Grab Singapore has launched a pilot program that uses high-accuracy lane-level GPS positioning to enhance the navigation experience for its driver and delivery partners in Singapore.
The pilot — rolled out in collaboration with Oppo, Qualcomm Technologies and Swift Navigation — also marks the first deployment of high-accuracy GPS positioning on mobile phones and app integration in Southeast Asia, delivering unprecedented outdoor location accuracy for Grab’s partners.
Grab is a leading app in Southeast Asia, operating across the deliveries, mobility and digital financial services sectors. It enables location-based services in more than 800 cities in eight Southeast Asian countries: Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
As part of its ongoing efforts to enhance the GrabMaps navigation experience, Grab continually explores new technologies to help improve accuracy and reliability for its driver and delivery partners. In dense urban environments such as Singapore’s high-rise buildings, multi-level roads, and underground networks can degrade standard GPS accuracy above 20 m, complicating navigation between pick-ups and drop-offs, and reducing ETA accuracy.
By bringing together leading technology partners to create an advanced navigation system, Grab’s driver- and delivery-partners can now pinpoint their location with higher accuracy, improving navigation efficiency in GPS-challenging environments, while enabling smoother pick-ups and reduced cancellations.
The pilot taps on the individual expertise of the following partners:
OPPO, which provides its Find N5 foldable phone with dual-frequency GNSS capable of supporting the latest positioning technology.
Qualcomm Technologies, which activates the Meter-Level Positioning for Mobile featured in the Snapdragon 8 Elite Mobile Platform that powers the OPPO Find N5, enabling real-time GPS correction signals.
Swift Navigation, which provides its cloud-based Skylark Precise Positioning Service that uses advanced atmospheric modeling to correct GPS signal errors and deliver 10x greater positioning accuracy. Skylark is built on top of a network of ground reference stations operated in partnership with network operators around the world, including Singapore Land Authority (SLA). SLA operates the Singapore Satellite Positioning Reference Network (SiReNT) which provides Skylark with accurate GNSS data to enable precise positioning for last mile ride hailing and logistics in Singapore.
Together, these technologies power the pilot, with OPPO’s Find N5 foldable phone, Qualcomm Technologies’s Snapdragon 8 Elite Mobile Platform, and Swift Navigation’s Skylark working in concert to deliver precision navigation experiences.
With results of the pilot, Grab plans to extend the enhanced positioning capability to its proprietary Karta devices in the near future — broadening access to precise navigation technology and ensuring more driver and delivery partners can benefit from it over time.
America’s dependence on GPS is a matter of national security, economic vitality, and daily life. We all agree: the United States must develop strong, resilient alternatives to satellite-based positioning, navigation and timing (PNT). The question, ironically enough, is how to get where we want to go.
Z-Wave Alliance, whose members build the smart home, security, and automation devices used in millions of homes and buildings, fully supports the federal effort to harden PNT infrastructure. We have been active contributors to the FCC’s Notice of Inquiry (WT 25-110) and the Department of Transportation’s Complementary PNT (CPNT) research program. We have provided and assessed technical data to help identify which terrestrial and space-based solutions can truly coexist with the technologies Americans already use every day.
A Known Risk
NextNav has petitioned the FCC to restructure parts of the lower 900 MHzband to host a terrestrial 5G/PNT network—essentially a ground-based GPS complement. The company’s plan would allocate parts of that band for high-power transmissions and relax the long-standing protections that keep low-power (Part 15) devices from destructive interference.
That same spectrum underpins hundreds of millions of existing systems: connected security sensors, toll-booth readers, smart meters, building automation networks, and the smart home products consumers rely on every day. These devices operate safely and efficiently because the FCC’s Part 15 rules limit interference and prohibit high-power operations in this shared public band.
Robust technical analysis, most recently the Pericle Communications study commissioned by the Security Industry Association, shows that high-power terrestrial PNT transmissions would block or degrade low-power communications up to 60 percent of the time. In plain terms, that means alarms that fail to trigger, silent sensors, and lost connectivity for devices that safeguard homes, businesses, and infrastructure.
