Last I heard was that the European GPS system (Galileo) will now be compatible with the American one, and that the basic Galileo signal (whose accuracy will be of the same order as the existing American one) will not be encrypted, i.e. it will be free.
Presumably the plans to charge for the higher-accuracy encrypted version will hinge on it being legally required for certain operations e.g. GPS approaches?
Now... how long will it be before the code is cracked? Won't be very long, considering how many "approach approved" GPS units will eventually be in free circulation. They will have to sell Sky-TV-type smartcards.
Makes one wonder why they want to bother charging for it, given that they will never get any significant money from the tiny group of GA "IR" pilots. The potentially big money would come from airliners and bizjets but they are doing just fine with ILS, and the major benefit of GPS approaches (getting an instant IAP into an airfield where there are no navaids) won't apply to them.
I wonder who wrote this business plan...