5G Positioning: An Analysis of Early Datasets

Area of Science:

• Engineering
• Computer Science
• Geomatics

Background:

• Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSSs) are standard for positioning, but face limitations in signal-obstructed areas.
• Emerging 5G technology enables 'hybrid positioning' by integrating time-of-arrival (ToA) measurements for enhanced ranging.
• The GINTO5G project investigates the feasibility of 5G ToA for positioning applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze and process field measurements of 5G ToA data for positioning.
• To evaluate different algorithms for user position determination using 5G observations.
• To empirically assess the accuracy of 5G-based positioning in diverse environments.

Main Methods:

• Conducted a real-world measurement campaign using 11 replica 5G base stations and a mobile 5G receiver.
• Collected ToA data across indoor, outdoor open sky, and obstructed scenarios.
• Processed 5G data using the least squares method, comparing various strategies for position determination.

Main Results:

• Positional accuracy achieved ranged from decimeters to a few meters in challenging conditions.
• Demonstrated the potential of 5G ToA measurements to supplement or replace GNSS in certain scenarios.
• Preliminary analysis indicates promising performance for 5G-based hybrid positioning.

Conclusions:

• 5G ToA measurements show significant potential for hybrid positioning, especially where GNSS visibility is limited.
• The evaluated algorithms and methods provide a foundation for accurate 5G-based localization.
• Further research and development are warranted to optimize 5G positioning systems.