Evidence indicates these devices could degrade significantly in performance, often to the point of un-usability. Once the band is reclassified, there’s no practical way to “retrofit” the millions of products already deployed. The result would be billions of dollars in stranded hardware, irrecoverable damage to company reputations, and a long, expensive replacement cycle for utilities, business owners, and consumers.
This isn’t an argument against terrestrial PNT. It’s an argument for evidence-based engineering.
— Avi Rosenthal
Multiple Paths to Resilient PNT
This isn’t an argument against terrestrial PNT. It’s an argument for evidence-based engineering. The Department of Transportation has identified several categories of GPS-complement technologies, including low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellite systems, time-over-fiber distribution, map matching/map tracking, and terrestrial RF. NextNav’s 900 MHz concept falls into the fourth category, but it’s only one of many.
The FCC recognized this when it opened its broad Notice of Inquiry in March 2025 instead of rushing into rulemaking. Other federally funded trials, such as the Broadcast Positioning System developed by NAB and UrsaNav’s eLoran solution, show that terrestrial PNT can be achieved without displacing unlicensed Part 15 devices.
Engineering redundancy into national infrastructure demands that we test multiple solutions in parallel, not gamble on a single proprietary approach that risks breaking what already works.
Coexistence Is the Standard, Not the Exception
Across every modern wireless domain — Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Zigbee, Z-Wave, LoRa, Wi-SUN — coexistence testing is standard practice. Before a new technology enters a shared spectrum, it must demonstrate that it can live alongside incumbents. NextNav has not done that. Its coexistence claims rely primarily on simulations using optimistic assumptions about device density and duty cycle. Real-world deployments are far denser and far noisier.
Z-Wave and our industry partners simply ask for what every responsible engineer would: comprehensive, transparent field testing before the FCC alters the rules of a crowded band. That’s not obstructionism: it’s diligence.
Building Forward, Not Backward
Our message is simple: the U.S. needs PNT redundancy, but it must be built on coexistence, not displacement.
America’s connected infrastructure relies on the lower 900 MHz band precisely because it has been open, unlicensed, and reliable. Allowing a single licensee to flood that band with high-power signals would trade resilience for fragility.
Z-Wave Alliance stands ready to collaborate with the FCC, DOT, and all research participants to ensure the U.S. gets the GPS backup it deserves: one that strengthens, rather than undermines, the technologies that keep Americans safe, secure, and connected every day. To learn more, follow Z-Wave Alliance on LinkedIn and across social platforms: we are committed to keeping the U.S. technology community up-to-date on key proposal developments and opportunities to make their voices heard.
America’s dependence on GPS is a matter of national security, economic vitality, and daily life. We all agree: the United States must develop strong, resilient alternatives to satellite-based positioning, navigation and timing (PNT). The question, ironically enough, is how to get where we want to go.
Z-Wave Alliance, whose members build the smart home, security, and automation devices used in millions of homes and buildings, fully supports the federal effort to harden PNT infrastructure. We have been active contributors to the FCC’s Notice of Inquiry (WT 25-110) and the Department of Transportation’s Complementary PNT (CPNT) research program. We have provided and assessed technical data to help identify which terrestrial and space-based solutions can truly coexist with the technologies Americans already use every day.
A Known Risk
NextNav has petitioned the FCC to restructure parts of the lower 900 MHzband to host a terrestrial 5G/PNT network—essentially a ground-based GPS complement. The company’s plan would allocate parts of that band for high-power transmissions and relax the long-standing protections that keep low-power (Part 15) devices from destructive interference.
That same spectrum underpins hundreds of millions of existing systems: connected security sensors, toll-booth readers, smart meters, building automation networks, and the smart home products consumers rely on every day. These devices operate safely and efficiently because the FCC’s Part 15 rules limit interference and prohibit high-power operations in this shared public band.
Robust technical analysis, most recently the Pericle Communications study commissioned by the Security Industry Association, shows that high-power terrestrial PNT transmissions would block or degrade low-power communications up to 60 percent of the time. In plain terms, that means alarms that fail to trigger, silent sensors, and lost connectivity for devices that safeguard homes, businesses, and infrastructure.
