Advancing Real-Time GNSS Applications: Performance of Galileo HAS in Precision Navigation and Low-Cost Receiver Integration

Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) technology, thanks to its high accuracy, is appropriate for monitoring structures, natural and anthropogenic hazards, as well as navigation and positioning. The Galileo High Accuracy Service (HAS) augmentation service recently released by the European Space Agency (ESA) is a new solution that could accelerate the development of mass-market technologies using the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS). Galileo HAS is designed to provide horizontal and vertical accuracies of 20 cm and 40 cm, respectively; it can be used in all legacy GNSS applications from structural monitoring to drone trajectory tracking using low-cost GNSS receivers.

This study evaluates the use of Galileo HAS with geodetic grade as well as low-cost receivers, analysing the results obtained in static, pseudo-kinematic, and kinematic solutions. The results indicate that Galileo HAS currently provides positioning accuracy at a to that comparable level of less than 10 cm, regardless of the use of geodetic or low-cost receivers. The results of integrating Galileo HAS with low-cost receivers show that it represents an important step in the development of available real-time positioning solutions.

In addition, the study showed that Galileo HAS meets key requirements in monitoring water vapour in the troposphere, as well as seismic displacement, by achieving real-time accuracy levels required for seismic displacement tracking and weather modelling. Comparative analyses with other GNSS correction streams show that HAS has lower accuracy in selected statistics, such as vertical accuracy. However, its near-global availability and high accuracy still make it a viable alternative.