GNSS
In Arabicالنظام العالمي للملاحة بالأقمار الصناعية (GNSS)
The umbrella term for satellite positioning systems, including the US GPS, Russian GLONASS, European Galileo and Chinese BeiDou.
What is GNSS in fleet management?
People say GPS when they mean satellite positioning, but GPS is only one of several systems. Multi-GNSS trackers receive satellites from more than one constellation at once, so more satellites are in view and the position holds up between tall buildings, in wadis and on mountain roads.
On a tracker spec sheet this appears as multi-GNSS or as a list of supported constellations. Safee shows how many satellites the tracker used in every message.
How it works
- 1Tracker receives several constellations
- 2Position calculated from all of them
- 3Position and satellite count reported
Why does GNSS matter in fleet management?
A tracker that receives several constellations gives tighter positions and fewer dropouts, especially in dense city centres and on mountain roads. That feeds straight into accurate distances, geofence and speed alarms, and fewer false alarms for supervisors to wade through.
What you gain
- More satellites in view
- Better accuracy among tall buildings
- Faster position fix
How does Safee help you compare GNSS performance across trackers?
Safee shows the number of satellites each tracker used in every message, so you can compare device models across your fleet on the same roads and see which ones need replacing. Because the platform accepts many device types, you can move to multi-GNSS units without changing platforms.
A field example
A building-materials supplier in Salalah runs trucks on mountain roads and was getting false route-deviation alarms every day. Comparing satellite counts in the messages of two device models, it found the older GPS-only units saw 4 satellites in the wadis against 11 for multi-GNSS units. Replacing 40 old units cut false alarms by 80%.
Frequently asked questions
Are GPS and GNSS the same thing?
No. GNSS is the general name for all satellite navigation systems; GPS is one of them, run by the United States.
Does GNSS work without mobile coverage?
Yes. The tracker fixes its position from satellites alone, but it needs mobile or satellite communication to send that position to the platform.
Want to put this to work in your fleet?
Talk to a Safee fleet expert about your vehicles and how you operate, and we will suggest what fits.
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