Evidence indicates these devices could degrade significantly in performance, often to the point of un-usability. Once the band is reclassified, there’s no practical way to “retrofit” the millions of products already deployed. The result would be billions of dollars in stranded hardware, irrecoverable damage to company reputations, and a long, expensive replacement cycle for utilities, business owners, and consumers.
This isn’t an argument against terrestrial PNT. It’s an argument for evidence-based engineering.
— Avi Rosenthal
Multiple Paths to Resilient PNT
This isn’t an argument against terrestrial PNT. It’s an argument for evidence-based engineering. The Department of Transportation has identified several categories of GPS-complement technologies, including low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellite systems, time-over-fiber distribution, map matching/map tracking, and terrestrial RF. NextNav’s 900 MHz concept falls into the fourth category, but it’s only one of many.
The FCC recognized this when it opened its broad Notice of Inquiry in March 2025 instead of rushing into rulemaking. Other federally funded trials, such as the Broadcast Positioning System developed by NAB and UrsaNav’s eLoran solution, show that terrestrial PNT can be achieved without displacing unlicensed Part 15 devices.
Engineering redundancy into national infrastructure demands that we test multiple solutions in parallel, not gamble on a single proprietary approach that risks breaking what already works.
Coexistence Is the Standard, Not the Exception
Across every modern wireless domain — Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Zigbee, Z-Wave, LoRa, Wi-SUN — coexistence testing is standard practice. Before a new technology enters a shared spectrum, it must demonstrate that it can live alongside incumbents. NextNav has not done that. Its coexistence claims rely primarily on simulations using optimistic assumptions about device density and duty cycle. Real-world deployments are far denser and far noisier.
Z-Wave and our industry partners simply ask for what every responsible engineer would: comprehensive, transparent field testing before the FCC alters the rules of a crowded band. That’s not obstructionism: it’s diligence.
Building Forward, Not Backward
Our message is simple: the U.S. needs PNT redundancy, but it must be built on coexistence, not displacement.
America’s connected infrastructure relies on the lower 900 MHz band precisely because it has been open, unlicensed, and reliable. Allowing a single licensee to flood that band with high-power signals would trade resilience for fragility.
Z-Wave Alliance stands ready to collaborate with the FCC, DOT, and all research participants to ensure the U.S. gets the GPS backup it deserves: one that strengthens, rather than undermines, the technologies that keep Americans safe, secure, and connected every day. To learn more, follow Z-Wave Alliance on LinkedIn and across social platforms: we are committed to keeping the U.S. technology community up-to-date on key proposal developments and opportunities to make their voices heard.
As the geospatial industry accelerates toward automation and intelligence, ComNav Technologies is redefining its role in the market. In this exclusive interview, ComNav leadership discusses the company’s transition in 2025 — evolving from a traditional GNSS hardware provider into a comprehensive solutions and services company that seamlessly integrates positioning, perception and cloud-based intelligence.
As surveying evolves from manual, point-based measurement to automated, cloud-connected ecosystems, ComNav explains how they’re positioning themselves at the forefront of this industry transformation — empowering professionals to shift from repetitive fieldwork to high-value data processing and decision-making.
What would you consider ComNav’s most significant breakthrough in 2025?
Innovation — as our slogan says, “Innovation Makes a Difference.”
In 2025, ComNav has achieved a key transformation from being primarily a GNSS hardware provider to becoming a comprehensive GNSS solution and service company. We are extending our capabilities beyond traditional receivers and boards into CORS network construction, cloud-based GNSS services, and intelligent software platforms.
This transition marks a major step toward integrating hardware, software, and cloud services, allowing us to deliver not only precise positioning equipment but also complete, scalable solutions for global customers. It reflects our long-term commitment to driving innovation and shaping the future of intelligent navigation.
What key improvements has your technology recently achieved?
ComNav has made significant progress in multi-sensor fusion and core GNSS technology.
We have advanced our real-time multi-sensor fusion technology, integrating GNSS, lidar, camera and IMU to deliver higher reliability and spatial awareness in complex environments. This innovation enables a shift from point-based measurements to full 3D spatial mapping, opening new possibilities for surveying, autonomous systems, and digital twin applications.
