Description
Within 3GPP specifications, GPS is referenced as an external positioning system that can be used by User Equipment (UE) and the network to determine the geographical location of a mobile device. The 3GPP architecture integrates GPS as one of several positioning methods, often categorized under UE-based or UE-assisted modes. In UE-based positioning, the UE contains a GPS receiver, calculates its own position using signals from GPS satellites, and may report it to the network. In UE-assisted positioning, the UE measures GPS signal parameters (like pseudoranges) and sends these raw measurements to the network's positioning node (e.g., E-SMLC in LTE, LMF in 5GC), which then computes the location. 3GPP defines control plane and user plane protocols (e.g., LPP, SUPL) to facilitate the exchange of GPS assistance data (like ephemeris, almanac) from the network to the UE, which significantly improves time-to-first-fix (TTFF) and accuracy. The network can request a location estimate using GPS either standalone or in combination with other methods (A-GNSS). Specifications detail performance requirements (e.g., in TS 25.171, 36.171), testing procedures, and how GPS measurements are incorporated into broader positioning architectures like Control Plane LCS or OMA SUPL.
Purpose & Motivation
GPS is incorporated into 3GPP standards to provide a highly accurate, widely available method for mobile device positioning, which is a fundamental requirement for regulatory services (like emergency call location), commercial location-based services (LBS), and network optimization functions. Prior to the integration of GPS, cellular positioning relied primarily on network-based methods like Cell-ID, timing advance, or OTDOA, which offered limited accuracy, especially in rural or suburban areas. The inclusion of GPS (and later other GNSS constellations) addressed the need for meter-level accuracy demanded by applications such as turn-by-turn navigation, asset tracking, and enhanced 911 (E911) mandates. 3GPP's work standardized how the cellular network can assist the GPS receiver in the UE (creating A-GPS) to overcome limitations like slow standalone GPS startup times and poor indoor sensitivity, thereby making reliable, fast, and accurate positioning a viable service for mass-market devices. This integration was driven by both regulatory pressures for emergency services and the commercial potential of LBS.
Classification
Detected Changes Across Releases
from 3GPP Change RequestsSpecific changes extracted from the „Change history“ tables of 3GPP specifications (108 CRs across 5 releases). Complements the general historical overview above with the evidence-based evolution of this function.
In Release 15, enhancements for GPS and other Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) included the introduction of broadcast positioning assistance data and the specification of GAD shapes for high-accuracy positioning. The release also defined positioning measurement gaps and updated the positioning architecture and OMA SUPL information to support these new capabilities. Furthermore, corrections and requirements for Assisted-GNSS (A-GNSS) operation with NR were standardized.
- Addition of broadcast of positioning assistance data TS 36.355CR0207
- Positioning SIB value tag and expiration time TS 36.355CR0226
- GAD shape(s) for high accuracy positioning TS 23.032CR0015
- GAD shapes for high accuracy positioning TS 36.355CR0224
- CR on A-GNSS in 38.171 TS 38.171CR0001
- CR to TS 38.171: Corrections to A-GNSS requirements with NR TS 38.171CR0008
+ 4 more changes
In Release 16, key enhancements for positioning included the introduction of NR (New Radio) positioning capabilities and protocols (NRPPa), and support for State Space Representation (SSR) positioning in LTE. The release also expanded A-GNSS support by formally integrating the BDS (BeiDou) B1C signal and updating its B1I signal ICD file to version 3.0. Furthermore, it specified new frequency bands for A-GNSS sensitivity testing and provided updates for positioning system information blocks (SIBs) and user-plane support via SUPL.
