Vodafone is boosting its Internet of Things (IoT) capabilities with new satellite technology that can locate connected devices and autonomous vehicles to within centimetres rather than metres.
The ‘Vodafone GNSS Corrections’ platform combines the operator’s global IoT network with technology developed by Topcon that corrects inaccuracies from global navigation satellites systems (GNSS) using a network of thousands of reference stations across Europe.
These reference stations calculate and correct potential discrepancies in GNSS data using cloud-based software.
The Economy of Things
Greater precision is seen as critical to the development of Vehicle to Anything (V2X) technology which allows vehicles to speak to each other and roadside infrastructure in real time, as well as for autonomous machinery and robotics.
This new capability could enable a raft of services from autonomous lawn mowers to real-time telematics.
The two companies are now inviting selected customers to join trials in Germany, Spain and the UK with a view to rolling it out across all markets in the future.
“As new technologies like autonomous cars and connected machinery continue to evolve, Vodafone is providing the critical connections to support these new services with greater precision, more safety and at scale,” said Justin Shields, director of Vodafone Business platform and solutions.
“Our customers want to be able to better locate their devices, and the collaboration with Topcon complements our existing asset tracking and fleet telematics solutions.”
“At Topcon, we are proud to be partnering with Vodafone to bring high accuracy correction services to enable V2X applications to operate at the accuracy needed to help improve road safety, especially for vulnerable road users,” added Ian Stilgoe, vice president of Topcon Global Emerging Business.
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