ComNav’s real-time multi-sensor fusion technology, integrates GNSS, lidar, camera and IMU to deliver higher reliability and spatial awareness in complex environments.
How is ComNav planning to advance its multi-frequency, multi-constellation GNSS technology in 2025? Which constellations are you now supporting?
We proudly launched the fourth generation of our high-precision GNSS SoC chip, which integrates full-constellation, muti-frequency RF and BB into a single compact design. This chip offers higher positioning accuracy, lower power consumption, and improved anti-interference performance — setting a new benchmark for GNSS receiver technology.
It employs multi-constellation simultaneous equation technology, ground-based and satellite-based augmentation technologies, SBAS technology, RAIM technology to deliver highly reliable position and attitude information to users. The chip supports various positioning modes, including RTK, RTD, PPP, PDP, SPP, and GNSS + INS, making it suitable for a wide range of complex high-precision positioning scenarios.
Which industry sectors saw the most growth for ComNav solutions in 2025 – agriculture, construction, surveying, autonomous vehicles, or others? Are there any successful use cases you can share from these sectors?
ComNav’s Jupiter GNSS receiver integrates a 50 m laser, IMUm and camera technology.
In 2025, geospatial remained the fastest-growing for ComNav.
Driving this growth is our newly launched Jupiter GNSS receiver, which integrates a 50-meter laser, IMU, and camera technology. This combination enables non-contact measurement, greatly enhancing operational efficiency.
Our newly released LS600 laser scanner further expands this innovation. It combines advanced SLAM technology, a built-in RTK module for centimeter-level accuracy, and dual wide-angle cameras for vivid color capture. The LS600 significantly simplifies field workflows and allows users to easily obtain high-quality 3D point clouds, transforming traditional “single-point measurement” into multi-dimensional, intelligent data acquisition. This represents a major leap forward in efficiency, safety, and precision for complex surveying operations.
The LS600 seeks to significantly simplify field workflows. It allows users to easily obtain high-quality 3D point clouds, transforming traditional “single-point measurement” into multi-dimensional, intelligent data acquisition.
At the same time, our agricultural segment has also achieved remarkable growth. The AG501 Pro supports a wide range of guide line designs and delivers operational accuracy of up to 2.5 cm. Continuous software updates and optimization have further improved user experience, making precision agriculture simpler and more efficient. It embodies our commitment to empowering smarter, more sustainable agricultural operations through GNSS innovation.
Are there any new product lines we can expect to see launched next year?
In 2026, ComNav will introduce a new generation of integrated lidar and RTK products, combining high-precision GNSS positioning with advanced laser scanning technology. This integration will enable professionals to capture both geometric and spatial data simultaneously, delivering faster, more comprehensive field data collection.
We are also preparing to release an upgraded handheld laser RTK, designed for maximum portability and ease of use. With enhanced measurement accuracy, longer range, and improved connectivity, it will empower surveyors to perform rapid, precise measurements in a wide range of field environments.
These new product lines reflect ComNav’s ongoing commitment to expanding its technology ecosystem — integrating positioning, perception, and intelligence into one cohesive solution.
How do you see the industry evolving over the next year, and how is comNav positioning itself to stay ahead to market changes and challenges?
We believe the geospatial industry is entering a new stage of intelligence and automation. The traditional boundary between field data collection and office data processing is rapidly disappearing. Surveying is evolving from manual, point-based measurement toward automated, intelligent, and cloud-connected workflows — where data captured in the field is seamlessly processed, analyzed, and visualized in the cloud.
To stay ahead of this transformation, ComNav is focusing on intelligent integration — combining high-precision GNSS with sensors, AI algorithms, and cloud platforms. Our goal is to enable surveyors to shift their efforts from repetitive fieldwork to high-value, intelligent data processing and decision-making in the office.
By investing in smart software, real-time cloud services, and integrated hardware platforms, ComNav is positioning itself as a key driver in building the next generation of intelligent geospatial ecosystems.
The AG501 Pro supports a wide range of guide line designs and can deliver operational accuracy of up to 2.5 cm.