- CR for TS36.171, Introduction of BDS B1C in A-GNSS TS 36.171CR0020
- Introduction of B1C signal in BDS system in A-GNSS TS 36.305CR0083
- CR for the introduction of SSR positioning support into LTE TS 36.305CR0085
- Introduction of B1C signal in BDS system in A-GNSS TS 37.355CR0248
- Introduction of NR positioning TS 37.355CR0250
- Introduction of Release-16 UE positioning capabilities TS 37.355CR0261
+ 25 more changes
In Release 17, key enhancements for the GPS/GNSS function included the introduction of support for the BDS system's B2a and B3I signals and for NavIC's L5 signal in A-GNSS. The release also introduced specific positioning enhancements within the LPP and NRPPa protocols, alongside various corrections and clarifications for procedures like SSR positioning and Positioning Information Transfer.
- Introduction of B2a and B3I signal in BDS system and GNSS Positioning Integrity TS 36.305CR0107
- Introduction of R17 Positioning Enhancements in LPP TS 37.355CR0332
- Introduction of R17 Positioning Enhancements TS 38.305CR0086
- Introduction of NR Positioning enhancements to NRPPa TS 38.455CR0037
- 36.305 CR for Positioning WI TS 36.305CR0109
- Miscellaneous corrections for Positioning capabilities TS 37.355CR0408
+ 16 more changes
In Release 18, key enhancements for positioning functions included expanded and improved NR positioning capabilities, support for positioning of L2 UE-to-network remote UEs, and the enablement of inactive positioning in SDT without UE context relocation. The release also introduced corrections and updates for various procedures, such as assistance data transfer in sidelink positioning, Bluetooth positioning mode, and A-GNSS support elements like GNSS-AlmanacSupport. These updates aimed to improve accuracy, efficiency, and support for new use cases like sidelink and remote UE positioning.
- Introduction of Expanded and improved NR positioning TS 37.355CR0481
- LPP CR for positioning UE capability TS 37.355CR0499
- Introduction of 'Expanded and improved NR positioning TS 38.305CR0150
- Support of NR Positioning Enhancements TS 38.305CR0161
- Support of Inactive Positioning in SDT without UE context relocation case [POS_SDT] TS 38.455CR0109
- Support of NR Positioning Enhancements TS 38.455CR0113
+ 16 more changes
In Release 19, the primary enhancements for positioning included the official introduction of A-GNSS support for the BDS B2b signal from the BeiDou system and the NavIC L1 SPS signal from the Indian constellation across multiple specifications, including LPP, LTE, and NR. Furthermore, this release introduced foundational support for AI/ML-based positioning accuracy enhancements and related data collection procedures across the RAN and core network. These updates expanded the range of supported global navigation satellite systems and initiated the integration of artificial intelligence to improve positioning performance.
- CR for TS 36.171 to introduce BDS B2b signal in A-GNSS TS 36.171CR0032
- Introduction of NavIC L1 SPS A-GNSS in LTE Stage 2 specification TS 36.305CR0120
- Introduction of BDS B2b in A-GNSS TS 36.305CR0121
- Introduction of NavIC L1 SPS A-GNSS in LPP TS 37.355CR0532
- Introduction of B2b signal in BDS system in A-GNSS TS 37.355CR0545
- Introduction of AI/ML Positioning Accuracy Enhancements TS 37.355CR0559
+ 17 more changes
Explore further
Broader topics and technologies where GPS plays a role.
Defining Specifications
3GPP specifications that define or reference GPS, with the latest known release. Sourced from the 3GPP document catalog — see methodology.
