Skip to main content

Test confirms Galileo increases accuracy of location based services

Tests conducted by Rx Networks and the European GNSS Agency (GSA) confirm that, when used in addition to GPS and/or GLONASS, Galileo significantly improves the accuracy of location-based services when used in challenging environments. The GSA and Rx Networks, a leading mobile location technology and services company, announced the results of tests conducted by the company measuring the performance of Galileo when used in various combinations with GPS and GLONASS.
May 28, 2014 Read time: 2 mins
Tests conducted by Rx Networks and the 5810 European GNSS Agency (GSA) confirm that, when used in addition to GPS and/or GLONASS, Galileo significantly improves the accuracy of location-based services when used in challenging environments.

The GSA and Rx Networks, a leading mobile location technology and services company, announced the results of tests conducted by the company measuring the performance of Galileo when used in various combinations with GPS and GLONASS.

Tests were conducted in real-world environments, including urban canyons and indoors. These environments pose significant challenges to location accuracy due to multipath and obstructed views of satellites. Each test consisted of a three-hour data capture of GNSS signals, which was later replayed to produce hundreds of fixes using a multi-constellation GNSS receiver from 6234 STMicroelectronics.

The results showed that using Galileo with one or more other GNSS constellations provides significantly more accurate location fixes compared to GPS alone, when indoors or in urban canyons. As expected, the GPS+Galileo combination did not exceed the performance of GPS+GLONASS, due primarily to there only being four Galileo satellites available at the time of the testing. It is expected that, as more Galileo satellites are launched, the combination of Galileo with GPS will show further improvements in performance.

According to Gian-Gherado Calini, head of Market Development at the GSA, “Dual-constellation GNSS” designs are the standard for many smartphones and other devices. The combination of GPS and Galileo provides a robust solution and is expected to offer performance that will meet or exceed end-user expectations.”

Adrian Stimpson, senior vice-president of Sales and Marketing, Rx Networks said, “The results should be encouraging to any GNSS chipset manufacturer who is considering adding Galileo as a competitive differentiator.”

Related Content

  • February 2, 2012
    Cooperative infrastructure - the future for tolling?
    Leading European tolling solution providers give a snapshot of how they think tolling's technological future will look
  • May 30, 2012
    Closer cooperation between ASECAP and the GSA
    ASECAP (the European Association of Operators of Tolled Road Infrastructures) and the European GNSS Agency (GSA) have announced they are stepping up their cooperation and will examine together the potential and the use of GNSS applications in motorway operations. The 40th ASECAP Study and Information Days, which ends today in Turin, Italy, provided an important opportunity to examine the common ground between the GSA’s support for the use of European GNSS in road transport to improve traffic management and
  • March 2, 2012
    Need for standardisation of toll classes
    In a previous article Bob Lees of Idris Technology Ltd looked at the appropriateness of toll classes in relation to all-electronic toll fee collection. Here, he looks at how addressing classification standardisation could avoid downstream aggravation and cost
  • December 17, 2014
    Communications redundancy increases VMS reliability
    Hybrid communications to variable message signs increase resilience to natural disasters and enable deployment in remote areas, as Alan Allegretto explains. Variable Message Signs (VMSs) are a common sight and a well-proven means to improve public safety on our roads and highways. ITS professionals rank the VMS as second only to interoperable radios as the most important technology to improve effectiveness during emergency incidents and evacuations. Ironically, however, current systems suffer from one criti