Hexagon, a global leader in measurement and positioning technologies, has entered an agreement to acquire Inertial Sense, a provider of tactical-grade global navigation solutions and inertial navigation systems (INS), to strengthen the breadth of its positioning portfolio.
Inertial Sense’s capabilities seek to complement Hexagon’s assured positioning, navigation and timing (PNT) portfolio, which provides an affordable, high-performance navigation solution to users across aerospace and defense, robotics and UAV industries.
Inertial Sense has established itself as a trusted provider of high-performance navigation solutions across a wide range of defense and commercial applications, with more than 30,000 inertial systems deployed worldwide. Its patented designs and proprietary technology enable tactical-grade solutions for space-constrained applications, delivering centimeter-level accuracy with a competitive price point.
“Assured PNT is critical to success of our customers,” said Anders Svensson, president and CEO of Hexagon. “The team at Inertial Sense has developed an impressive array of GNSS+INS solutions which address the assured PNT requirements of our customers and fit seamlessly into our aerospace and defense product portfolio, while also providing opportunities for expansion into robotics and UAV applications.”
Inertial Sense, headquartered in Utah, is expected to generate revenues of around $5 million in 2025, with strong growth rates and profitability in line with Autonomous Solution’s average levels. Inertial Sense will be reported within Hexagon’s Autonomous Solutions business area. Completion of the transaction is subject to regulatory approvals and other customary conditions and is expected to be finalized in the first half of 2026.
GNSS technology has had a reputation for unreliability in safety-critical applications, such as advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS). This perception has shaped automotive design and manufacturing: some ADAS developers have avoided GNSS altogether, instead relying on cameras, lidar and other sensors. Here, Manuel Del Castillo, VP of business development at Focal Point Positioning, explains how, with the right reliability, GNSS can offer a powerful layer of redundancy and support these other sensor types.
The hesitation to include GNSS in ADAS stacks is historical. Traditionally, this technology was unreliable, especially in dense, urban environments where satellite signals were obstructed. Consequently, many automakers turned to alternative sensors. For example, cameras can identify lane markings, traffic signs and objects, while lidar can build highly detailed 3D maps of the vehicle’s surroundings.
Each of these sensors provides important navigational data. However, they all describe a car’s location relative to its immediate environment. With no reliable source of absolute positioning, these relative measurements can’t confirm the vehicle’s exact place in the world — information that is critical for safe navigation.
Why ADAS Needs GNSS
Cameras, lidar and other sensors provide rich environmental data. However, they are limited by what they can directly observe. A camera can identify lane markings but can’t confirm which road the vehicle is on when multiple lanes or junctions overlap. Similarly, lidar can map obstacles in 3D, but without a wider frame of reference, it will struggle to anchor that map to the road network. HD maps provide another valuable layer, but without an accurate global position, they too can be misaligned with the real world, limiting their value.
GNSS can help plug this gap. By supplying absolute latitude and longitude, it ensures that the relative information from the other sensors is grounded in the correct location. GNSS helps calibrate and initialise other sensors, while also providing a cross-check against their measurements to detect potential errors or drift in sensor performance over time. Therefore, reliable GNSS is not an alternative to cameras, lidar or radar. It complements these sensors and boosts accuracy and the reliability of the overall system.
The Importance of Redundancy
Increasingly, the importance of GNSS in ADAS stacks is being recognised. As automotive production moves toward L3 automation and beyond, the demand for absolute positioning increases, along with the need for safe, layered sensing. GNSS, alongside cameras, lidar and radar, can help automakers improve navigational resilience without reinventing vehicular architectures.
Reliable GNSS isn’t about replacing other technologies. It is about reinforcing them. Having a global frame of reference helps ensure that the relative data from other sensors is grounded in the correct place. For automakers, the next step is recognising that GNSS can improve safety and trust in ADAS stacks, supporting the transition toward autonomous driving.
Advancing GNSS Reliability
Even with GNSS integrated into the vehicle’s sensors, challenges remain. Urban canyons and dense foliage can attenuate or even block satellite signals and create reflections, reducing accuracy. Since ADAS systems need reliably accurate absolute positioning, these challenges need to be addressed if we want GNSS to play a role in ADAS.