| Specification | Title | Release |
|---|---|---|
| TR 21.905 vj00 | 3GPP Technical Terms and Definitions | Rel-19 |
| TS 23.032 vj00 | Universal Geographical Area Description | Rel-19 |
| TS 23.171 v1300 | LCS Stage 2 Specification for UMTS | Rel-4 |
| TS 23.271 vj00 | LCS Stage 2 Specification | Rel-19 |
| TR 23.758 vh00 | Study on Edge Application Architecture | Rel-17 |
| TS 25.171 vj00 | A-GPS Minimum Performance Requirements for UTRA FDD UE | Rel-19 |
| TS 25.172 vj00 | A-GANSS UE Minimum Performance Requirements (FDD) | Rel-19 |
| TS 25.173 vj00 | A-GANSS Performance Requirements (TDD) | Rel-19 |
| TS 25.215 vj00 | UTRA FDD Measurement Definitions | Rel-19 |
| TS 25.225 vj00 | UTRA TDD Physical Layer Measurements | Rel-19 |
| TS 25.302 vj00 | UTRA Physical Layer Services | Rel-19 |
| TS 25.305 vj00 | UTRAN UE Positioning Stage 2 | Rel-19 |
| TS 25.402 vj00 | UTRAN Synchronisation Mechanisms | Rel-19 |
| TS 25.423 vj00 | UTRAN RNSAP Specification | Rel-19 |
| TS 25.433 vj00 | Node B Application Part (NBAP) Protocol | Rel-19 |
| TS 25.450 vj00 | Iupc Interface Introduction for UTRAN Positioning | Rel-19 |
| TS 25.452 vj00 | Iupc Interface Signalling Transport for PCAP | Rel-19 |
| TS 25.453 vj00 | PCAP Protocol Specification | Rel-19 |
| TS 25.467 vj00 | UTRAN Architecture for 3G Home Node B | Rel-19 |
| TR 25.914 vj00 | 3G UE Radio Performance Test Methods | Rel-19 |
| TR 26.806 vi00 | Technical Report on Smartly Tethering AR Glasses | Rel-18 |
| TS 26.851 vb20 | Enhancements to Multimedia (EMM) for PSS, MMS, MBMS | Rel-11 |
| TR 26.928 vj00 | Study on eXtended Reality (XR) in 5G | Rel-19 |
| TR 26.938 vj00 | DASH Deployment Guidelines for 3GPP Networks | Rel-19 |
| TR 26.998 vj00 | 5G AR/MR Glasses Integration Study | Rel-19 |
| TS 29.171 vj00 | LCS Application Protocol (LCS-AP) Specification | Rel-19 |
| TS 32.808 v1800 | Common User Profile Storage Framework | Rel-8 |
| TS 33.303 vj00 | ProSe Security Specification for EPS | Rel-19 |
| TS 33.503 vj20 | Security for Proximity Services (ProSe) in 5G | Rel-19 |
| TS 33.849 ve00 | 3GPP Privacy Principles and Guidelines | Rel-14 |
| TS 33.885 ve10 | Security Study for V2X Services | Rel-14 |
| TS 34.114 vc20 | Radiated Performance Test Procedure for UE/MS | Rel-12 |
| TS 34.171 v1940 | A-GPS FDD UE Conformance Testing Procedures | Rel-9 |
| TS 34.172 va20 | A-GNSS Conformance Testing for UTRA FDD UE | Rel-10 |
| TS 36.171 vj10 | A-GNSS Minimum Performance Requirements for UE | Rel-19 |
| TS 36.305 vj00 | UE Positioning in E-UTRAN Stage 2 | Rel-19 |
| TS 36.355 vj00 | LTE Positioning Protocol (LPP) | Rel-19 |
| TS 36.816 vb20 | In-device coexistence interference avoidance | Rel-11 |
| TR 36.921 vj00 | FDD Home eNodeB RF Requirements Technical Report | Rel-19 |
| TR 36.922 vj00 | LTE TDD Home eNodeB RF Requirements | Rel-19 |
| TS 37.355 vj20 | LTE Positioning Protocol (LPP) | Rel-19 |
| TS 37.544 vg70 | UE Radiated Performance Test Procedures | Rel-16 |
| TS 37.571 vj00 | UE Conformance for Positioning | Rel-19 |
| TS 38.171 vj10 | 5G A-GNSS UE Positioning Requirements | Rel-19 |
| TS 38.305 vj00 | NG-RAN UE Positioning Stage 2 | Rel-19 |
| TS 38.455 vj10 | NR Positioning Protocol A (NRPPa) | Rel-19 |
| TS 45.005 vj00 | GSM RF Requirements for MS and BSS | Rel-19 |
| TS 51.010 vj00 | SIM Application Toolkit Conformance Testing | Rel-19 |