FIG Commission 5 - Positioning and Measurement

Working Group 5.4
GNSS 

Policy Issues

• Provide FIG input during planning and implementation phases associated with programs of modernisation and development of all GNSS
• Support and disseminate emerging positioning techniques using GNSS
• Research and dissemination regarding real time networks
• Multi-GNSS products and advancements
• Develop and expand upon the relationships between FIG, IAG, MGA, RTCM, UN-ICG, IAG and UN-GGIM.

Chair

Suelynn Choy , Australia
suelynn.choy[at]rmit.edu.au

Ryan Keenan, Australia
ryan.keenan[at]septentrio.com

Special projects

• Research and Publications on “Precise Point Positioning, Network RTK, Low-Cost GNSS, Multi-Frequency Multi-Constellation GNSS”
• Outreach of GNSS applications to other organisations
  • E.g., ICG, IAG, IHO, UN-GGIM
  • Involvement with regional GNSS training schools (e.g. UNOOSA, CSIS, AIT/GIC, University of Tokyo)
  • Other more industry driven groups (e.g. Precision Agriculture, Environment, Space, ITS etc)
  • Especially where they are related to some of the UN SDGs, which would leverage UN-GGIM and UN-GGRF activities
• Resilience in PNT (considering interference, spoofing, jamming, ionosphere).
• Very technical topic that could benefit from simplification so that a larger section of the GNSS User community could better appreciate it.

What we are working on - A number of papers relating to GNSS will be submitted to relevant conferences and technical journals.

What's New

The GNSS working group continues to support multi-constellation GNSS activities through in the UN International Committee on GNSS (UN ICG) with collaboration from the International GNSS Services (IGS), International Association of Geodesy (IAG) and Multi-GNSS Asia (MGA).

Significant progress has been made in 2019 towards addressing “Interoperability of GNSS Precise Point Positioning (PPP) Services” by GNSS/RNSS and SBAS System Providers. WG 5.4 convened two specialized workshops on GNSS PPP services at the Applications of Global Navigation Satellite Systems Workshop, Suva, Fiji, 24-28 June 2019. More specifically these sessions provided presentations to increased awareness of the system-provided PPP services, the user benefits, and opportunities to support point navigation and timing applications in developing countries. It also encouraged standardization and interoperability of the system provided PPP services. A joint meeting took place at the 14th Meeting of the International Committee on Global Navigation Satellite Systems (ICG-14) in Bangalore, India, 9-13 December 2019, which highlighted the importance to harmonize key aspects of System Provided PPP services. This subsequently led to a recommendation to establish a Task Force within ICG to address key aspects of “Interoperability of GNSS Precise Point Positioning (PPP) Services”. The PPP Task Force will be chaired by Australia (Australian SBAS), Japan (QZSS) and the European Union (Galileo). FIG WG 5.4 is a member of the Task Force and will continue to monitor, contribute and report on the Task Force’s progress and work. Detailed FIG Report on “Applications of Global Navigation Satellite Systems Workshop Suva - Fiji, 24-28 June 2019” can be found here:

FIG Report on “14th Meeting of the International Committee on Global Navigation Satellite Systems (ICG-14)”: can be found here:

In terms of Outreach and capacity building activities beyond those mentioned above for ICG et al, FIG WG 5.4 is actively involved in two working groups within the UN GGIM’s Subcommittee on Geodesy (SCoG). At present, these two groups - Outreach & Communication (OC), and Education, Training and Capacity Building (ETCB) - are focussed on their respective activities in raising awareness about, and adoption of, the Global Geodetic Reference Frame (GGRF) in support of current and future mass-market satellite-based positioning needs and applications as well as the UN SDGs. In particular, the WG ETCB will be presenting a paper at FIG WW 2020 on the results of a global Questionnaire around the perceived geodetic Reference Frame competency levels around the world, and subsequently the global geodetic community’s needs around ETCB. Also, all working groups on the SCoG are involved with the definition of how the proposed UN GGIM Global Geodetic Centre of Excellence (GGCE) could look like in terms of governance, mandate and objectives. can be found here

Additionally, FIG WG 5.4 was approached directly by ISO TC20/SC14/WG1 to assist with reviewing WD24246 - the development of a new standard for ‘GNSS positioning augmentation centers’. This review process will continue into 2020, with an expected publication near the end of 2020. With this new standard, it is expected that the dissemination of GNSS augmentation information from solution providers will be open, unambiguous and accessible to the growing user community.

In summary, FIG WG 5.4 is actively involved with those groups responsible for helping to define the future of GNSS positioning into the next decade, and beyond.