Newer, more sophisticated GNSS solutions are needed. The progression to Level 3 does not require an entirely new technology stack but rather extracting the very best from each of the existing components. For GNSS, this evolution involves implementing software-based solutions to achieve the necessary reliability improvements without overhauling hardware components. Pursuing cost-effective upgrades enhances performance without necessitating complete system redesigns, thereby keeping costs under control.
FocalPoint’s S-GNSS Auto software enhances GNSS accuracy in autonomous vehicles, providing reliable, absolute location to improve overall ADAS safety and efficiency. By boosting line-of-sight signals and rejecting non-line-of-sight signals, this simple firmware upgrade can help vehicles maintain accuracy in challenging environments.
By reducing positional uncertainty, these enhanced GNSS solutions strengthen the overall sensor stack. Together, these layers improve resilience, safety, and confidence in higher levels of vehicle automation.
As the automotive industry moves further towards L3 automation and beyond, reliable data on absolute position will be essential and will only reinforce the insights captured by cameras, lidar and other sensors.
India’s aviation regulator, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), is collecting data on GPS interference and spoofing to have a better understanding of the situation, reports several news outlets in the country. The urge to collect data comes after the Delhi airport experienced issues in the past few days.
Following a circular issued by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation in 2023, instances of GPS interference/spoofing have been reported since November 2023.
Recently, several airlines have faced GPS spoofing at the New Delhi airport, with at least eight such instances on Nov. 5, said an unnamed DGCA official. The interference instances were noticed in domestic and international flights.
Generally, interference issues are reported in border areas, rather than at Indira Gandhi International Airport, the country’s busiest. Daily flight movements have increased to more than 1,500 following an airport terminal upgrade completed in October.
As many as 465 GPS interference and spoofing incidents were reported in the border region, mostly in the Amritsar and Jammu areas, between November 2023 and February 2025.
The Royal Institute of Navigation Small Craft Group has released Version 2 of a free navigation guide for small and leisure craft.
“Electronic Navigation Systems: Guidance for safe use on leisure vessels” is offered as a free digital download and as a hard copy for purchase from Bookharbour. The RIN website is asking those who want to download a copy to answer a single survey question.
Updates in the new version reflect developments in GNSS, electronic charts and their display systems, as well as feedback from readers, including a new sub-section on Astronavigation (Chapter 5).
Guidance includes
safe use of electronic navigation and associated systems on leisure vessels
“keys to safety” in many operational situations
advantages and drawbacks of different systems and approaches.
Version 1 of the “Electronic Navigation Systems” booklet is still available as a free download.
Feedback for Manufacturers
As a result of work on the first edition, published in 2020, the small craft group has compiled commendations for improvements to electronic navigation systems for leisure vessels. The improvements could be made by manufacturers and official bodies to assist the safety of leisure vessels through better design or regulation. “These recommendations did not sit comfortably in the booklet so can be viewed here,” the Small Craft Group announced.
As a result, the Pleasure Vessel Navigation Systems Working Group (PVNSWG) was set up, reporting to the UK Safety of Navigation Committee (UKSON). The Working Group’s remit is to
Propose minimum standards of functionality expected from electronic leisure charts and display systems.
Explore and consider if a means by which electronic charts and systems displaying them, which meet these standards, could be recognized by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) for use on pleasure vessels.
Discuss with electronic chart and display system equipment manufacturers the most efficient approach to deliver proposed minimum standards and achieve recognition.
The challenge of repairing GNSS stations in Bangladesh is recounted in a Nov. 6 article by Mike Steckler, a researcher with Columbia Climate School.
Steckler has been conducting research in the country for 25 years. He previously installed a continuously operating reference station (CORS) network in the southern region of the country.
Data from the network has enabled study of the tectonic motions of the Earth leading up to earthquakes. It also revealed the sinking of the land in the world’s largest delta to less than 1 mm/y.
“I still find that amazing compared to the days before GNSS became routine,” he writes. “I’ve been at sea where the crew had to use sextants to estimate our position to within 10 miles.”
Of 16 stations running in the country, only three (green) were transmitting data back to the U.S. “I have returned here once again with others to get them working again and add three new stations (white),” Steckler writes.
