Catenaa, Tuesday, August 25, 2026- Ericsson and MediaTek have achieved outdoor positioning accuracy below 30 centimeters using standardized 5G and satellite technology, demonstrating how mobile networks could become precision-location infrastructure for robots, drones and autonomous vehicles.
The companies completed what Ericsson described as the first end-to-end test combining a commercial 5G network with 3GPP-based Global Navigation Satellite System Real-Time Kinematic positioning, known as GNSS RTK.
The test delivered stable accuracy below 30 centimeters using a device’s built-in antenna.
Traditional satellite positioning on consumer devices is generally accurate to within several meters.
The improvement could allow telecom networks to support machines that need far more precise knowledge of their location than ordinary navigation services provide.
The system does not replace GPS or other satellite-navigation networks.
Instead, it makes satellite positioning much more accurate.
GNSS signals can be distorted by atmospheric conditions, satellite orbit errors and timing differences. RTK systems use fixed reference stations whose exact locations are already known to calculate those errors.
Correction data is then sent to a receiving device, allowing it to calculate a much more accurate position.
Ericsson’s approach sends that correction information through the mobile network.
The test used Ericsson Network Location, its 5G Core and radio network alongside MediaTek’s latest 5G modem technology.
MediaTek’s modem processed the satellite corrections in real time while limiting additional power consumption.
One important part of the test was how correction data reached devices.
Ericsson demonstrated both unicast and broadcast delivery.
Unicast sends correction information directly to an individual device and can work well where relatively few devices require the service.
Broadcast can transmit the same positioning information across an entire cell simultaneously.
That becomes important in places where hundreds or thousands of machines may need accurate positioning at once.
A logistics hub, for example, could contain autonomous trucks, delivery robots, drones and industrial equipment operating simultaneously.
Sending each device a separate stream of correction data could consume unnecessary network resources.
Broadcasting one correction stream to all eligible devices provides a more scalable alternative.
Ericsson said the system can switch between the two approaches depending on network conditions.
Broadcast positioning information also raises a security issue because the signal can potentially reach every compatible device inside the coverage area.
Ericsson said the 3GPP framework allows that broadcast information to be encrypted.
Only authorized subscribers receive the necessary decryption keys from the 5G core network’s Access and Mobility Management Function.
That could allow operators to sell high-precision positioning as a controlled network service rather than simply broadcasting unrestricted correction data.
It also creates a potential new revenue stream for telecom carriers running 5G standalone networks.
The system is based on 3GPP Release 16, rather than technology developed exclusively for one Ericsson or MediaTek product.
That is important for commercial adoption.
A standards-based system could allow compatible devices and mobile networks from different vendors to communicate without companies having to deploy proprietary positioning infrastructure for every industrial site.
Ericsson integrates the correction information through the LTE Positioning Protocol.
For broadcast delivery, positioning information can be transmitted to every compatible device in a cell.
The test also demonstrated two forms of GNSS correction information, known as Observation State Representation and State Space Representation.
The latter is designed to scale corrections across larger geographic areas.
The potential applications extend well beyond improving maps on smartphones.
A navigation error of several meters is generally acceptable when helping a person find a restaurant.
It can be unacceptable for an autonomous machine.
A robot moving containers through a port needs to know which lane it occupies.
A drone inspecting infrastructure needs to know precisely where it is relative to an obstacle.
Mining vehicles and automated factory equipment face similar requirements.
Ericsson identified manufacturing, transport, ports, logistics centers and mines among the environments that could benefit.
The technology could also complement cameras, radar and other sensors used by autonomous systems rather than replacing them.
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The significance of the Ericsson-MediaTek test is that 5G could become a positioning network as well as a communications network.
Mobile operators have spent heavily building 5G infrastructure, but many applications have focused on faster connectivity.
Precision location gives that infrastructure another function.
The network can distribute correction information, authenticate devices and deliver positioning services at scale.
That could become increasingly valuable as physical AI moves from software into machines operating in the real world.
AI can tell a robot what to do.
But the robot still needs to know exactly where it is.
Cameras and onboard sensors can help, but they face problems involving weather, visibility, obstructions and processing requirements.
High-precision satellite positioning delivered through existing cellular infrastructure could supply another layer of situational awareness.
The commercial question is whether operators can convert that capability into services enterprises will pay for.
Factories, ports and logistics operators already spend money on specialized positioning technology.
If comparable capabilities can increasingly ride over standardized 5G infrastructure, telecom operators could capture part of that market.
The result would shift 5G further away from being measured mainly by download speeds.
For autonomous machines, knowing where they are to within a few centimeters may ultimately be more valuable than downloading data a little faster.
Real-Time Kinematic positioning improves satellite-navigation accuracy by using correction information generated from reference stations at precisely known locations. Ericsson introduced its expanded 5G Advanced location-services portfolio earlier this year, covering high-precision outdoor and indoor positioning. The latest test with MediaTek used standardized 3GPP Release 16 technology and achieved stable sub-30-centimeter accuracy with a device’s integrated antenna. Ericsson says geodetic-grade antennas can improve RTK performance further into centimeter-level accuracy.
