Positioning is a technology of finding the location of UE (e.g., mobile phone). 5G positioning aims to support both outdoor and indoor positioning with high accuracy, low latency, and in a power-efficient manner, enabling new applications and services across various industries.
The main technologies used for UE positioning in 5G are as follows:
- Cell-Based Positioning: Uses the signal timing from one or multiple base stations (gNBs) to estimate the UE's position. This method can be enhanced by using the Time Difference of Arrival (TDOA) or the Angle of Arrival (AoA) techniques.
- GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System): Integrates signals from satellite systems like GPS, Galileo, GLONASS, and BeiDou to provide accurate positioning information directly to the UE. 5G networks can assist GNSS by providing correction data for better accuracy.
- Triangulation and Trilateration: These methods involve measuring the distance or angle from multiple known points (base stations) to the UE. By calculating how far the UE is from several base stations, the network can pinpoint its exact location.
- Beamforming Techniques: In 5G, the use of beamforming and massive MIMO can improve location accuracy by providing more precise information on the direction of signals.