Vodafone and Topcon Positioning Group are collaborating to launch a mass-market precise positioning service that will enable far more accurate location tracking for Internet of Things (IoT) devices, machinery, and vehicles than relying on standalone global navigation satellite systems (GNSS).
By combining Vodafone’s global IoT network with Topcon’s correction technology, vehicles, scooters, and autonomous devices such as robot lawn mowers can be monitored in real time with centimeter-level precision. Topcon’s dense European network of thousands of GNSS reference stations corrects the typical errors in satellite signals, improving location accuracy from several meters down to just centimeters when devices are equipped with appropriate antennas and receivers.
Vodafone and Topcon will begin expanded customer trials and are inviting selected customers to take part in pilot programs in Germany, Spain, and the UK starting this month. The service, branded Vodafone GNSS Corrections, will be tested across a broad range of devices connected to Vodafone’s global IoT infrastructure—one of the industry’s largest, with more than 150 million connections—and Vodafone’s pan-European network covering 12 countries.
High-precision positioning is essential for the widespread adoption of Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X) communications—the capability for vehicles to exchange information with other vehicles, road users, and infrastructure—as well as for autonomous vehicles and industrial robots. For instance, e-bike riders could use Vodafone GNSS Corrections to transmit their precise location and alert nearby road users to their presence, improving safety for vulnerable road users.
Justin Shields, Director of Vodafone Business Platforms & Solutions, said: “As technologies like autonomous vehicles and connected machinery evolve, Vodafone is delivering the precise, scalable connections these services require. Customers want more accurate device location, and our collaboration with Topcon enhances our existing asset tracking and fleet telematics offerings.”
Ian Stilgoe, VP of Topcon Global Emerging Business, commented: “We are proud to partner with Vodafone to provide high-accuracy correction services that enable V2X applications to reach the precision needed to improve road safety, especially for vulnerable road users. Topcon’s long history in precision positioning and the extensive Topnet Live GNSS network make us a strong partner for this initiative. Vodafone’s high-accuracy services can also boost positioning performance for other autonomous systems such as drones, delivery robots, and wearable safety devices.”
Vodafone GNSS Corrections also supports Vodafone’s broader efforts to enhance V2X location reliability and to share trusted positioning data that can help prevent unnecessary accidents and fatalities on European roads. The precise positioning capability complements Vodafone’s Safer Transport for Europe Platform (STEP), which enables entities to exchange information even when line of sight is not available. Unveiled in March 2022, STEP has been successfully trialed in Germany and the UK and will be offered through Vodafone Automotive and select third-party applications later this year.
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