Steckler was joined by a team from Dhaka University to visit the sites, make repairs and install new equipment.
Map of Bangladesh showing the locations of Steckler’s GNSS sites and regions he is visiting. The green circles are working systems, the red ones need repair, and the white ones are new. The pink circles are monuments with no active system. (Image: Mike Steckler)
Two European Space Agency (ESA) microsatellites will soon be launched to study climate variables linked to water using GNSS reflectometry. The twin HydroGNSS satellites arrived at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California at the end of September, from where they will be launched later this month.
The HydroGNSS twins are the European Space Agency’s first Scout venture, part of the agency’s Earth Observation FutureEO programme. Scout missions are designed to deliver cutting-edge science quickly and affordably, complementing ESA’s larger Earth Explorer missions.
The identical microsatellites will launch from Vandenberg aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, sharing their Transporter-15 ride into orbit with several other small satellites.
Since their arrival, the HydroGNSS satellites have undergone a series of final checks — including testing, propellant loading, battery charging and integration with their launch adapter. Both satellites are now ready for closing of the rocket fairing.
Once in orbit, the two satellites will travel 180 degrees apart around Earth to maximize coverage.
The mission focuses on four crucial variables, all recognized as “essential climate variables” or closely related to them: soil moisture, freeze–thaw state over permafrost, inundation and above-ground biomass. These data are vital for improving our understanding of Earth’s water cycle, including wetlands, permafrost dynamics and forest carbon storage. The data will aid in agricultural planning, flood prediction, and others areas.
HydroGNSS satellites will use GNSS reflectometry to measure key hydrological climate variables, including soil moisture, freeze–thaw state over permafrost, inundation and wetlands, and above-ground biomass. (Image: ESA)
Navigation satellites such as GPS and Galileo transmit L-band microwave signals that change when reflected off Earth’s surface. HydroGNSS will compare these reflected signals with the direct GNSS signals to extract valuable information about geophysical parameters related to the water cycle.
New Space missions. Inspired by the principles of New Space, the Scout programme emphasises agility and innovation — using small satellites to miniaturise proven technologies or demonstrate entirely new ways of observing Earth.
Each Scout mission must move from kick-off to launch within just three years and under a budget of €35 million, covering everything from satellite development to in-orbit commissioning. The resulting data are provided as a service to the scientific community and ESA, helping accelerate our understanding of the planet.
Quectel Wireless Solutions, a global IoT solutions provider, launched three smart single board computers Tuesday designed to speed product development and reduce costs.
The QSM368Z, QSM560DR and QSM668SR offer developers connectivity, operating system and memory options for various applications, the company said.
“These boards are fully finished hardware that can be easily integrated inside customers’ larger systems across a wide range of IoT use cases,” said Raymond Wang, head of Smart SoC at Quectel Wireless Solutions. “Provided in a ready-to-use, single, low-cost platform, these boards are helping to simplify and accelerate the development process for IoT devices of all types, significantly reducing development time with rapid prototyping and cutting development costs.”
The QSM368Z features the Rockchip RK3568 IoT processor with a quad-core ARM Cortex-A55 CPU, ARM Mali G52 GPU, 8M ISP HDR and 1 TOPS NPU. The board supports Linux and Android operating systems.
The device includes triple-screen concurrent display support, 1,000 Mbps Ethernet and 4K video encoding. Built-in Wi-Fi 5 and Bluetooth 4.2 come standard, with optional support for Quectel LTE Cat 1, LTE Cat 4, Wi-Fi 6 and GNSS modules.
The QSM368Z measures 120mm x 100mm x 22.25mm, weighs about 90 g and operates in temperatures from -10 C to +75 C. Applications include IoT gateways, smart displays, industrial terminals, safety monitoring systems, NAS, NVR/DVR and automotive NVR solutions.
The QSM560DR features 12 TOPS NPU and supports Ubuntu, Android and Windows. The platform’s multi-mode 5G capability supports both NSA and SA networks, with 3G and 4G fallback. Wi-Fi 6E with DBS and 2×2 MU-MIMO technologies enable faster data transmission.
