Competitor (and complement) of the American GPS, the European satellite positioning system Galileo has just taken an important step in its development: it is now more precise. By switching to the HAS, or High Accuracy Service, the European Space Agency announces that Galileo now has an accuracy of 20 cm on a horizontal plane, and 40 cm vertically.
A system update that all high-end receivers will be able to enjoy for free. Unfortunately, this will not immediately be the case for smartphones and other consumer products which, for the most part, do not use the E6 band of the Galileo signal (which is compatible with the HAS). Instead, this more accurate signal will be broadcast over the Internet, which should enable wide adoption by connected devices and make it easier to deploy in the future.
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The European Space Agency is very proud of this update, recalling that Galileo was already the most precise satellite navigation service, thanks to precise geolocation to the nearest meter. Thanks to this improvement, it reaffirms its lead and strengthens its interest in many areas with professionals, but also individuals. And this while the second generation of Galileo satellites, even more efficient, should begin its deployment by 2025.
