Recommendation 3 of the 19th CCTF (2012)

Regular calculation and publication of rapid UTC (UTCr)

The Consultative Committee for Time and Frequency (CCTF),

considering that

• the International Bureau of Weights and Measures (BIPM) has been successfully conducting a pilot experiment for producing a rapid Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) solution (rapid UTC or UTCr) on a weekly basis since January 2012,
• a large number of laboratories that contribute to the computation of UTC also contribute data to UTCr,
• the UTC contributing laboratories want UTCr to become a permanent product from the BIPM, respecting a regular weekly publication schedule,

noting that

• by contributing to UTCr, time laboratories can better steer their respective UTC(k) to the reference UTC,
• the staff of the BIPM Time Department must continue to assure the monthly publication of BIPM Circular T, which is the only way of making local realizations UTC(k) traceable to UTC,
• the timely and regular production and publication of UTCr imposes real time constraints on the staff of the BIPM Time Department and requires a reliable means of dissemination,

recommends to the BIPM that

• the evaluation of UTCr as a pilot project continues and that a report is sent to the CCTF Working Group on TAI¹ (WGTAI) in 2013 to discuss the possibility of transforming UTCr into a routine operational product,
• the dissemination of UTCr is pursued by ensuring timely availability of the results in a suitable and definitive format, so that widespread use of UTCr is supported and encouraged,

further recommends to the International Committee for Weights and Measures (CIPM) that

• efforts be made to improve the equipment at the BIPM involved in data exchange, calculation and distribution of results,
• the human resources necessary for assuring the regular computation and publication of> UTCr be maintained.

¹International Atomic Time (TAI)

DOI : 10.59161/CCTF2012REC3E