[tz] CCTF survey on Time and Frequency Metrology - Telecom
Michael H Deckers
michael.h.deckers at googlemail.com
Mon Jan 25 07:45:07 UTC 2021
On 2021-01-24 18:53, Paul Eggert wrote:
> I replied to that survey, basically saying that currently our work is
> based on two timescales (TAI and UTC) and that I hope they don't turn
> it into four (TAIold, UTCold, TAInew, UTCnew).
>
> Or would it be three? That would be even more confusing....
No new time scale and no new time scale designations would be
created.
The change would just be a redefinition of UTC, to be applied beginning
with a date in the future (and probably a redefinition or abolition
of DUT1 and possibly of dUT1). The last such redefinition
of UTC applies since 1972. No new time scale and no new time scale
designations were created then, nor would any be created with
a future redefinition -- much the same as for the redefinition
of the SI units kg, A, K and mol in 2018, where the old names
and symbols have been retained.
As far as tzdb is concerned, the leap second table would just end
for good (perhaps with TAI = UTC + 42 s), and the "right" tzdb
timezones would become unnecessary for time stamps from then on.
As would the zoo of "leap second smearing" schemes in computer
system time demons.
Michael Deckers.
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