commercial company developing this data. While non-EU Norway uses a government controlled department to do it. The difference is that the Norwegian end result is *free* for other government departements to use. But for commercial projects the company in question has to purchase a license. All across Europe the rights and development is done on a national basis - and the results are owned by different bodies. The EU GPS project would have been owned by the consortium of private companies involved. The EU would have put up money to finance it - but would not have owned it.
Would have? Galileo is a go you know. And if the EU wanted they COULD set up a EU wide public mapdata system. Might of course take the EU several years to decide and it would be all watered down, because they are a bunch of politicians, but still.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Wwhat @ Oct 1st 2007 9:18AM
How come the governments/EU doesn't supply the map data anyway? They make and maintain the roads with our taxes after all and know what's out there, seems like the traversal mapping should be included with that tax.
And if the EU feels it makes sense to support a multi billion euro new GPS satellite system then why not electronic mapping data for the people too? would nicely compliment it.
Andrew @ Oct 2nd 2007 2:00AM
The EU does not control all aspect of national governments.
There are several different ways of financing national geodata projects. The UK has a commercial company developing this data. While non-EU Norway uses a government controlled department to do it. The difference is that the Norwegian end result is *free* for other government departements to use. But for commercial projects the company in question has to purchase a license.
All across Europe the rights and development is done on a national basis - and the results are owned by different bodies.
The EU GPS project would have been owned by the consortium of private companies involved. The EU would have put up money to finance it - but would not have owned it.
Wwhat @ Oct 2nd 2007 5:37PM
Would have? Galileo is a go you know.
And if the EU wanted they COULD set up a EU wide public mapdata system.
Might of course take the EU several years to decide and it would be all watered down, because they are a bunch of politicians, but still.