Is Galileo a waste of time and money?

"Europe is heading for the worst of all worlds in its high-minded determination to press ahead with Galileo, the satellite navigation system that it believes should rival the US Global Positioning System", writes Bronwen Maddox. "The European Union is paying too much (of taxpayers' money) for an overcomplicated system that doesn't yet work, in which private companies have refused to take part, and which may be overtaken by its rivals before it starts. In the deal thrashed out [Friday November 23rd, financing for the project will come exclusively from the EU] and to be confirmed on Thursday, it is dividing the enterprise into six, not for reasons of engineering or competitiveness, but simply so that a slice can go to each of the main donors ... By trying to fashion the world's best system, the EU has bought one that has, literally, failed to get off the ground."

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