The device supports downlink speeds up to 2.5 Gbps on 5G NSA. It measures 120.5mm x 106mm x 22.5mm, weighs approximately 120 g and operates from -35 C to +75 C. Target markets include smart manufacturing, retail analytics, robotics and connected infrastructure.
The QSM668SR supports Android, Linux and Ubuntu and features 1.1 TOPS NPU. The board supports LTE Cat 4, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and GNSS. Under LTE Cat 4, the board achieves uplink speeds up to 150 Mbps and downlink speeds up to 50 Mbps. Bluetooth 5.0 is included.
Optional GNSS functionality provides positioning through GPS, GLONASS, BDS, Galileo, QZSS and SBAS satellite constellations.
The device includes HDMI, camera inputs, Ethernet, UART, USB, I²C, RS232, RS485, CAN, SD and SIM interfaces. It measures 102mm x 100mm x 23mm, weighs approximately 97.7 grams and operates from -20 C to +75 C. Applications include IoT gateways, smart home systems, industrial control terminals, retail solutions, safety monitoring, vehicle equipment and logistics devices.
Quectel also provides antennas for cellular, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and GNSS networks, plus custom antenna design and optimization services.
Trimble has provided advanced geospatial equipment to Fresno State’s Geomatics Engineering Program in collaboration with California Surveying & Drafting Supply, a Cansel company (CSDS). The equipment is designed to facilitate experiential learning in optical surveying, photogrammetry, GIS, GNSS and scanning workflows, helping to equip geomatics students with the skills needed for future careers. As part of this collaboration, Fresno State will open a Trimble Technology Lab on campus in 2026 as a place for students to get hands-on experience and training.
As the nation’s first four-year, nationally accredited geomatics program and California’s only Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology-accredited four-year offering, Fresno State has long been a hub for training the geospatial professionals who power land surveying companies throughout the Western U.S., including entities like Caltrans and PG&E. CSDS, with its expertise in bridging academic needs with industry solutions, was instrumental in bringing Trimble on board to expand the program’s equipment inventory, foster innovation and ensure the program’s sustainability as a talent pipeline for California’s geospatial industry.
“This strategic alliance is key to revitalizing and aligning educational offerings with the cutting-edge tools that define the profession,” said Tom Cardenas, senior vice president at CSDS. “Beyond offering students a hands-on learning approach, this project establishes a scalable model for addressing the surveyor shortage through industry and education collaboration. It’s a clear commitment to reshaping the future of geospatial education in California.”
The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a significant decline from 56,200 employed surveyors in the U.S. in 2010 to 47,770 in 2020. In California, where more than 2,000 surveyors depend on advanced technologies to support a booming construction and utility sector, the shortage poses a tangible threat to projects ranging from highway expansions to renewable energy installations.
“Fresno State is a critical pipeline for California’s geospatial workforce. The collaboration with CSDS and Trimble amplifies our collective mission to align educational offerings with the state-of-the-art tools that meet the demands of a rapidly evolving industry,” said Bryan Gibert, director of sales enablement at Trimble. “This collaboration is about creating an ecosystem that draws in talent and prepares them for immediate impact.”
The equipment includes Trimble GNSS base receivers, data collectors and network capabilities; Trimble S7 robotic total stations; Trimble DiNi digital levels; Trimble X9 3D laser scanners with T10x tablets; and licenses for Trimble Business Center, Trimble RealWorks and other highly technical software such as Trimble’s aerial photogrammetry module for TBC and Trimble eCognition. Trimble also outfitted Fresno State’s Geomatics Engineering program with several C5 mechanical total stations for a complete, turnkey solution. Both Trimble and CSDS provide configuration, calibration and on-site training for the technology.
“We emphasize hands-on training in our facility, complete with high-end computers, advanced distance learning tech and collaborative research projects with local agencies like CSDS,” said Scott Peterson, associate professor and program coordinator of the Geomatics Engineering Program at Fresno State. “While we had solid foundations from previous industry partnerships, we needed to expand with Trimble technologies to align our geomatics education with what the overwhelming majority of California professionals use every day. This turnkey solution, from GNSS to scanners and software, prepares our students for real-world challenges across geomatics and construction, leveraging our control network for practical training.”
