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Is NavIC better than GPS? Undoubtedly, yes. NavIC can reach an accuracy of up to 5-10 meters whereas GPS is generally believed to have an accuracy of up to 20m. Not just the accuracy, but NavIC is said to have a faster latch-on time, which is technically referred to as Time To First Fix (TTFF).
As I extensively explained in the working mechanism of NavIC above, the reason for its pinpoint accuracy is the direct line of sight between the satellite and India’s region — ALL the time. And that is what makes it the best satellite navigation system for India, even better than GPS or any other system.
The Space Applications Centre in 2017 said NavIC will provide standard positioning service to all users with a position accuracy up to 5 m. The GPS, for comparison, had a position accuracy of 20–30 m. Unlike GPS, which is dependent only on L-band, NavIC has dual frequencies (S and L bands).
How do I use NavIC instead of GPS?
Check NavIC support on your smartphone
- Install GSPTest or GNSSTest applications on your Android smartphone.
- Once you open the installed app, tap on “Start Test”
- The app will now start detecting all the navigation satellite available.
- If the app shows Indian satellites, it means your phone has NavIC support.
Why is NavIC better than GPS?
GPS also uses a single frequency band and this makes calculations a bit more complex. NavIC satellites use dual frequency bands (L5-band and S-band), which is why the system is relatively more accurate than GPS (that uses a single band and makes compensation for error due to signal deterioration by the atmosphere).
It enables more accurate location performance, and faster time-to-first-fix (TTFF) position acquisition, and improved quality of location-based services. Some more applications of NavIC are: Aerial and marine navigation.
That’s why even smartphones launched in the recent past don’t have support for NavIC. So far, Qualcomm has announced that only Snapdragon 460, 662 and 720G have onboard NavIC support. Also Snapdragon 765 is fully enabled with NavIC. Install GPSTest (Free) or GNSSTest (Free) app on your Android smartphone.
NAVIC App APK Download from Google Playstore (Android users) and Apple App Store (Iphone users): Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) has launched India’s own Navigation System called NavIC.
What is the difference between NAVIC and GPS?
NavIC satellites use dual frequency bands (L5-band and S-band), which is why the system is relatively more accurate than GPS (that uses a single band and makes compensation for error due to signal deterioration by the atmosphere). However, the accuracy of the Standard Positioning Service available to civilians is 20 meters for both GPS and NavIC.
Is NAVIC the future of location tracking in India?
In the first half of 2020, we will have devices in India that, apart from constellations like GPS and GLONASS, use NavIC for location tracking. Will using NavIC improve location tracking accuracy over current systems like GPS?
What is NAVIC and what is its cost?
Unlike, GPS and GLONASS which are two mainstream global tracking systems, NavIC is dedicated to India and some of its adjoining regions. In addition to India, many other countries like China and Europe have regional navigation systems. The total cost of development for this project is around 22.46 billion or roughly US$315 million.
Qualcomm has partnered with ISRO to integrate location tracking based on India’s own navigation system – Navigation with Indian Constellation (NavIC) – on a few of its chipsets. In the first half of 2020, we will have devices in India that, apart from constellations like GPS and GLONASS, use NavIC for location tracking.