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China's Beidou (a GPS competitor) launches, a year ahead of schedule

• jhayward 8y ago
  > For consumers, if a device supports all the systems, (GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, and Beidou), would we be able to get greater accuracy, or if not greater accuracy, get our location faster than before? At a minimum, consumers will see better accuracy in challenging conditions such as "urban canyons" simply due to the fact that they are more likely to have sufficient satellites in direct view.
• jbeales 8y ago
  The accuracy isn't as great as existing systems, but it also can't be turned off by "the west." For consumers, if a device supports all the systems, (GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, and Beidou), would we be able to get greater accuracy, or if not greater accuracy, get our location faster than before?
  • bdonlan 8y ago
    Yes, having more frequency bands available helps better correct for ionospheric distortions, and provides a greater chance of getting more satellites in line of sight. Some phones already support multiple systems - Pixel 3 XLs will simultaneously use GPS, GLONASS, and Galileo for example.