Location Service Now Available to Customers in a “Vast” Geographic Area
Verizon [VZ] last week announced it launched a real-time kinematics service called Hyper Precise Location (HPL) in more than 100 major U.S. markets. The big deal is that they are doing it…and offering location capability nationwide as software as a service (SAAS).
HPL, offered through Verizon’s ThingSpace platform, can be coupled with the company’s 5G Edge capabilities, the company said.
While a lot of focus of HPL, it seems, is going to autonomous and other automotive applications, the company said it can support such technologies as delivery drones, robotics, HD-mapping, agriculture, infrastructure monitoring, critical asset tracking and high value shipping.
Verizon recently teamed with automakers to demonstrate vehicle-pedestrian safety scenarios made possible through HPL, 5G Edge and C-V2X, the company said.
HPL enables location accuracy within 1-2 centimeters, for users on 5G and 4G networks, the company said. Location Business News asked Verizon what GNSS or other location companies they were working with, but the company didn’t respond by our deadline.
Since partnering at CES 2020, HERE Technologies, which has worked with Verizon on HPL testing, are focused on several projects, including:
- Improving accuracy and latency of positioning for road safety.
- Addressing navigation difficulties in areas with poor signals through Visual Positioning Services (complementary to RTK/GNSS, end-user agnostic).
- Z-level precise positioning for above and below ground levels (track first responder through different floors, guide drones through airspace).
“Verizon and HERE have been working diligently in the areas of Collision Avoidance and Visual Based Positioning to support vehicle autonomy,” said Herve Utheza, HERE senior director, emerging technology.
Key Takeaways:
- While UK’s Vodafone may be working diligently testing a location service in Europe, Verizon already has one for the U.S. market.
- User location data is never stored or shared.
Contact: Matt Conte, Verizon, (917) 848-3040, matthew.conte@verizon.com; Jordan Stark, HERE, jordan.stark@here.com.
