
China's Beidou (a GPS competitor) launches, a year ahead of schedule - jbeales
https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/2179802/china-rolls-out-global-coverage-its-home-grown-beidou-satellite
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jhayward
> For consumers, if a device supports all the systems, (GPS, GLONASS, Galileo,
> and Beidou), would we be able to get greater accuracy, or if not greater
> accuracy, get our location faster than before?

At a minimum, consumers will see better accuracy in challenging conditions
such as "urban canyons" simply due to the fact that they are more likely to
have sufficient satellites in direct view.

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jbeales
The accuracy isn't as great as existing systems, but it also can't be turned
off by "the west."

For consumers, if a device supports all the systems, (GPS, GLONASS, Galileo,
and Beidou), would we be able to get greater accuracy, or if not greater
accuracy, get our location faster than before?

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bdonlan
Yes, having more frequency bands available helps better correct for
ionospheric distortions, and provides a greater chance of getting more
satellites in line of sight. Some phones already support multiple systems -
Pixel 3 XLs will simultaneously use GPS, GLONASS, and Galileo for example.

